It's been a long time since teachers last saw their pupils in person, wrote on a real life whiteboard and called for Ciúnas. Next week, schools are returning and it's going to be a completely different environment to the one they left behind in March.
While many teachers, SNAs, school secretaries and principals have been hard at work throughout lockdown offering a multitude of different services, getting back into the school environment is proving to be an intimidating prospect for those working in the schools.
Ann-Marie Ireland from Breathing Space Ireland, runs a Facebook page dedicated to offering well-being support to educators and school leaders. While usually it is a busy page, Ann-Marie has seen a huge spike in people getting in touch who are very concerned about how things will be once schools reopen.
Speaking to Dermot and Dave, Ann-Marie shared some of these concerns, offered some tips for overcoming feelings of stress and explained why we need to consider the mental health of those who look after and teach our children.
Ann-Marie is running an event this coming Saturday where there will be help and advice for educators on everything from chair yoga to meditation and nutrition. You can find more information on the Ignite Your Light website.
