Content Creator: Ananya Anindita Content Editor: Ratan Ravichandran Blog Designer: Nirvan Bajracharya “Health is wealth”, do you remember writing it on your classroom boards as the quote of the day? You probably do. It is one of the most preached proverbs in schools. Now, health encompasses both physical and mental well-being. And teachers have been doing their best to ensure that we are healthy both physically and mentally. But what about them? Do they get to practice what they preach? Let’s see. There is this incredibly famous adage from George Bernard Shaw’s ‘Maxims for Revolutionaries’, “He who can, does. He who can’t, teaches”. This statement is widely accepted. Teachers at primary and secondary schools, in particular, are viewed as people who lack imaginative thoughts, or have a drive to do something and thus have resorted to teaching. Teaching is frequently portrayed as an easy, carefree profession with flexible working hours and long holidays. However, is that actually true? Imagine a classroom filled with 20-30 kids. Each kid with a unique learning capability, mentality and IQ. and, you are the one responsible to bring out the best in each and every one of them. The mere thought of it is enough to stress me out! Furthermore, teachers are trained to look out for the socio-emotional well being of their students. They are trained to identify anxiety, bullying, depression, and other microaggressive symptoms. Yet, they are still hesitant to talk about or express their own mental health. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so look after yourself first. To begin with, we live in an extremely competitive society . Everyone wants their child to be at the top, win accolades and that is precisely how a teacher’s worth/capability is determined; by how much a child scores. This overwhelming pressure can be quite exhausting at times, especially for those who are new to this field. There occurs a constant mental battle as to how they can make learning easier and better for the kids. Even though they get off work earlier than others, they spend their time preparing question papers, marking answer sheets, and planning the lectures for the next day while keeping in mind their diverse class.
In addition, there is the conception that educators have to be strong since they are role models for children. There is also growing competition in the field to pose as good role models for students. As a result, they are expected to be optimistic, understanding and happy 24/7. Yes, they recognise that interacting with children is like walking on thin ice, but we must also remember that instructors are human beings. They too have their bad days. They have their vulnerable moments as well. Honestly, as a student I would really appreciate it if my teachers showed their vulnerable side to us. Such expressions can be a form of consolation for students. Telling them that it is okay to be weak at times, to be emotional and true to yourself. Another pertinent point is, the disruptive student behaviour. As we grow older, we have all experienced at least one class where we could not bring ourselves to pay attention, the whole class was riotous and we never paid heed to what the teacher taught. It is not uncommon to encounter a lot of teenagers having a little or no respect for their teachers. These kids can make teaching extremely difficult for teachers and then go ahead to criticize them for not being able to do so adequately. This behaviour has worsened over the course of the pandemic. The pandemic! The pandemic has not been easy on anyone. Work from home has added stress to daily life. Students have been complaining about their mental health being affected (quite rightly so). Meanwhile, educational institutions have delegated all obligations to instructors for some reason. Many teachers have had to learn how to conduct classes using Zoom, Google Meet, and other similar programmes. However, there are instances of students misusing this shortcoming of teachers. For example, giving meeting access to outsiders to come and disturb the class. In addition a number of difficulties they face can be:economic 1. Teaching a class through a screen, where they have no clue whether the students are listening understanding or grasping the concept, 2. Trying to make lectures interesting while handling the deadlines, 3. Attending to confused students and parents even after online school hours Teachers are still concerned about their job security as a result of the economic downturn; they are constantly concerned about their and their families’ health along with the health of their students and, to add to all those we got memes. A study conducted in the US found out that during the pandemic, teachers were more likely to report feeling stressed and burned out than other state and local government-sector employees. A national poll in the US states that 1 in 3 teachers have decided to retire rather than return to the classroom. And what are we doing about that? Nothing. Lastly, but most importantly, the lack of teacher counselling concept in schools is alarming. A school counsellor is found in almost every accredited institution. But, the concept of them counselling teachers is completely unheard of. The above-listed arguments have definitely provided us with more and more reasons as to why counselling should be provided to teachers as well. Creating support groups within the schools for teachers is a much needed step. Recognition of the fact that some cultural groups might be in need of extra support, like the lgbtq group or the black community, is very necessary. In conclusion, everyone acknowledges and admits teachers to be an extremely integral and impertinent part of the society. However, we have failed them when it comes to their mental health. A study conducted in England and Wales shows a positive association of teacher’s mental wellbeing to that of the students. Therefore, let us do our best to provide them with support, help and most importantly; respect. In the words of Todd Whitaker; “The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters everyday.” REFERENCES: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032718301733 https://www.edweek.org/leadership/teachers-mental-health-has-suffered-in-the-pandemic-heres-how-districts-can-help/2021/05 http://www.markedbyteachers.com/university-degree/education-and-teaching/george-bernard-shaw-once-said-he-who-can-does-he-who-cannot-teaches-this-saying-appears-to-have-wide-acceptance-in-the-midst-of-intellectuals-and-educated-groups.html https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/teachers-mental-health https://www.forbes.com/sites/onemind/2020/10/06/the-mental-health-resources-that-teachers-need/?sh=7ba597c279b9 https://thebastion.co.in/politics-and/why-ignoring-teachers-mental-health-leads-to-a-poor-education/
2 Comments
Aman Sahva
7/20/2021 12:01:15 pm
Love it! Indeed its a great article
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Megna
7/21/2021 12:41:35 am
Insightful!
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