I am in charge 08 teachers and 178 pupils, some of the migrant pupils. Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have felt frustrated because I don’t know how to manage the school in this distance modality. Before, we always had a high level of communication with the pupils; however, in the current context, this is very hard to achieve, all the more so with the migrant pupils, who don’t have access to the Aprendo en Casa (I learn at home) platform, television or radio. We have attempted several alternatives, creating our own ways to reach them and striving to develop audios, videos and material delivered through WhatsApp. But each teacher has his/her own pace, possibilities and difficulties. Moreover, some pupils can’t manage to get connected on time and, therefore, we can’t always have them all participate on a regular basis (Director, Cuzco, 2020).
The current context has generated several challenges for our managers and teachers regarding the fulfillment of their functions at the Educational Institution in the midst of social isolation and distance education. These challenges are various, demanding and urgent and, in several cases, they generate a negative impact on the emotional wellbeing of managers and teachers.
Emotional wellbeing is a valuable factor for the integral wellbeing of people and is fundamental for building relationships with the educational community, with the families and with oneself. Positive relationships generate an adequate atmosphere to achieve learning by pupils, including if this process is conducted virtually. Building these positive relationships is possible thanks to the development of socioemotional skills, through reflection processes, feedback and a constant practice. They enable us to confront these challenging situations and to make decisions.
At this point, we found attunement and coincidences between the General Directorate of Teacher Development – DIGEDD and Wiese Foundation.
This is how we decided to work jointly, collaborating in the production of a series of short videos on the development of socioemotional skills, which present with clarity situations and challenges identified in the face of the context of the sanitary crisis due to COVID-19, social isolation and distance education.
The video series is based on real situations that managers and teachers go through at this time and the emotions that they generate. Also, it proposes concrete alternatives for their adequate management, generating a venue for reflection and another one for recommendations handled by a specialist on the issue. An example of the topics covered is insecurity in the face of the rapid adaptation to virtuality, the impotence and frustration regarding the fulfillment of multiple demands and handling stress, among other issues.
In this process, DIGEDD has led a joint work with other directorates from MINEDU: the Directorate of Teacher Wellbeing – DIBRED, the Directorate of School Management – DIGC and the Directorate of Bilingual Intercultural Education DEIB. The Strengthening Socioemotional Skills series is stored at the Te Escucho Docente (I’m Listening to You, Teacher) website: https://autoayuda.minedu.gob.pe/teescuchodocente/
Now, we present to you, from www.fundacionwiese.org/en , the series of 7 videos that cover the following aspects:
Chapter 1. Virtuality surprised us
Chapter 2. How can I better organize my time?
Chapter 3. Tools for overcoming frustration
Chapter 4. How can we handle the moments when we feel impotence or frustration?
Chapter 5. How can we regulate stress on a daily basis?
Chapter 6. What is my motivation?
Chapter 7. Handling sadness
We are driven by the certainty of overseeing the integral wellbeing of the teaching profession.
Ingrid
Romero
Director DIBRED | MINEDU
Pilar
Sanz
Advisor DIGEDD | MINEDU
Liliana Villanueva
Director of Educational Quality | Wiese Foundation
