Teacher’s Say on Mental Health

By: Monica Aviles

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our mental health as a whole. With the social limitations implemented by the district, It is much more difficult for students and teachers to have face-to-face interactions with one another. The lack of social interaction, quarantine, online teaching etc. is not only impacting students, but teachers as well. 

Mr. Hawthorne

Earth Science teacher, Mr. Hawthorne, has worked at Redwood for four years now. He sees the pandemic has changed his “world view”, however “still believes in, bloom where you’re planted” and manages the best he can. In order for Hawthorne to maintain his mental health, he has a routine, exercises regularly, and spends time with his family.   

   Teaching online has created a “drastic shift away from” Hawthorne’s “skill set.”  His biggest challenges are managing time, and “juggling priorities,” and that the hours are much longer. “Personal engagement was lost. We do have it in some form, yet it’s different. I miss the familiarity that a traditional classroom learning environment provides.”

Hawthorne offers advice to students who are struggling: “You are not alone, and more importantly, seek out a trusted adult, family member or friend for guidance. This is a challenging situation for all of us. Help is available.” 

He explains how the current pandemic has introduced us to challenges on a whole new level, and hopes that students know “we are truly in this together…” and that students understand that “the fundamental reason that I (Hawthorne) am here is to help them (students) be successful. We have, and will continue to, adjust to this new normal as best as we can.”

“Our current situation is definitely a challenging one, but we can still work together when success is our goal…We will get through this. Together.” – Hawthorne

Ms. Ramirez

Freshman English teacher, Ms. Ramirez is also in her fourth year teaching at Redwood High School. She believes that mental health is often “overlooked because it isn’t very easy to talk about. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are experiencing diminished mental health and our body takes the toll.” 

Ramirez herself has faced a “few ups and downs,” and once the pandemic hit, she began doing less of what she often took for granted like: “walking, having conversations with people at work, and socializing with friends.” However, she was able to get back up and started “taking more walks during lunch, started dancing again and have made it a priority to disconnect from work emails on the weekends.”

Shifting from face to face teaching to online has impacted Ramirez, “It has been a challenge developing my teaching style using the virtual platform…The constant technical difficulties (frozen screens) and the feeling of impotence when the solutions seem out of reach.  ” She misses using her classroom to “teach and fully experience the reactions of my students when I would tell a joke or say something lame.” 

To students who are struggling with their mental health, Ramirez says, “You are not alone in this struggle. Reach out to a trusted friend or a trusted teacher. Check in on your friends, too! We are learning this whole virtual thing along with you. We miss you all and are rooting for you.”   

“Our mental state is crucial to our success in all areas of our life, especially in the classroom…We have a hard-working team, we’ll get through this, we’ll be alright.” – Ramirez

Mrs. Vieira

AP English teacher, Mrs. Vieira, is in her seventh year working at Redwood. Vieira explains that the pandemic hasn’t affected her mental health as much as other individuals, “I get to spend more time at home with my husband and our dog; I’m a homebody at heart, so I didn’t mind the extra time at home.” 

She believes the no contact with students has been worse for her than the pandemic itself, “I miss working with students, and it’s hard to find true joy in teaching this way. It’s stressful, it’s daunting, and it’s not really what teachers signed up for!” Vieira hopes students make time for things that bring them joy, “Organization is the only way to defeat chaos, which is what we are all experiencing right now! But find joy in each day, whether that’s watching a few episodes of your favorite show on netflix, walking, riding your bike…”

“We know that kids are stressed, and it breaks our hearts to watch kids struggle. We have all dedicated our lives to nurturing young people, and the last thing we want is to see them struggle” Vieria explains how teachers are struggling too, “We hate this too, we are stressed too, and our workload and our day is just as unmanageable as theirs. This truly sucks for all of us.”

An ongoing struggle that most teachers (including Vieira) face is the schedule, “for me it’s the worst part. It leaves us such little time to work with students, and it’s really hard to keep up with all the work we have to do while zooming from 8-3 with no real break.”

Even though the pandemic hasn’t really taken a toll on Vieria’s mental health, she still tries to improve it by setting limits on how much time is spent on work, family time, relaxing, and staying active. “Our mental health colors all of our experiences. Paying attention to our mental wellness ensures that we find joy in each day.”

“Nothing is permanent. Persevering in the face of challenges, overcoming hard things makes us all a little bit stronger and a little more prepared to face the next challenge, of which there will be many in life.” Vieira

Tags: mentalhealth, pandemic