Schools will reopen in less than two weeks. And as much as I empathize with students who seem on the edge about the new learning setup, I’m more worried about educators who probably feel just as stressed as them—or maybe even more.

[READ: Our educators need mental health guidance, too—and we’re all ready for that conversation]

A few days ago, I was mindlessly scrolling through my feed when I saw a certain short film where students were ranting about the new system. And honestly, it would’ve been alright until they started shaming educators. They were blaming teachers for something beyond their control—or at least that’s what it looked like from my POV.

Educators are doing their best

It isn’t easy for teachers to transition to an entirely new learning environment in such a short period of time. “Personally, I’m not ready yet. It takes a lot of time to prepare the instructional materials but I’m doing it, anyway—for my students,” said 26 year-old high school teacher Joy (not her real name).

“Thorough planning is key to making this new educational system effective. We’re also thinking of ways to connect the old practices or experiences to battle this new normal,” she added.

Joy also shared how she’s been losing sleep over work. She’s constantly worried about how her first class will go on Aug. 24. “For the past couple days, I’ve been doing my materials ’til wee hours. When a new idea pops in my head, kahit I’m about to head to bed na, I’ll start working on it immediately. It’s stressful, I must admit. But I’ll do it pa rin just to make sure my students learn despite the circumstances.”

“We overthink a lot these days”

Teachers in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro and Kalibo, Aklan barter plants in exchange for their students’ school supplies and other materials while various schools and teachers seek paper supply donations for printing modules.

“I might not speak for every teacher, but we overthink a lot these days. Every teacher acknowledges naman na not all our students can afford to buy the necessary gadgets. That’s why we’re also stressed,” said Joy.

“We need to find ways to help them learn eh. We need to come up with an effective strategy where no one gets left behind. And honestly, it’s slowly taking a toll on us,” she concluded.

How to help educators deal with stress

Globe, Inquirer Group and Hope Bank will conduct the second leg of their mental health webinar for educators (or even non-educators) on Friday, Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

[READ: It’s time we talked about our educators’ mental health]

Mental health experts will talk about signs of distress, anxiety, depression and other psychosocial concerns, how self-care can help enhance a person’s mental wellbeing, importance of work-life balance and the nature of toxic positivity. They will also talk about the shift to a blended learning system, strategies on how to make it work and effective coping mechanisms.

This event is in partnership with the Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. and the Department of Education Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DepEd DRRMS).

Header photo courtesy of Chris Montgomery on Unsplash