BY HERMAN M. LAGON
THE ADAGE “Teachers are the unsung heroes” seems more relevant than ever as we celebrate World Teachers’ Month and National Wellness Month this September. Although teachers have long been responsible for forming the next generation’s minds, hearts, and hands, their difficulties have only become more pronounced given the present dispensation. Their already heavy workloads have been exacerbated by the disruptive demands of the “new normal,” the worsening learning crisis, and the growing need for creative and tech-assisted teaching strategies. More than ever, we must pay attention to their well-being — an indispensable component of the educational system that has sometimes been neglected.
While the pandemic mandated a sudden shift to adaptive learning, which came with difficulties, the post-pandemic era has highlighted even more intricate problems. Teachers discovered they were overwhelmed with newly imposed administrative chores and had to rapidly adjust to digital classrooms, hybrid learning environments, and more as schools simultaneously catch up and charge forward. Many teachers today struggle constantly to innovate against a disrupted education system stretched thin on resources, mismanaged, and underfunded. Although the worldwide health crisis has passed, it is clear that the stresses it generated have not been sufficiently addressed and have worsened. Thus, teachers are under increasing weight of expectations.
Large class counts, limited resources, and a worsening learning crisis already taxed the educational system before the global outbreak. Now, calls for innovation in the classroom have only grown more intense, severely backbreaking an already precarious system. Teachers are expected to manage a landslide of administrative tasks while bridging knowledge and skills gaps, integrating new technologies, and using progressive teaching strategies. Teacher burnout has skyrocketed due to these pressures; many feel overwhelmed, anxious, and tired from the often exacerbating obligations placed on them.
The fundamental problem is the growing discrepancy between the support tools accessible to teachers and their expected performance. A RAND Corporation study indicates that 84% of teachers felt their employment was much more stressful during the pandemic, and the situation has only worsened twofold with their return to the now-blended classroom. Teachers are expected to fulfill various roles — from counselors and administrators to educators and digital experts — without enough time or tools to handle these duties. Many teachers find little time to take care of their own well-being under the pressure to balance these obligations.
This load affects not only teachers but also the standard of instruction. Teachers who battle mental and physical health problems, including burnout, anxiety, or depression, are less likely to interact with their students in a way that results in engaged classrooms and lower learning outcomes. (To be continued)/PN
