How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers? | Sydney Jensen

Prevoditelj: Jelena Končar Recezent: Sanda L

Like many teachers,

Poput mnogih učitelja,

every year on the first day of school,

svake godine prvoga dana škole

I lead a sort of icebreaker activity with my students.

s učenicima provodim aktivnosti za probijanje leda.

I teach at Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Nebraska,

Predajem u Srednjoj školi Lincoln u Lincolnu u Nebraski.

and we are one of the oldest and most diverse high schools

Jedna smo od najstarijih i najraznolikijih srednjih škola

in our state.

u toj saveznoj državi.

Also, to our knowledge,

Koliko nam je poznato,

we're the only high school in the world whose mascot is the Links.

jedina smo srednja škola na svijetu čija su maskota karike.

Like, a chain.

Karike lanca.

(Laughter)

(Smijeh)

And with that being our mascot,

Budući da nam je to maskota,

we have a statue out front of our building

ispred zgrade škole imamo skulpturu

of four links connected like a chain.

četiri karike povezane u lanac.

And each link means something.

Svaka karika predstavlja nešto.

Our links stand for tradition,

Naše karike simboliziraju tradiciju,

excellence, unity and diversity.

izvrsnost, ujedinjenost i raznolikost.

So on the first day of school,

Prvog dana škole

I teach my new ninth-graders about the meaning behind those links,

podučavam učenike prvih razreda značenju koje se krije iza karika.

and I give them each a slip of paper.

Podijelim im papiriće

On that paper, I ask them to write something about themselves.

i kažem im da napišu nešto o sebi.

It can be something that they love,

To može biti nešto što vole,

something that they hope for --

nešto čemu se nadaju...

anything that describes their identity.

BIlo što što opisuje njihovu osobnost.

And then I go around the room with a stapler,

Onda prođem po razredu s klamericom

and I staple each of those slips together

i zaklamam papiriće,

to make a chain.

stvarajući tako lanac.

And we hang that chain up in our classroom as a decoration, sure,

Stavimo ga na zid kao dekoraciju,

but also as a reminder that we are all connected.

ali i podsjetnik da smo svi povezani.

We are all links.

Svi smo mi karike.

So what happens when one of those links feels weak?

Što se dogodi kad se jedna od tih karika osjeća slabo?

And what happens when that weakness

A što se dogodi kad se slabost krije

is in the person holding the stapler?

u osobi koja drži klamericu?

The person who's supposed to make those connections.

U osobi koja bi trebala povezivati.

The teacher.

U učitelju.

As teachers, we work every day

Mi, učitelji, svaki dan nastojimo

to provide support socially, emotionally and academically

pružati društvenu, emocionalnu i akademsku podršku

to our students who come to us with diverse and tough circumstances.

svojim učenicima, od kojih se neki nalaze u teškim životnim okolnostima.

Like most teachers,

Kao i većina učitelja,

I have students who go home every day,

imam učenika koji se svaki dan vrate kući

and they sit around the kitchen table

i sjede za kuhinjskim stolom

while one or both parents makes a healthy, well-rounded meal for them.

dok im jedan ili oba roditelja pripremaju zdrav i hranjiv obrok.

They spend suppertime summarizing the story they read

Za večerom im ispričaju priču

in ninth-grade English that day,

koju su taj dan pročitali na satu

or explaining how Newton's laws of motion work.

ili im objasne kako funkcioniraju Newtonovi zakoni gibanja.

But I also have students who go to the homeless shelter

No imam i onih učenika koji odu u prihvatilište za beskućnike,

or to the group home.

grupni dom

They go to the car that their family is sleeping in right now.

ili pak automobil u kojem spavaju sa svojom obitelji.

They come to school with trauma,

U školu dolaze s traumama

and when I go home every day, that goes home with me.

koje ja svaki dan nosim sa sobom kući.

And see, that's the hard part about teaching.

To je teška strana poučavanja.

It's not the grading, the lesson-planning, the meetings,

Ne ocjenjivanje, planiranje nastave ili sastanci,

though sure, those things do occupy a great deal of teachers' time and energy.

iako i te stvari zahtijevaju mnogo vremena i energije.

The tough part about teaching

Teška strana poučavanja

is all the things you can't control for your kids,

je sve ono na što nemate utjecaja,

all the things you can't change for them once they walk out your door.

sve ono što ne možete promijeniti jednom kad učenici napuste učionicu.

And so I wonder if it's always been this way.

Pitam se je li uvijek bilo tako.

I think back to my undergraduate training at the University of Georgia,

Sjećam se kako su nam na Sveučilištu u Georgiji

where we were taught in our methods classes

na nastavi iz metodike govorili

that the concept of good teaching has changed.

da se koncept dobrog poučavanja promijenio.

We're not developing learners

Ne razvijamo učenike

who are going to go out into a workforce

koji će jednog dana

where they'll stand on a line in a factory.

stajati na traci u tvornici.

Rather, we're sending our kids out into a workforce

Danas svoju djecu šaljemo na tržište rada

where they need to be able to communicate,

gdje će morati znati komunicirati,

collaborate and problem-solve.

surađivati i rješavati probleme.

And that has caused teacher-student relationships

Odnos između učitelja i učenika

to morph into something stronger

pretvorio se u nešto veće

than the giver of content and the receiver of knowledge.

od davatelja sadržaja i primatelja znanja.

Lectures and sitting in silent rows just doesn't cut it anymore.

Predavanja i sjedenje u nečujnim redovima više nije dovoljno.

We have to be able to build relationships with and among our students

Moramo znati graditi odnose sa i između naših učenika,

to help them feel connected

pomažući im tako da se osjećaju povezanima

in a world that depends on it.

u svijetu koji o tome ovisi.

I think back to my second year teaching.

Druge godine kako sam predavala

I had a student who I'll call "David."

imala sam učenika kojeg ću nazvati David.

And I remember feeling like I'd done a pretty good job

Sjećam se da sam mislila da sam odradila prilično dobar posao

at teaching that year:

te godine u školi.

"Hey, I ain't no first-year teacher.

"Hej, nisam više nova.

I know what I'm doing."

Znam što radim."

And it was on the last day of school,

Zadnjeg dana nastave

I told David to have a great summer.

rekla sam Davidu da se dobro provede na praznicima.

And I watched him walk down the hall,

Gledala sam ga kako odlazi niz hodnik.

and I thought to myself,

Pomislila sam:

I don't even know what his voice sounds like.

"Ne znam ni kako mu glas zvuči."

And that's when I realized I wasn't doing it right.

Tada sam shvatila da nisam dobro obavljala svoj posao.

So I changed almost everything about my teaching.

Promijenila sam gotovo sve u načinu na koji predajem.

I built in plenty of opportunities for my students to talk to me

Dala sam učenicima pregršt prilika da razgovaraju sa mnom

and to talk to each other,

i jedni s drugima,

to share their writing and to verbalize their learning.

da podijele svoje tekstove i izraze svoje spoznaje.

And it was through those conversations I began not only to know their voice

Na taj način upoznala sam ne samo njihov glas,

but to know their pain.

već i njihovu bol.

I had David in class again that next year,

David je bio moj učenik i naredne godine.

and I learned that his father was undocumented

Saznala sam da njegov otac nije bio prijavljen

and had been deported.

i da su ga deportirali.

He started acting out in school

Počeo je praviti probleme u školi.

because all he wanted was for his family to be together again.

Samo je želio da mu obitelj opet bude na okupu.

In so many ways, I felt his pain.

Suosjećala sam s njim na toliko načina.

And I needed someone to listen,

Bio mi je potreban netko da me posluša,

somebody to provide support for me

netko da me podupre

so that I could support him in this thing that I could not even comprehend.

pa da ja mogu poduprijeti njega u situaciji koju nisam mogla ni zamisliti.

And we recognize that need

Svjesni smo toga

for police officers who've witnessed a gruesome crime scene

kad se radi o policajcima koji su se susretali s jezivim zločinima

and nurses who have lost a patient.

ili pak medicinskim sestrama koje su izgubile pacijenta.

But when it comes to teaching professionals,

No kad je riječ o učiteljima,

that urgency is lagging.

ne doživljavamo ozbiljno tu potrebu.

I believe it's paramount

Smatram da je iznimno važno

that students and teachers,

učenicima i učiteljima,

administrators, paraprofessionals and all other support staff

rukovoditeljima, asistentima i ostalom pomoćnom osoblju

have convenient and affordable access to mental wellness supports.

omogućiti prikladnu i povoljnu psihičku podršku.

When we are constantly serving others,

Kad stalno stojimo na usluzi drugima,

often between 25 and 125 students each day,

a često se radi o 25 do 125 učenika dnevno,

our emotional piggy banks are constantly being drawn upon.

stalno posežemo za svojom emocionalnom kasicom prasicom.

After a while, it can become so depleted,

Nakon nekog vremena kasica se toliko isprazni

that we just can't bear it anymore.

da više jednostavno nemamo snage.

They call it "secondary trauma" and "compassion fatigue,"

Taj fenomen poznat je i kao "sekundarna trauma" ili "zamor sažaljenja".

the concept that we absorb the traumas our students share with us each day.

Radi se o tome da svaki dan upijamo traume koje naši učenici dijele s nama.

And after a while,

Nakon nekog vremena

our souls become weighed down by the heaviness of it all.

teret postaje pretežak.

The Buffett Institute at the University of Nebraska

Znanstvenici na Institutu Buffett Sveučilišta u Nebraski

recently found that most teachers --

nedavno su otkrili da je većina učitelja,

86 percent across early childhood settings --

86 posto kad je riječ o nižim uzrastima,

experienced some depressive symptoms during the prior week.

doživjela neki simptom depresije.

They found that approximately one in 10

Od toga je otprilike jedan od deset učitelja

reported clinically significant depressive symptoms.

naveo klinički značajne simptome depresije.

My interactions with colleagues and my own experiences

Na temelju razgovora s kolegama i iz svojeg osobnog iskustva,

make me feel like this is a universal struggle

zaključila sam da je riječ o sveopćoj borbi,

across all grade levels.

neovisno o uzrastu učenika.

So what are we missing?

Što nam to promiče?

What are we allowing to break the chain and how do we repair it?

Čemu to dopuštamo da prekida lanac i kako ga možemo popraviti?

In my career,

Otkako predajem,

I've experienced the death by suicide of two students

doživjela sam samoubojstvo dvaju učenika

and one amazing teacher

i jednog nevjerojatnog učitelja

who loved his kids;

koji je volio svoju djecu,

countless students experiencing homelessness;

nebrojene učenike bez krova nad glavom

and kids entering and exiting the justice system.

i djecu s kaznenim prekršajima.

When these events happen,

U takvim slučajevima

protocol is to say, "If you need someone to talk to, then ..."

protokol nalaže fraze poput: "Ako trebate razgovarati s nekim, onda..."

And I say that's not enough.

To nije dovoljno.

I am so lucky.

Stvarno imam sreće.

I work in an amazing school with great leadership.

Predajem u sjajnoj školi s izvrsnim vodstvom.

I serve a large district

Radim u velikom okrugu

with so many healthy partnerships with community agencies.

koji ostvaruje brojne suradnje s lokalnim agencijama.

They have provided steadily increasing numbers

One pružaju stalno rastući broj

of school counselors and therapists

školskih savjetnika, terapeuta

and support staff to help our students.

i pomoćnog osoblja za pomoć učenicima.

They even provide staff members with access to free counseling

Pružaju pristup besplatnom savjetovanju čak i osoblju

as part of our employment plan.

kao dio ugovora.

But many small districts and even some large ones

Ipak, mnogi mali, ali i veliki okruzi

simply cannot foot the bill without aid.

ne mogu podmiriti račun bez pomoći.

(Exhales)

(Uzdah)

Not only does every school need social and emotional support staff,

Svaka škola treba osoblje za društvenu i emocionalnu podršku,

trained professionals who can navigate the needs of the building --

obučene stručnjake koji mogu zadovoljiti njezine potrebe,

not just the students, not just the teachers, but both --

dakle potrebe i učenika i učitelja.

we also need these trained professionals

No potrebni su nam i zato

to intentionally seek out those closest to the trauma

da dopru do onih najbližih traumi

and check in with them.

i provjere kako su.

Many schools are doing what they can

Mnoge škole čine sve u svojoj moći

to fill in the gaps,

da popune praznine,

starting with acknowledging that the work that we do

počevši s time da priznaju da je posao kojim se bavimo

is downright hard.

uistinu težak.

Another school in Lincoln, Schoo Middle School,

Jedna druga škola u Lincolnu, Schoo Middle School,

has what they call "Wellness Wednesdays."

ima takozvane "srijede dobrobiti".

They invite in community yoga teachers,

Pozovu lokalne instruktore joge,

they sponsor walks around the neighborhood during lunch

organiziraju šetnje po četvrti u vrijeme ručka

and organize social events

i društvena događanja

that are all meant to bring people together.

kojima je cilj približiti ljude jedne drugima.

Zachary Elementary School in Zachary, Louisiana,

Osnovna škola Zachary u Zacharyju u Louisiani

has something they call a "Midweek Meetup,"

srijedom organizira druženja

where they invite teachers to share lunch

gdje učitelji zajedno ručaju

and to talk about the things that are going well

i razgovaraju o stvarima koje idu dobro,

and the things that are weighing heavy on their hearts.

ali i o onima koje ih tište.

These schools are making space for conversations that matter.

Ove škole omogućuju važne razgovore.

Finally, my friend and colleague Jen Highstreet

Konačno, moja prijateljica i kolegica Jen Highstreet

takes five minutes out of each day

svaki dan odvoji pet minuta

to write an encouraging note to a colleague,

da napiše poticajnu poruku nekome od kolega,

letting them know that she sees their hard work

dajući im tako do znanja da primjećuje

and the heart that they share with others.

koliko se daju u svoj težak posao.

She knows that those five minutes

Zna da tih pet minuta

can have an invaluable and powerful ripple effect

mogu izazvati neprocjenjivu lančanu reakciju

across our school.

po cijeloj školi.

The chain that hangs in my classroom is more than just a decoration.

Lanac koji visi u mojoj učionici više je od puke dekoracije.

Those links hang over our heads

One karike vise iznad naših glava

for the entire four years that our students walk our halls.

svih četiriju godina koliko naši učenici hodaju školskim hodnicima.

And every year,

Svake godine

I have seniors come back to my classroom, room 340,

pozovem maturante natrag u svoj razred, učionicu 340,

and they can still point out where their link hangs.

gdje mogu jedni drugima pokazati svoje karike.

They remember what they wrote on it.

Sjete se što su napisali na njima.

They feel connected and supported.

Osjete se povezanima i kao da ih netko podržava.

And they have hope.

I dobiju nadu.

Isn't that what we all need?

Nije li to ono što nam svima treba?

Somebody to reach out and make sure that we're OK.

Netko tko će nam prići i pobrinuti se da smo u redu,

To check in with us

provjeriti kako smo

and remind us that we are a link.

i podsjetiti nas da je svatko od nas karika.

Every now and then, we all just need a little help

Svako toliko svima nam je potrebna pomoć

holding the stapler.

u držanju klamerice.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Pljesak)