“Acknowledge Alliance does a wonderful job in creating a safe, loving, and compassionate space where all teachers are invited to openly share any experience. Their teacher resilience groups provide the space for me to reflect on my professional and personal conflicts, events, and successes. I learn so much from my peers and definitely feel more invested in my school community.” -Teacher
Schools are back in session, and so are Acknowledge Alliance Resilience Consultants. As mental health practitioners, Consultants are busy meeting with teachers, virtually, to strengthen their professional and personal resilience. In addition to supporting teachers with one-on-one therapeutic conversations, professional development, and social emotional learning curriculum, our team is facilitating monthly resilience groups online to provide a safe space for teachers to connect with other teachers.
According to Edutopia, “remote learning brought new stressors for teachers. Used to working on their feet, educators got a crash course in working at a computer all day, and also struggled with setting up a schedule working from home and managing parent communications. Many teachers are left wondering how they'll avoid burning out, especially without the face-to-face interactions with students that keep them passionate about the job.”
Teachers report that Acknowledge Alliance’s resilience groups are helping immensely. The groups allow them to process their emotions, share challenges, and gain strategies for supporting themselves and others. The groups also help teachers feel less isolated, and have been a vital lifeline during distance learning and the school closures earlier this year.
With the sudden shift to virtual teaching during the pandemic, one of our teacher participants noted: “It’s been great to have support from the teacher resilience groups and our Resilience Consultant during an extra stressful time of year. We were all launched into new territory with no warning or training. Knowing I have them and my colleagues to reach out to, makes it more manageable.“
Tracy Lyons, Acknowledge Alliance Resilience Consultation Program Director, agrees, “This is a high-need situation to ensure teachers feel connected and not isolated, which in turn also helps students feel more connected and engaged.”
Teachers focus on student learning and student well-being every day, which oftentimes results in putting other people’s needs ahead of their own. Acknowledge Alliance understands that it is just as important to prioritize teacher well-being as it is to prioritize student well-being. After all, how students learn and process their feelings in school depends on how well their teachers are mentally and emotionally present in the classroom. When teachers are supported to take care of themselves, they're better able to meet their students with empathy and engage with enthusiasm.
Acknowledge Alliance is committed to teacher engagement, strengths-based reflection, and empowering conversations through resilience groups and daily interactions. With our support, teachers become more resilient, with an increased understanding of the value they bring to the classroom. Ultimately, teachers feel more connected with their students and peers, which all contributes to the positive climate of the whole school community.