Page 40 - EdViewptsSpring2021

Self-Reflection and Awareness

By Danielle Tan, Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts, Hamilton
Township Public Schools; Dr. Michele Muni, Rutgers University

Introduction and personal life balance. Why not spontaneous support isn’t an option

The unexpected rise of COVID-19 transform these unprecedented times right now” (Luthra, 2020). In addition to
into ones that set the precedent for
the sources of stress and fatigue that
brought forth unprecedented personal wellness?! This article will were present before the pandemic,
deaths and social and economic focus on the causes of stress in school leaders are now expected to
impacts that are only the tip of the academia and then transition into how transition between in-person, hybrid,
proverbial iceberg. During these self-reflection and awareness can and fully-remote learning on a dime.
unparalleled times, educators have improve overall well-being. Those with children have experienced
found themselves treading deep that dynamic two times over —
and unfamiliar waters; yet, these Wellness in Academia instructing their students virtually while
leaders continue to work around also ensuring that their own children
the clock to ensure that increased The role of a school is to educate don’t fall behind in their distance
financial and educational demands students and protect and ensure learning (Luthra, 2020).
are managed seamlessly. Strong their well-being. With this role comes
and effective leaders may appear to tremendous responsibility, and with Wellness in the academic setting
be warriors in the night, coming to responsibility comes stress. Research usually resonates with the health
the aid of all the world’s problems, has shown that the mental health of students. In fact, there is a lot of
but the strength and resolve of their of school leaders declines when literature that focuses on improving
leadership is paradoxically also their students are doing poorly. “Normally, the health of students (Webster,
weakness. Oftentimes, they secretly or teachers can rely on their colleagues Glascoe, Moore, Dauenhauer, Egan,
unknowingly grapple with anxiety and for consistent emotional support in Russ, Orendorff, and Buschmeier,
a dangerously uneven professional quick lunch room chats. That sort of 2020). On the contrary, there are very

Educational Viewpoints -38- Spring 2021