Safeguarding Teachers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing During Pandemic

The author is Teacher III at Arenas ES, Arayat West District Lilibeth Hipolito Dela Torre

Teachers have at a higher risk of poor mental health and wellbeing when compared to individuals in other professions. Teachers encounter a variety of possible stresses at work, including workload demands as well as relational and external influences. Administrative paperwork, a lack of non-contact time for lesson preparation, and a sense of responsibility for students' educational achievements are all elements of workload. Teachers' mental health and stress levels are two critical elements in their ability to become holistic classroom managers and leaders. Teachers are the Department of Education's (DepEd) first line in providing curriculum, services, and skill mastery to students. Although schools are not yet ready to adopt remote learning, learning must continue to be delivered. They attend training and workshops and get technical support from mentors and experts to be well-prepared for school-related activities, become prepared in teaching, and evolve into holistic learners’ developers. Teachers' inherent characteristics in 21st-century teaching are formed by their professional and personal environment. When placing them on the front lines of the education system, the state must consider their physical, mental, social, and psychological well-being, and education officials must ensure that they have the necessary knowledge, cognitive perspective, skill enhancement, and technical competence to serve learners with varying needs. Their mental comprehension should be good, and their stress level should be manageable. This "new normal" trains teachers to be equipped with adaptable leadership and enhanced technical competence, both of which are essential and useful abilities to acquire. This global pandemic caused teachers to be concerned, fearful, and unsure, keeping them away from people, work, and meetings. This crisis, however, taught teachers’ courage, solidarity, and togetherness to assist, support, and manage this global danger. Finally, to be prepared and ready for the new normal, teachers must have a clear mentality and psychological understanding.