It’s the start of another school year, but unlike any other in our careers. This year, we find ourselves at the nexus of a widespread, months-old pandemic and racial trauma that is centuries old. We cannot pretend this is an ordinary school year. For many of us, there is fear in our classrooms, fear in the streets, fear of being in crowds, and fear for our families, to name just a few of our concerns. This layering of health stress that started months ago with the racial trauma that has gone on for generations is not something we can check at the door as we enter school. With no immediate end to either in sight, these crises and the resulting trauma will be with us
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References
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Connley, C. (2020, June 10). 4 ways to cope with racial trauma amid the coronavirus pandemic. www.cnbc.com/2020/06/10/4-ways-to-cope-with-racial-trauma-amid-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html
Cuncic, A. (2020, March 22). An overview of work anxiety. VeryWell Mind. www.verywellmind.com/work-anxiety-4692762
Goldstein, D. & Shapiro, E. (2020, August 13). I don’t want to go back: Many teachers are fearful and angry over pressure to return. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2020/07/11/us/virus-teachers-classrooms.html
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National Association of School Psychologists. (2020). Coping with the COVID-19 crisis: The importance of care for caregivers tips for administrators and crisis teams. www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/covid-19-resource-center/crisis-and-mental-health-resources/coping-with-the-covid-19-crisis-the-importance-of-care-for-caregivers
Pawlewicz, D.D. (2020, July 10). The school reopening debate reveals that we don’t listen to teachers about schools. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/07/10/school-reopening-debate-reveals-that-we-dont-listen-teachers-about-schools
Plett, H. (2019, August 17). What it means to hold space for someone. Uplift. upliftconnect.com/hold-space
Porter, T. (2020, June 22). Reflecting on teacher wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional Education Laboratory. ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/blogs/blog28_reflecting-on-teacher-wellbeing-during-COVID-19-pandemic.asp
Teachers Thematic Group, World Bank. (2020, May). Three principles to support teacher effectiveness during COVID-19. documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/331951589903056125/pdf/Three-Principles-to-Support-Teacher-Effectiveness-During-COVID-19.pdf
Sharron Helmke is a Gestalt and ICF certified professional coach. She’s a senior consultant for Learning Forward, facilitator of the Mentor and Coaching Academies, and co-facilitator of Learning Forward’s virtual coaching class Powerful Communication Skills for Coaches.
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