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March 27, 2024
Vol. 16
No. 24

Putting the "We" Back in Wellness

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    Educators at every level should prioritize collective care for changing circumstances. 

    School CultureLeadership
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    Credit: By Ashkan Forouzani from Unspalsh
      As educators and staff return to their schools for the fall, mutations of COVID-19 are sickening scores of people. The Delta variant is surging—the average new weekly caseload is around 130,000—and the Lamda variant has been discovered in the United States. Even highly vaccinated communities like mine, in South Burlington, Vermont, have “high COVID transmission” by CDC standards. And schools are, in and of themselves, “unvaccinated communities,” fellow educator Antonio Buehler recently reminded us on Twitter. 
      As a member of one such “unvaccinated community,” I have spent much of the summer wondering about the role of collective care and responsibility. Unlike the 2020-2021 school year, when emergency declarations were in place, it is still unclear whether schools can require masks, even as most go back in person. In Florida, Governor DeSantis has issued an executive order banning mask mandates, and Texas is embroiled in several similar legal battles, all under the guise of a “return to normal.” In contrast, most communities last year altered the shape of education through remote and hybrid options, and asked educators and staff to adhere to collective restrictions that would reduce community spread. 
      My school’s approach included an in-person component, so teachers (and students and caregivers) limited travel, minimized gathering sizes, and wore masks everywhere we went. I couldn’t hug my mom for months. It was a kind of cruel irony when I learned that federal guidelines around sick time for COVID had expired and I would need to use my own sick days to quarantine as I awaited test results. I sat at home working on lesson plans, evaluating student work, and hoping I didn’t have COVID after having been considered a close contact. With each choice I made, my question was always, “What if I brought COVID back to my classroom?” 
      Especially for those of us who serve children under 12—who are both unable to be vaccinated and now catching COVID at higher rates—our task is fraught with risks and unknowns. Our work is doubly complicated by what Dr. Lanette Jimerson calls the “fawning” trauma response: Rather than freeze or flee, many educators place the needs of others above their own, often ignoring or diminishing their need for support to dive deeper into their work. The problem with wellness as an “individualistic endeavor,” Jimerson explains, is that it ignores the “environment, structures, and policies” that also affect educator well-being. For educators, “self-care” is often added to our plates rather than seen as part of a larger systemic change toward collective community care. 
      Once the year starts, my decisions are no longer mine alone. Having younger students means that my exposure becomes their exposure, and vice versa. It also means that I become the highest point of exposure for my partner, parents, and closest friends. I worry about what’s next for me (Will the conference I’ve been looking forward to move online? Will I spend my mornings checking my temperature instead of lesson plans? Do I attend the family wedding in late September?). I am also concerned about what’s next for my students (For those who thrived in remote options, how can I create a space for similar successes in the classroom? For my Black, Indigenous, students of color, how might the return to predominantly white classrooms affect their well-being? For the many students confronting an increase in anxiety, how can I ease their worries?). Decision fatigue was a challenge for educators prior to the pandemic; now, it’s debilitating.  
      So, what can school communities do to lessen educators’ fears? It can be helpful to remember Jimerson’s point that wellness cannot be placed on the shoulders of individuals. It must be built intentionally into our systems. With that in mind, I’d like to offer some questions for consideration that might help us start the year from a place of collective care.
      A few questions that school leaders could consider:
      • Are there policies in place that allow educators and staff to take the time needed for quarantine, recovery, and pending test results, without using accumulated sick days? I would have benefited from time to process test results without worry that I would use my accumulated sick time. Some districts across the country added additional days with COVID in mind. This allows educators to get tested, quarantine, and heal without using the days they have banked. These policies should also follow the CDC guidelines and current practices with regard to the Delta variant. 
      • How can educators ensure they are not fawning through their trauma, but rather able to access resources that support their personal wellness? Ensuring that educators understand the benefits included in their Employee Assistance Program, including any covered time with mental health providers is important. Educators should be able to access sick time for mental wellness without stigma. Additionally, school leaders should encourage educators to take their personal days throughout the year to allow time for rest and rejuvenation. 
      • What resources can we use to support the social-emotional well-being of all members of the education community? SEL resources must not be, in the words of Dena Simmons, “white supremacy with a hug.” Alex Shevrin Venet’s book, Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Practice, could start important conversations as a book study during professional learning time. Additionally, Nurturing the Nurturers is an opportunity for educators to engage in professional learning that supports their own well-being while modeling strategies for community-centered, social-emotional wellness. 
      A few questions that educators could consider:
      • Do I have lesson plans available in the event that I have to be out at a moment’s notice? Educators in your building might support each other in creating a bank of resources everyone can draw on. What resources exist online that are culturally affirming and link with the curriculum in place? Accessing materials through Learning for Justice, Rethinking Schools, and the Zinn Education Project can support educators in sourcing available resources. 
      • Who might be in my personal “pod” if I do need to limit contact with others? Are there friends, neighbors, and relatives that I can count on if I’m no longer able to access my larger social network? During the beginning of the pandemic, I had not yet created a “pod.” I often found myself isolated and lonely. Joining up with others, but keeping contacts small, helped to create space for connection and personal wellness. There are also mutual aid organizations in many communities to support and benefit from. 
      • How will I know when I’ve hit my limit and need to take a wellness day? I’ve learned that when I begin to reach for ice cream and Netflix rather than go for daily walks and enjoy cooking a meal, something is off. It’s absolutely okay to take a break and indulge, but when that becomes a pattern, I know I’ve got to reset with outdoor hikes, talks with friends, and connections with family to fill me up. 
      As I prepare to close out the summer, I’m experiencing a kind of preemptive exhaustion when I consider what’s ahead. With our country drifting back into the “red zone,” I’ve picked up my masks again after a summer of family weddings, camping trips, and a kind of “normalcy” that we haven’t seen since the beginning of the pandemic. But as anxious as I’ve been about the potential for spread, one need only spend an hour with 6th graders to learn that their hope is infectious and their belief in their ability to change the world is a balm in a time of great pain. My hope is that as the school year takes off, we will continue to prioritize collective care for changing circumstances to make sure our students have the futures they all deserve.

      Christie Nold (she/her) is a public school educator who lives and works on Abenaki land in Vermont. She organizes with the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont, serves as a member of the Community Advisory Group for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and is a former Teacher Advisory Council member for National Geographic. Outside of the classroom, she loves to kayak, hike, cook with friends, and is always in search of the world’s best donut.

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