THROUGH THE ACADEME LENS: CAPTURING MENTAL HEALTH FROM A PERSPECTIVE

CHRISTOPHER L. CARREON

The pandemic is a lens that shifted the focus of the public to the significance of the well-being of the people. Health became the center of attention due to the alarming effect of the spread of viruses on the immune system of individuals. For that reason, as the new normal started, protocols were created in order to promote safety. Nevertheless, as the health section may have been viewed in a wider context, there are still areas whose angles are vague like that of how crucial mental health can be along with that of the physical.

Mental illness is the third most common disability in the Philippines (Martinez et al., 2020). It is an issue that has been perceived differently during COVID-19 in comparison with that of months earlier where the misconception of how a made-up state is at its peak. It is for this reason, that cases after cases have been constantly reported which subjects are mostly teenagers and at the same time, students. Having stress in the conduct of online classes as one of the factors, people have begun to raise awareness on how the transition from the traditional mode of learning influences more than the academic performance of an individual but also one’s way of life which is being linked to isolation. However, it can be observed that only a few discuss how the situation is for the teachers despite the given fact that they perform one of the greatest roles in pursuing learning continuity. Thus, leading to a cropped execution on addressing the negative effects of the pandemic in the education sector giving emphasis to why the mental health of the educators should also be tackled which center is why theirs matters as well may it be on and off the camera.

ONCAM. Teachers are front liners whose battlefield takes place in communicating the lessons with their students. During these trying times, it is a challenge to ensure that the learners are able to absorb knowledge where one of the significant reasons is the absence of an engaging interaction where students can accumulate wisdom the most. That being said, most professors try to invest more of the time and effort they have in order to deliver quality education to students. Nevertheless, an outstanding fact is, more obstacles come into the picture like the lack of knowledge in using technology, unstable connectivity, and also the circumstance where not everyone has the necessary resources. Hence, making it even harder for them to adjust internally which results may then affect their performance.

In an article published on the official website of Better Health Channel, it has been discussed how work-related stress is directly related to productivity conflict in organizations. It is due to the reason that symptoms of the such issue include a drop in work performance, depression, anxiety, and sleeping difficulties which may be caused by long hours and heavy workload. In classes today, it can be inferred how the mentioned causes are expressly present despite being able to work from home. May it be different from regular classrooms, working in one’s comfort zone does not always mean an easier situation. Teachers in the new normal are subject to more criticism especially when every activity has a tendency to be posted online. This adds to the burden of having no room for mistakes or else, people will judge an individual without even knowing the real story— causing the mentors to be concerned as they already are in delivering the right approach to the lessons.

Nowadays, it has been common to underestimate a person by just the fact of being in the field for a long period of time. Nevertheless, with the changes happening in the environment, it is a real problem to function especially in educational matters where the future of the students is being molded which is then where the pressure originates that when addressed negatively impacts one’s passion, and determination to what does which can be a long-term effect. And so, it must always be bear in mind that not having everything in the frame is not equivalent to the non-existence of a struggle. Teachers, like the second parents that they are, have always considered the learners as their priority. However, the significance of being mentally well should also be considered a priority in the field, especially with the presence of the health crisis where they are also greatly afflicted.

OFFCAM. Just as how a known phrase goes, “there is more to what meets the eye”. In the case of the teachers behind the educational duties, it can be revealed how such individuals also have respective responsibilities aside from work like that of household and personal matters. However, as online teaching continues, the combined obligations may be overwhelming due to how the tasks associated with the profession extend even to one’s particular space which may then result in a conflict affecting such individual’s mentality and physicality.

In the study conducted by Kheirkhah et al. (2018) which tackled the correlation between job stress, personality traits, and emotional intelligence of their chosen subjects, it was stated that job stress is linked to illnesses and family issues. In relation to the nature of the work of the educators, it is observable how demanding the current time is which is a huge factor in the accumulation of pressure, especially with the presence of deadlines and constant increase in the amount of work. For this reason, time for oneself is often sacrificed in order to aid the situation which results in lesser interaction with family members and friends, long exposure to the usage of gadgets despite its harmful effects, and also emotional imbalance– all leading to a lack of self-care may it be a short duration for leisure or uninterrupted sleep and meal periods. This just proves that teachers are humans, too, whose necessities also need consideration even when not visibly seen. Like in a home, what keeps the foundation strong is a give-and-take approach to cater to the essentiality of both sides. The same is true for the academic community given the fact that everyone, as victims of the pandemic, needs some time to adapt, innovate, and overcome the challenges so that efficiency can be achieved.

The real story lives between-the-lens shutter.

In the present, the enhancement of the current policies and guidelines on the undertaking of online classes continues in order to further improve the shortcomings during the past academic year of the set-up— including the necessity for assistance directed to the teachers. Teachers need, indeed, socioemotional support to face the extra pressure being put on them to deliver learning in a time of crisis (UNESCO, 2020d). That being said, activities that will allow them not just to understand the people around them, but also to communicate and comprehend their own feelings are advisable so that they can respond better to their emotions and take better care of their internal selves. Such activities may be in the form of an open discussion with others or a reasonable break with oneself, or even as simple as a healthier work environment. After all, a famous quotation says “you become what you surround yourself with”.

The new normal, from the name itself, has created a new perspective when it comes to health, especially in the education sector. Nevertheless, it is a vague angle wherein mental health is still barely in the frame, especially that of the teachers. In this time of struggle, protocols are not enough to provide safety among everyone for the very reason that the real problem lies in the masked rights of the people, the distance between the good for all, and good for one, and the sanitized poor pandemic response. Perhaps, when these grounds are addressed, academic institutions may have an efficient system where its educators are able to teach without sacrificing their mental state… as it is only then that the cruciality of the role of the profession during the pandemic will be viewed clearly in the lens of both fairness, and equality.

-oOoThe author is Teacher III at Northville High School