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NAESP Resources Webinar Recap: Managing Mental Health Issues

Webinar Recap: Managing Mental Health Issues

Experts offer tips to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on mental health.

April 24, 2020 | By NAESP Staff
Topics: Social Emotional Learning, Pandemic Leadership, Health and Wellness, Mental Health and Safety
Communicator, April 2020 , Volume 43, Issue 8
Slide of "The Brain State Model: Conscious Discipline"

Amid unprecedented school closures and social distancing, we’re living a new normal. Transitioning to a world where learning takes place virtually for the first time ever and families are holed up in their houses for an unknown period of time is bound to affect the mental health of every person in the school community. So how can you help keep your students and staff—and yourself—mentally healthy during the coronavirus pandemic?

In this webinar, Joy Winchester, director of Early Childhood Development and Professional Support at the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, and Jen Thomas, veteran principal of Olive B. Loss Elementary School in Bear, Delaware, offer tips to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of students, staff, and administrators.

Breaking Down the New Normal

According to Winchester, the brain is pattern-seeking, survival-oriented, and a social organ that needs new connections to grow. But in a new situation, like what we’re experiencing with the coronavirus pandemic, the brain struggles to find patterns; the higher thinking areas shut down, leading people to react instead of respond; and our brain growth slows because technology doesn’t provide the same connections as in-person interactions do.

Impact of Toxic Stress

Trauma and toxic stress have an impact on both the teachers and the students.

In students, trauma:

  • Adversely affects attention, memory, and cognition;
  • Reduces the ability to focus, organize, and process information;
  • Interferes with problem-solving and planning; and
  • Results in overwhelming feelings of frustration and anxiety.

In teachers, trauma:

  • Increases irritability and impatience;
  • Creates difficulty when planning lessons and activities;
  • Decreases concentration; and
  • Leads to feeling numb, detached, and helpless.

Coping With Trauma

Winchester and Thomas offer tips to cope with trauma in a time of high stress. Mindfulness—creating a mindful mantra, setting intentions, finding ways to show gratitude, laughing, and being present—is a great place to start.

Watch the full webinar or download the PowerPoint presentation on the NAESP website. Find additional resources to help you lead virtual learning communities on the NAESP COVID-19 Resources page.

Copyright © 2021. National Association of Elementary School Principals. No part of the articles in NAESP magazines, newsletters, or website may be reproduced in any medium without the permission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. For more information, view NAESP’s reprint policy.

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  • About
    • Board of Directors
      • Board Election
    • Staff
    • Governance
      • NAESP Bylaws
      • NAESP Platform
    • Foundation
    • History
    • Strategic Partners
    • State Affiliates
      • NAESP State Representatives
    • NAESP Store
    • National Task Force on Race and Equity
  • Advocacy
    • Issue Areas
      • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
      • Federal Education Funding
      • Early Childhood Education
      • Mental Health and School Safety
      • Social and Emotional Learning
      • Principal Pipeline
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Advocacy Resources
      • Podcasts
      • Videos
      • Webinars
      • Statements
    • Advocacy Updates
  • Resources
    • Publications
      • Principal Magazine
      • Communicator
      • APs Rising
      • New Principal Navigator
      • Report to Parents
      • Leading Lessons
      • Principal Insights
      • Writing Guidelines
    • Research & Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Board Member Resources
  • Events
    • Pre-K–8 Principals Conference
      • Ann Henley Scholarship
    • National Leaders Conference
    • National Distinguished Principals
    • Webinars
  • Programs
    • Professional Learning
      • Pre-K–8 Principals Conference
      • Pre-K-3 Leadership Academy®
      • Online Course: Principal Leadership for The Early Grades
      • NAESP Mastermind Groups
      • National Mentor Training and Certification Program™
      • National Aspiring Principals Academy
      • Professional Learning Advisory Council
      • Webinars
    • Communities of Practice
      • NAESP Centers for Advancing Leadership
      • Assistant Principal Community of Practice
      • Early Career Principal Community of Practice
    • Recognition
      • National Distinguished Principal® Program
      • National Outstanding Assistant Principal® Program
      • Blue Ribbon Schools
      • National Principals Month
      • Assistant Principals Week
      • Distinguished Service Awards
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