Leading the Schools Amidst the Virus

                                            (chronicle.com)

Unhon man pagklase kun di paskwelahon an mga bata? A buzz of confusion was aired among the parents and the teachers as the president and the IATF mandated that there would be no face-to-face classes to be given until the time that the pandemic will be gone with vaccine and the presence of medicine for COVID 19 is there. The confusion heightened as the new school year comes in.

The Department of Education released its official statement on May 5, 2020: As we continue to confront the issues brought about by the pandemic, we in the Department of Education (DepEd) are addressing challenges in the basic education through the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which will be in effect by the time School Year 2020-2021 opens on August 24, 2020.

The LCP is our major response and our commitment in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our learners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19 while finding ways for education to continue amidst the crisis for the upcoming school year.

Putting it into perspective, we have delayed the opening of classes to ensure that our learners and teachers are given time and be properly equipped to adjust to this new learning environment. Our policies will also be continuously guided by science and by the advice of our health experts. Education can and must continue but only under the conditions and health protocols set by the DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is but human nature to be confused and covered with fear at the same time with the present scenario where the infected is escalating. Some are even distressed with the fact that their loved ones suddenly became mere statistical data on the death toll. Some parents are apprehensive in sending the children to school for safety and there are those who are thinking of not allowing their kids to be enrolled.

In an online press briefing led by Education Secretary Leonor Briones along with Undersecretaries Annalyn Sevilla and Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, the DepEd key officials discussed concerns on school opening and the alternative learning modalities. Briones said that the DepEd is aware of the calls to suspend the opening of classes this coming August 24 due to the continued threat of COVID-19. “But what other options do we have? We have to go on because education must continue,” she added (Manila Bulletin, May 2020).

That is where the challenge is. Indeed, we cannot afford to stop the education process for we might produce a generation of young people who are short in competencies and life skills. Yet, how will the educators cope with the gargantuan task of preparing alternative delivery modalities and blended learning schemes which are of good quality? Achievement was even difficult to attain during the formal and face-to-face modality, and now this distance and virtual learning?

The challenge lies on the education leaders themselves. The aforementioned Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) acts as the roadmap to avoid a divide with the educational momentum geared by the different programs, activities and programs of the department. Managerial and leadership skills must be applied by the school heads to guide the teachers to come up with learning materials that can support a different pedagogical approach.

While schools work quickly to respond, thoughtful preparation is key – as evidence shows, programs that are implemented effectively improve student outcomes significantly more than those implemented with less fidelity (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). When helping teachers, students and parents to effectively implement home-supported learning one of the crucial elements is having a clear school plan that will assist in building a shared understanding for all involved (Evidence for Learning, 2020; Sharples et al., 2019).

In a crisis such as the one in which we are currently existing, perfection is the enemy of progress. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO, recently explained in regard to emergency response (Marco Derksen, 2020) that in an emergency we “need to act quickly … be the first mover.” “Speed trumps perfection,” he says, adding that, “everyone is afraid of the consequence of error, but the greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralyzed by the fear of failure.” In a time of crisis, leaders must act swiftly and with foresight but also with careful consideration of options, consequences and side effects of actions taken. They must communicate with clarity and purpose but also with empathy and humanity.

There are those who are still confused on what to do. Some teachers are groping in the dark what and how to act with the preferred and carefully-studied modality. This is the time where the school leaders must put their best foot forward not just to comply with what is being asked.

The country relies on the young people who will be the future nation builders. We could not afford to allow them to sulk and under-utilize their capabilities to become gaming and entertainment-inclined sloths. We let them get the education they deserve.

Dread vs. Hope

                                        (img: unique mindcare)

Tag nerbyos na ko! With the lengthened stay of the virus, people started to grope for activities which can drive away boredom and anxiety. The information they see in the news and the escalating numbers of the infected seem to weaken their defense mechanism and resiliency. People have different stress limits that others are now succumbing to depression.

Anxiety, according to Psychology Today, encompasses feelings of worry, nervousness, or dread. Although unpleasant, occasional bouts of anxiety are natural and sometimes even productive: By signaling that something isn’t quite right, anxiety can help people both avoid danger and make important and meaningful changes.

For many people, the uncertainty surrounding corona virus is the hardest thing to handle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll be impacted or how bad things might get. And that makes it all too easy to make it a catastrophe and spiral out into overwhelming dread and panic.

Our momentum was suddenly intruded by the unknown. We suddenly stopped our normal routines and stayed at home. The psychological impact of it might be acceptable first since we need to follow what is the best so to be safe. Yet, the lingering threat of the illness especially when the “Balik Probinsiya” activity was done added to the dread lingering at the back of our minds.

Over information can sometimes be the cause of such anxiety. It’s vital to stay informed, particularly about what’s happening in your community, so you can follow advised safety precautions and do your part to slow the spread of corona virus. But there’s a lot of misinformation going around, as well as sensationalized coverage that only feeds into fear. It’s important to be discerning about what you read and watch (Smith, Robinson, 2020).

As the corona virus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, care providers and people with underlying health conditions. These are pervasive in countries with infected individuals.

So how can we avoid being entrapped in the looming fear of such threat?

Understanding the risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful. Learn and share the facts about COVID-19 and help stop the spread of rumors. When you share accurate information about COVID-19, you can help make people feel less stressed, make a connection with them, and help stop stigma (cdc.gov).

A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to poor mental health; and recent data shows that significantly higher shares of people who were sheltering in place (47%) reported negative mental health effects resulting from worry or stress related to corona virus than among those not sheltering in place (37%). Negative mental health effects due to social isolation may be particularly pronounced among older adults and households with adolescents, as these groups are already at risk for depression or suicidal tendencies.

Recent polling data shows that more than half of the people who lost income or employment reported negative mental health impacts from worry or stress over corona virus; and lower income people report higher rates of major negative mental health impacts compared to higher income people (Panchal et al, 2020).

We will cling to hope to lessen the stress level.

Psychologists have proposed lots of different vehicles over the years. Grit, conscientiousness, self-efficacy, optimism, passion, inspiration, etc,, they are all important. One vehicle, however, is particularly undervalued and underappreciated in psychology and society. That’s hope.

Hope is not a brand new concept in psychology. In 1991, the eminent positive psychologist Charles R. Snyder and his colleagues came up with Hope Theory. According to their theory, hope consists of agency and pathways.  The person who has hope has the will and determination that goals will be achieved, and a set of different strategies at their disposal to reach their goals. Put simply: hope involves the will to get there and different ways to get there (Kaufman, 2011).

We cannot help to have this dread of the unknown. But we have hope to cling to and that we can dwell on the positive side of knowing that ALL WILL BE WELL soon. Let us continue to see this life as an avenue of more beautiful experiences.