It surprises me a lot that we aren’t talking about the trauma we’re all suffering right now. Yes. This pandemic is traumatic and the effects of it will live on for a while. If we don’t start looking at it that way, we’re doomed to continue suffering from mental health issues including anxiety, depression, short tempers, and basically, a lack of ability to cope with daily life. 

If you think about it, many of us were already in crisis mode before the pandemic hit. We worried about who was running our governments and were frustrated with the state of education in light of the inequities in the system. Place a long period of pandemic, uncertainty, divisiveness and you have full-blown trauma. How people deal with it from day to day depends on their level of self-belonging. I’m not a psychologist or specialist in the science of the brain and body, but I’ve spent the past two years studying, reading, and internalizing the science. I’ve also learned about different views of home and belonging; different perspectives about life and how we live it. And I’ve also been reflecting on what has worked for me since I suffered from depression and anxiety for many, many years. 

First, I’m going to share a personal story with you about a traumatic experience I had and how I was able to cope, and then I will share some practical advice about how you can come to terms with what’s going on and move forward. 

In 2014, I was hired as director of a foundation-level program at a private university in Kuwait. I replaced the outgoing director whose style was autocratic and included favoritism towards some staff she believed to be loyal to her and a lot of control and surveillance of everyone else. The curriculum she implemented did not suit the needs of our students and for that reason, I was tasked by the board of trustees to overhaul the climate in the department and revise the curriculum. 

I think you can already see the obstacles I was facing when I entered my office on the first day. Although I had worked with many of the staff members as a fellow instructor for five semesters, there was distrust by those who had aligned with the previous director about the changes they assumed I was going to make. I am a democratic type of leader and ask for input from all of my staff, instructors, and teaching assistants because they’re the ones “in the trenches” so to speak. They know what is needed to ensure the students acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to begin the undergraduate program. I also had taught the curriculum and commented many times that it was not aligned with what the students needed to fulfill the requirements of English and math competencies before starting their undergraduate courses. 

A number of committees were formed with representation that involved every instructor and TA in the department. We reviewed the outcomes,  assessment philosophy, and textbooks/resources. Then each committee presented their findings. Based on best practices and the most recent research in remedial math and intensive English, a plan was created to write and implement most of the recommendations along with a timeline that took into account a switch over from the previous curriculum and assessments that aligned. We even searched for a better admissions test for English so we had data that would be used to evaluate the changes and help us determine if the changes we made improved outcomes over time. Along the way, staff members came to me with concerns and I dealt with each one.

There was a bit of grumbling from some staff about having to make the changes which meant new lesson plans, learning additional methods to ensure students met the benchmarks we created, but we had the support of the upper management, so I was confident we were on the right track. In March 2016, I was traveling in the U.S. to visit family and attend several conferences. While I was sitting at a gate to board my flight, I checked my work email and found a strange message from an unknown email address. The subject line was Unresolved Complaints About Doctor Ilene and had been sent to the university President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs (my immediate supervisor), and my entire staff. I came to know later that the email address used was encrypted so it couldn’t be traced. The body of the email referred to numerous accusations of my lack of leadership, staff being forced to “work for me” and that I hadn’t listened to complaints about certain problems “many” instructors were having. There was a bit of sarcasm and I was embarrassed for whoever wrote it because it was so unprofessional and had been sent to the management. 

Once I’d read through it a couple of times (in disbelief), I contacted the VP. He told me that he would try to find out who sent it and would send an email that would indicate his continued support of my efforts as director. He also said we would meet once I returned to work the following week. Long story short: the perpetrator(s) was never found because IT was unable to break the encryption. After a couple of months, I decided to take the situation into my own hands. I called a staff meeting and took attendance to ensure everyone was there. Then I presented my case, without referring to any specifics in the email since I didn’t want to show it had any importance to me. I spoke for a few minutes looking at each and every staff member as I said, “The train is on the tracks and is already moving forward. If you’re not happy about the journey and the destination, nobody is keeping you here. It’s almost the end of the year and you are free to leave if the direction we’re taking doesn’t suit you.” And then I finished up by saying, “I am now in my 60s and know myself very well. I don’t need anyone to tell me what I still need to work on.”

If I was sitting next to you right now, I bet I know what you’re thinking. ‘How did Ilene know how to handle that traumatic experience?’ If it had happened ten years before, I don’t think I would have been able to continue in my role as director knowing there were people who sought to undermine me and push me out of my job. However, I was in a different place in 2016 and my sense of self-belonging was and still is strong. I knew what I was tasked to do, and I was sure I had listened to every voice in the department before making joint decisions about changes. I also knew there were some who didn’t agree and would probably never agree, but they were the minority and had a choice about staying or leaving. When I stood up in front of the group, I knew what I had to do. I had to re-establish my “authority” for those who were on board with the changes but feared the others might diminish my ability to implement them. 

Why am I telling this story? I need to emphasize how traumatic experiences like the one I experienced, can impact how we view our jobs and ourselves. The email I received was a culmination of numerous covert attacks on my leadership the first 18 months as director. I was able to overcome constant attacks on my position and the email that was deliberately encrypted and sent to upper management because I developed my sense of self-belonging. I knew my strengths and what I still needed to work on. I also had the support of my supervisor to make the necessary changes in spite of the pushback by a small group of staff members. 

My message to educators and education leaders is: We need to have a strong sense of self-belonging and feel supported professionally. If not, we will succumb to the negativity, attacks on our self-esteem and self-confidence that make us feel we need to fight, flee, or shut down. That means the dark curtain will fall over us and color everything around us. That’s what is happening right now. I believe it’s a major reason so many educators are leaving the profession. It doesn’t have to be that way!

If you’re a school leader, support your staff in any way you can. If you’re a classroom teacher or support staff, make your voice heard. Share how you’re feeling. 

Here are some of my suggestions for how to handle the current crisis:

Daily check-ins with staff to find out how they are feeling 

Open your door to allow them to pass by and share their concerns, fears, and problems. 

Listen for understanding and jointly come up with a plan to make things better. 

Advocate for your staff and students with whoever is responsible for making those decisions. 

Advocate for your own mental health and well-being.

Make your, your staff’s, and your students’ well-being a priority. The content will be taught and learned once they feel included, heard, and valued.

Reach out to the community including parents and let them know they’re important also. 

Communicate regularly and encourage your staff to communicate with you and your parents often.

For more suggestions read this article from Edutopia.

 You can read more about self-belonging and professional belonging in my book, Journey to Belonging: Pathways to Well-Being available in paperback and ebook.

https://journeys2belonging.com/3C5Ojig

https://journeys2belonging.com/3kmuwUN

https://journeys2belonging.com/31eQF0s