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Alberta educators burnt-out from the pandemic

An empty teacher's desk is seen at the front of a empty classroom at McGee Secondary school in Vancouver on September 5, 2014. Alberta is planning to reopen schools in the province this fall even as cases of COVID-19 in the province continue to grow. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

CALGARY — The Alberta Teachers’ Association says the upcoming summer break, at the end of June, will be badly needed for many educators, as they’re experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety and exhaustion.

Association President Jason Schilling explains part of why it’s been challenging is the numerous times they’ve had to shift between in-person and online at-home learning.

“This yo-yo effect that we’ve been seeing this last year in terms of COVID cases within schools has been a lot for schools and teachers and administrators and everybody else working in those buildings to deal with,” he said.

He adds online learning comes with its own unique set of challenges, forcing teachers to work even harder to connect with each and every student. And, while some students and teachers have enjoyed learning online, it’s not for everyone.

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“It has been challenging .. but everybody keeps just doing the best that they can,” he said.

“For the majority of our students, they prefer to be in school working with their teachers in that capacity.”

Part of the expectation placed on educators and caregivers is ensuring every student is prepared for an online learning atmosphere.

“Whether they have the technology, the WIFI, they’re able to connect throughout the course of the day,” he said. “And we know that this school year has had a lot of impact on the mental health of our students and of our staff as well.”

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Ideally, teachers want to be in class working with their students, but Schilling says everyone’s safety comes first.

He explains this is why they have been calling on the Alberta Government to come up with a scenario better-tailored to educational staff.

“Scenario one, which is where students are in class sort of near normal. Scenario three is where everybody is right now, working in a remote emergency sort of capacity,” he said.

“We’ve never examined scenario two. To see if that’s actually applicable, or would be worthwhile looking at in terms of our school system.”

Schilling believes in-person learning will be possible in September if Albertans get vaccinated and follow health measures.

However, he says it’s likely they will still need the government’s help to ensure there is proper Personal Protective Equipment readily available, reduced class sizes, and even ventilation systems within schools.

“So it’s finding a way, I think post-pandemic, that we best serve the interest of our students in Alberta.”