Helping Teachers: What You Can Do Right Now
If anything has come to light in the darkness of this pandemic, it is our realization that educators and front line health care workers have had to step up in times of chaos and uncertainty and become the calm in the storm for many of us, often while their own lives are just as uprooted as our own. Teachers and administrators, without time or testing, have been thrust into helping their communities connect in a way that, up until now has been unprecedented and all the while doing on a constantly moving conveyor belt of ever-changing statutes and health guidelines.
All of this upheaval and uprooting and change will leave all of us with invisible wounds we will have to care for and tend to for healing, along with our children. I am concerned that when this all returns to “normal” we will expect teachers and administrators to simply “get on with it” without giving sufficient support to those invisible scars left by this pandemic.
I do believe there are some things families can do now to help start the healing process and come together as a community whose care for the educators they love (and have come to understand just how important their job is), so that our children when they return to school, can come back to school staff who feel supported and cared for.
If you are one of the many distance learning families right now who has more than once had the awe of realizing what your child’s teacher does every day and how much your teacher, staff and school care right now, instead of pledging undying love or saying teachers should earn a million dollars a year (although kind), could you commit to making a difference RIGHT NOW to help teachers and schools now and when the kids eventually go back?
SHOW GRATITUDE
Have you thanked your child’s teacher yet? Has your child? And not a drive-by, “thanks for all you are doing.” I mean sitting down and writing an email or letter of gratitude? Teachers are struggling to manage families, distance learning and fear associated with the virus just like the rest of us. Most teachers have had sleepless nights worrying about your kid, the kids who may not be doing well at home, how to teach, what to teach, what is expected of them, what they need to expect from your child - this translates to stress.
We all have stress right now, but one thing you can do to help is to show gratitude. And special bonus: when you and your kiddo show gratitude to your teacher, your brains get a boost too. Gratitude is a natural stress reliever and a great connector for our brains. Want a writing assignment that decreases stress and increases neurotransmitters that produce feelings of love, happiness and safety? Write a sincere thank you note to your child’s teacher. It can be the hug that teacher needs right now to help boost their mental health and well-being.
DEEPEN SELF-AWARENESS AND EMPATHY
Since you have had so much togetherness lately, have you noticed your child’s behavior could use a bit of a lesson as well? Have you had the thought, “I sure hope you don’t treat your teacher like this?” This is a time when kids feel the stress, too, and it can manifest itself into behaviors that are less than helpful to the child and the family. Or, perhaps it was going on before and you are now getting to experience it. No matter how it got there, just throwing your hands up and saying, “Ugh, I can’t wait until you are back at school, and this is your teacher’s problem!” is neither kind or effective. It also doesn’t relieve any stress for the child and often leads to complicated communication and relationships for the future.
Want to do teachers a favor? Work on developing empathy skills, including discussing feelings. Empathy is a great brain builder and helping your child set and adhere to emotional boundaries can be a social-emotional game changer for your child. Making sure your child makes eye contact when speaking and listening, practice listening and not interrupting, having conversations that take another person’s point of view into account and doing kind things for others can all build empathy skills. If your child has a behavior habit that could use adjusting or doesn’t like discussing emotions, now is the perfect time to help your child. They NEED these skills to deal with the stress and change in their lives. If you need help teaching your child (or perhaps yourself) how to set emotional boundaries and follow them, I have several free resources for you.
GIVE GRACE
The fallout of missing this much school is going to land on the teachers - both emotionally and academically. It just is. Add in the government and whatever mandates, testing requirements, changes to grading, expectations (that teachers and schools will be legally required to comply with) - it could be extremely overwhelming. And when you, as the parent, are required to get your kid up, get them to school and get on with your own life, it will be another transition and change.
One thing you can commit to is giving yourself and your child’s teacher grace. You aren’t going to do it all right (just like now), and neither is your child’s teacher because they can’t predict how to handle something that has never happened before. Additionally, each child in the class will have had a very different experience from your child. Different emotional experiences will shape how they interact and react to others, which will need to integrate back into a community of learners. So, if you feel irritated or stressed, choose to take a breath, give grace and speak kindly to teachers, administrators and staff. Choose to show support and grace, even when it feels messy and uncomfortable. If your stress level is high at this moment, do something for yourself, such as meditation that can help.
CONNECT
Parents supporting teachers and showing up for them usually fall into the hands of the few. If you feel that your kid’s teacher should be making a million dollars and you are longingly looking for the day that your kid goes back to school, then back it up by committing to show support in some way for your school, teacher or class. Perhaps it’s volunteering for your child’s book fair or fundraiser. Maybe it’s agreeing to read once a month. It may even be reaching out and asking your child’s teacher what supplies they could use and then sending a little extra or a gift card every once in a while with a note of thanks from your child. Going from a full-time distance learning supervisor to an occasional volunteer or gifting supplies will feel like a vacation.
SUPPORT THEIR WELL-BEING WITH OUR SCHOOL EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM
Educators and other school staff consistently report high levels of occupational stress, and they face mental health and chronic health issues due to it, leading to burnout and despair. Some teachers are choosing to leave the profession altogether, which has a trickle-down effect on students and school budgets. In our School Employee Wellness Program, we focus on using mindful self-awareness to change habits and behaviors that do not serve, as well as educator stress management, resilience building and overall mental well-being. Be sure to check out our Wellness Match Initiative as you consider ways to support their overall well-being.
When the time comes to return to our normal lives, I hope that we will have taken the time to consider how to create better lives for our kids, teachers, schools and communities. This experience can be one of great solidarity if we commit to supporting each other now. Our children will see our example of wanting to strengthen the school-home experience. We will all be better for the small measures we take now to show our teachers appreciation for what they are doing and what they will take on in the future.