Mental health of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Shaira Raylita B. Maninang

The current health crisis altered the way we live and affected the mental health of countless people. The effect was so profound that returning to the "old normal" may seem completely out of reach.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones acknowledged that ensuring teachers' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is a big challenge for the department. Our sudden shift to various distance learning modalities has brought stress to most teaching forces resulting in our teachers operating in crisis mode. Research suggests that this kind of situation can trigger symptoms of both anxiety and depression.

And although one school year has already passed, little to no data is available that tracks depression and anxiety among Filipino teachers. Meaning, there is no clear picture of just how our teachers are faring in the wake of this crisis teaching.

The hyperextend role

The expanded duties of teachers during pre-quarantine have even grown. During pre-quarantine, teachers are already burdened with heavy teaching loads and heavier ancillary tasks. This crisis teaching has added multiple other duties that teachers must perform.

"Sorting all these activity sheets and modules is exhausting! I haven't had much time to check on my learners because of this!" blurted out by one of our colleagues as she struggled to complete the learning packets of her students.

Although the Department of Education has called on schools to lessen the burden on teachers, many have reported that they are burdened with reproduction, preparation, and distribution of learning materials.

The dilemmas of teacher parents

Teaching from home has also been very stressful for teachers, especially those who have kids. Research has shown that mothers are more often the ones supervising a child's virtual education. However, a teacher mom experiences this dynamic twice over - teaching students virtually while assisting their child so they don't fall behind in their distance learning. Apart from that, they also have to manage their home, making these teacher moms more anxious than ever.

The loneliness in remote teaching

Virtual teaching is an entirely different universe than face-to-face teaching. It has been reported as more invasive and even lonelier. Students attending online classes often have their cameras off and muted microphones, making it harder to establish connection and communication.

It is also harder to get emotional support from a colleague. Usually, teachers rely on their colleagues for constant emotional support during breaks and random hallway meetings. Due to this remote teaching, that spontaneous support isn't even an option.

During this pandemic, teachers’ mental health continues to suffer in ways they have never experienced. The government must intensify its ways to help teachers improve their current mental health status by ensuring that mental health becomes a priority in the workplace. Government must ensure that teachers are provided with the resources they need to navigate this crisis teaching successfully.

The author

is Teacher

--oOo-

III at Gutad Elementary School Floridablanca East District still