Inquiry Project

Powerpoint: educ 450 inquiry project.pptx

Reflection: 

Through doing this project, I learned a lot about teachers; their mental health and how the pandemic has affected everything. It was eye-opening speaking with our SAs, and also counsellors, about their mental health throughout their careers. It made me realize how much effort and time that teachers must put into the lives of their students. It also showed me how these issues have been exacerbated even more due to COVID-19. This required many adjustments and workarounds for the teachers to handle. Ultimately, we chose to do a presentation on teacher’s mental health and emotional well-being because it is a topic that is not discussed enough. Society always stresses the importance of mental health for students, but never for teachers.  

As future educators, we want to do everything we can to aid the students, but we also don't want to ignore our own feelings. Teachers must take the time and make the effort to support themselves as persons in order to create a pleasant learning environment. Self-care is an essential component of our lives that many people overlook owing to their hectic schedules. This is especially important for teachers, who are continuously connecting with and accommodating other students and coworkers. We came to the conclusion as a group that instructors' unwritten obligations are rarely discussed or focused on. Teachers are under more stress during difficult periods such as the pandemic. It was fascinating to learn about and research the support networks that instructors can and should surround themselves with.