Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 52

Wellbeing
TAKING A HARD LOOK AT TEACHER
WELLBEING DURING COVID-19
BY: CHRISTINA MORRIS
wellbeing cannot be overstated. This
is where a very understanding and
empathetic senior management team
can make all the difference. Further in
this article, I will give some useful tips
on how you can help to create better
work-life balance at this time.
Social and emotional
wellbeing
H
ow are you doing? Seriously,
how are you really doing?
Take a moment to think
about your answer to this
question. Often when we are asked
how we are, we tend to just give the
answer we always give, without even
thinking about the question. Not this
time. This time I want you to actually
stop and think about yourself. Think
about how you are truly feeling and
how you are coping under the current
circumstances.
If like me, you are an educator in the
Middle East, then your life is far from
normal. With less than two weeks'
notice, we as teachers and school
leaders have gone from having a
school full of students, to becoming
online educators. Some of us have
had to become bloggers, vloggers,
YouTubers and podcasters all in a bid
to keep teaching and learning going.
We have done all of this without
skipping a beat, but at what cost?
Workload
Teachers already had an enormous
52
Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
workload, but since the school closure
and the switch to distance learning,
many teachers have seen their already
unbearable workload double or even
triple. The pressure to be always on
and available is more than most can
bear. Teachers are spending nearly
every waking hour, preparing lessons,
recording videos, giving feedback,
answering queries from students
and parents, among other duties. It
is hard to put into words the toll that
this is taking on some teachers. Some
schools are better at helping teachers
cope with this workload strain than
others, but what is certain is that
everyone is feeling it.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance goes hand in hand
with workload. How much time are
you able to spend on taking care of
yourself and your family during this
time? I cannot begin to imagine how
teachers who are also parents are
managing to juggle, homeschooling
their own children, while providing a
quality education for their students.
The toll that this is taking on teachers'
After the Bell
If you are someone who struggles with
anxiety and depression, the current
climate is likely to exacerbate these
conditions. Even if you do not normally
struggle with mental illness, because
of what is happening, this may be
the first time you find yourself feeling
anxious or even depressed. Do not
dismiss these feelings. They are real,
and you should acknowledge them.
This is not the time to ignore your
social and emotional wellbeing and
that of your colleagues and friends.
Reach out. Ask for and offer help
wherever you can. Many teachers are
far away from family and friends. Many
are extremely worried about their
loved ones in other countries. Some
are unable to access the medication
and support that they would normally
have, because of the lockdown.
Check on your friends and colleagues,
especially those who live alone. If you
need help call someone, if the first
person you call is not able to help
you, don't give up, try someone else.
It is vital that you place your social and
emotional wellbeing at the top of your
list of priorities.
Finance
Not a lot is being said about this in the
media, but there are many teachers
who are experiencing and will
experience financial difficulties during
this time. Some schools have already
started to lay off teachers, while others
are cutting salaries. There are also
teachers whose spouses have lost their
jobs. These are often not addressed,
but they are causing great stress and
strain at this time. The financial effects