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How Can School Administrators Manage Stress During the Pandemic? Recommendations from School of Education Faculty Member Dr. Ginny Altrogge

Whether you're a student, a caregiver, a principal, or a teacher, we all need to think about how we're coping with stress during this time. Retired football coach and analyst Lou Holtz said "It's not the weight of the load that breaks you down. It's the way you carry the load." And that's very true of stress. If we don't deal with our stress and carry it correctly, it does break us down. The recommendations here include ways for administrators to manage their own stress and help their communities carry the stress of this pandemic.

See Dr. Altrogge's faculty bio to learn more about her, and visit the Webster University School of Education website to view our program offerings.

"All of this is a new wave. So we ride that wave and make the most of it. I really think that our learners and our teachers are going to be more resilient for it. We're going to have better problem-solvers and we're going to have new patterns emerge in education." -Dr. Altrogge

1. Remember the basics

You need to ensure that you're eating right, getting the sleep you need, and exercising. These are the self-care basics that apply to everyone across the board. When you're dealing with change and uncertainty, these things will make you less vulnerable to stress.Administrators who keep up with these practices can also incorporate self-care practices into meetings and classrooms for their teachers and students. This does more than just ensure that we're physically healthy. It's a way of showing your community that their struggles are seen and their well-being is valued.

2. Prioritize

Your role is in a state of flux right now. It's not a time to take on additional things. So it's important to say "no" to extra things that are not an immediate priority. When it comes to answering emails, some of us feel pressured to respond to every email right away. Remember that you can create a system for prioritizing time-sensitive requests and coming back to lower-priority obligations later. This is something administrators can model and encourage in their teachers as well. It's especially important for maintaining a healthy work-life balance while working virtually!

3. Communication is key

It's important to be transparent with with your staff, your students, your parents, and your teachers. Being transparent helps to stop the kind of miscommunication that makes a tough situation even more difficult. A lack of clarity on what expectations are and what actions are being taken can cause a lot of anguish. It's also important to be upfront when you don't have all the answers yet. It's ok not to have all the answers in a changing situation. Be honest and let your community know what processes are in place to solve these challenges. Keep them continually updated on progress and invite their suggestions wherever possible.

4. Effective communication requires listening

Keep your fingers on the pulse by giving your teachers and families opportunities to share their concerns and suggestions. They need a chance to say how they feel and express what will or won't work for them. Asking for one-on-one conferences with some of your teachers and sending surveys can be great ways of catching problems before they begin.

It's also important not to leave out the students in this. Feeling that their voices are heard is especially important when they are uncertain about what to expect. Regular feedback from students can address simple open-ended questions like: What do you think is going well in online learning? What has been difficult? These can be talking points for teachers and administrators to offer guidance and additional support.

5. Breaks can make you more efficient

It's easy to think we don't have time to take a break, but taking 5-10 minutes to clear your mind can help you think clearly. A 5 minute meditation or breathing exercise, a quick walk, or jumping jacks are all good ways to be proactive. Giving ourselves the chance to clear our minds can actually help us come back and be more efficient. Incorporating these kinds of breaks into meetings and classes can benefit teachers and students as well.

6. A strategy for uncertainty

Lack of control and uncertainty are major stress-inducers. It's hard to plan for a situation that is fluid and unpredictable. While we can't eliminate the difficulty circumstances of the pandemic, we can decide on the most effective responses to these circumstances. Making a chart can be helpful for tackling uncertainty that can feel overwhelming. A simple chart with 3 columns separating "things that are out of my control", "things that are within my control" and "actions I can take" is a great way to clarify your approach to a complex situation.

7. Adapting to change

Most of the stress-management strategies discussed here are about adapting to change. As you complete the steps listed above in #5 and #6, It's important to remember that the old ways of doing things may not work any longer. As you invite discussion, ask for feedback about the current system: what elements are still viable given our new circumstances? What elements are no longer going to work? What do your team members need in order to fill the gaps where the old system is no longer sufficient?

8. Build a sense of community

Feeling connected is crucial when it comes to stress management. Circumstances that feel overwhelming to an individual can become manageable when the community faces them together. It can be difficult to stay connected while doing things virtually, but this can also be an opportunity to get creative. Some fun ways to keep your students, staff, and families connected might include:

Host a contest to create a new motto for the school, or for specific grade levels

When you host virtual meetings or conferences, provide a program with photos and introductions to your staff. This is a way for families to get to know the teachers who are working so hard to create positive learning environments for their children during the pandemic!

Celebrate positive stories on your school's website and social media. Although things are difficult, there are plenty of good-news stories to lift peoples' spirits. You may want to feature community efforts to provide free meals to families, students or teachers who have won awards, or a fun activity from one of your classrooms.

If your students and teachers are on-ground, invite them to contribute artwork or encouraging words about positive stories during the pandemic.

9. Learning from each other

Create spaces for teachers to share effective strategies for online or blended learning. This might be an early morning or late afternoon virtual "coffee break" where teachers can share helpful articles and share what has been working well in their classrooms. 

10. Positive self-talk

Your attitude towards the current circumstances can affect the confidence and morale of the school community. It's easy to focus on the things outside of our control and feel down. Remind yourself of the positive actions you can take for your community (listed in your chart from #6). It can also be a good idea to keep encouraging "one-liners" handy on a piece of paper. If there is a saying that is reassuring and motivating to you, take a moment to say it out loud when you feel stress creeping in. You can also write it down and put it somewhere you will see every day.

11. Consistency and flexibility

It's important to show your teachers that you're aware of how much is on their plates. Consider their feedback from meetings and surveys, and think about what you may be able to do to lighten their loads and show appreciation. Sometimes, that means adjusting your expectations from what they would normally be. Now is not a good time to introduce new things that would've been part of the ordinary schedule pre-pandemic: things like new assessments or curriculum plans.

12. Let it out

Amidst all the problem-solving and thinking on our feet, sometimes we just need to vent. Journaling is a great way to express our frustrations in a space without judgment or criticism. Administrators can encourage the incorporation of journaling as a classroom activity for students, and can use it as a coping strategy for themselves as well.

13. Make it personal

A personal message goes a long way. Reach out virtually with a video of yourself in order to make a 1:1 connection with community members. The video doesn't need to be long and you don't have to have all the answers. Simply communicate that we are all in this together and committed to serving families during these uncertain times. The personal touch goes a long way in ensuring folks that they are not alone.

14. A sense of normalcy

What traditions can your school still participate in during the pandemic? If your school had a fun tradition like "hat day" or "silly hair day", maybe that can be instituted during virtual learning as well.

15. Promote optimism

Create a school-wide project where teachers and students can share what they're looking forward to after the pandemic is over. This might include illustrations that can be shared through virtual pictures or hung on bulletin boards at school.

Dr. Ginny (Virginia) Altrogge has experience in the pk-12 system as a teacher, reading specialist, principal, special education director, and director of federal and state programs. She has also served as interim head of school in the private school system. Ginny is the coordinator of Webster University's ED.S in Education Leadership Program. She also teaches in the Transformative Learning in the Global Community doctoral program. Her research interests include: school improvement and equity, the correlation between high achieving schools and principals trained as instructional leaders, the correlation between low achieving schools and principals trained as managers, one room school houses, teaching and attending school in a one room school house, and remembrances of WWII veterans.