Supporting Teachers in South Africa
I am writing from Johannesburg, South Africa. I work as a school psychologist. As schools closed, I reached out to the school community where I work and managed to get some groups of teachers together using the structures already in place.
I suggested guidelines for the groups: sharing the time equally (everyone has something to say, and every person’s voice needs to be heard), not interrupting or giving advice, and not judging or blaming. I said that if they had feelings, the groups were a good place to share them and that what they said would be kept confidential.
As the groups progressed, I added RC theory, including the importance of discharge. For every round of turns the teachers had, I took my two minutes, sometimes saying, “I may be the school psychologist, but I am just like you. I am going through similar things and need to be listened to.” My vulnerability seemed to build safety and give people permission to laugh, cry, and shake.
After only a short time of being listened to (sometimes only eight minutes), the teachers said they felt relieved, uplifted, energized, and heard by each other. Being together was a highlight of their week. They said the teachers understood their situation in a way their partners or friends could not. They realized they were not alone and were not the only ones struggling. “I thought my situation was hard, but someone else always seems to have more challenges.” They felt inspired by the others’ stories, and the people’s highlights gave them ideas for what they could do—like study a course, do some exercise, or be creative.
They are overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed by having to do everything online, working double shifts, and having to figure out things they were not trained for—whilst also being mothers and wives. Still, many of them said that they also felt a sense of joy from being home with family and having time to play and cook and so on.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of educational change
(Present Time 201, October 2020)