 Last week was a rough one for teachers. I don't know if it was the upcoming full moon or what, but there was an energy in the air that screamed, "I need a break!" I posted an outreach message on my Facebook page and heard from several teachers that it seemed to speak directly to them. A few people even confided in me that they were taking a "mental health day." Why does it have to be a secret?
When you add exhaustion with the fear of getting reprimanded, what kind of teacher do you think you will get? Shouldn't we be encouraged (especially in the current state of the world) to take care of our well-being? Teachers have to go to great lengths to take a mental health day, often living more than half of the day with a guilty conscience that they don't meet the definition of "sick" as described by Human Resources. Then there are the questions when they come back to school, many genuinely out of concern, but also spiking the fear of being "found out." It's a painful price to pay for a respite. And in many cases, the guilt, scheming, and excessive planning needed to be absent aren't worth it. There has to be another way to live - open about our spirits. Don't you think Human Resources would want to know how their teachers are doing? I would love to see the statistics on absences last week. Wouldn't districts want to be ahead of this and realize that this is a time of year where extra support is needed? Does your school have something in place that supports teachers taking a mental health day without the guilt? Please share in the Facebook comments or share your ideas on how we can make this happen! |
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