Compassion Fatigue is an Unexpected Challenge for Teachers During Distance Learning

LOS ANGELES, May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- First responders aren't the only ones who feel compassion fatigue these days. Absorbing the fear and trauma of those they serve is a reality for front line workers. But now the pandemic has affected educators in this way, too. Distance learning has caused some teachers and counselors to experience their students' difficulties more deeply than ever before.

To address the increased risk of absorbing the emotional stress of students during distance learning, Learn4Life offers self-care tips to keep teaching effective and sustainable under any circumstance.

Because Learn4Life teachers are responsible for 32-35 students, compared to 150-180 at traditional schools, they have a much closer relationship with each student. And these students face more challenges than the average high school teen including, poverty, pregnancy or parenting, homelessness, foster care, violence and more.

"While our staff provides a trauma-informed program of personalized learning and one-on-one support, we are training them on the pitfalls of compassion fatigue to help recognize grief not only in students, but potentially in themselves," said Dr. Caprice Young, national superintendent at Learn4Life. "Just as we train our students to cope and take care of themselves, we want to be sure our staff does the same."

1. First, be aware of the warning signs, which include a lack of empathy, increased irritability, exhaustion and depression.

2. Nurture your own emotional self through stress management activities like daily exercise, meditation and yoga.

3. Create healthy boundaries. Adjust the work-life balance to fit a new virtual world and adhere to personal boundaries, like when to start and when to shut down or disconnect.

4. Develop professional and personal support systems of people who will help you recognize if you are exhibiting signs of burnout or compassion fatigue.

5. Be mindful of your own limitations and barriers. Seek personal counseling when necessary.

Learn4Life established a Wellness Team for its employees, which provides daily tips, videos, webinars and live video visits on topics such as emotional self-care, exercise, mindfulness, nutrition, healthy habits and more. They have created short videos with 15-20 teachers providing tips and advice based on their own experiences to support their fellow staff members.

For more information, please visit http://www.learn4life.org.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public schools that provides students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 49,000 students – including full-time and intersession students – we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. We are proud to be a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency recipient for our ethical, transparent and effective organizational practices. For more information, please visit http://www.learn4life.org.