Navigating the Pandemic with Brightways

I am a teacher in a small, remote, Alaska Native village. Yesterday I posted a meme that said, “don’t let this year convince you that you aren’t a good teacher.” That statement really hit home for me.

Last spring when the pandemic first hit, many schools closed, and teachers had to quickly figure out how to teach remotely while still connecting with students we were missing so much. This was uncharted territory that we had to navigate quickly. Although I’ve been teaching for more than 20 years, I felt like a first-year teacher again.

 As students and their families struggle with stress and trauma caused by the pandemic, my fellow teachers and I are under enormous pressure to support the children that we care so deeply about.

“Brightways workshops and events taught me about the power of Webs of Support, not only for youth but for myself. They equipped me with tools I can apply to mitigate trauma for myself, my students, and their families.”

As with everyone who has been dealing with the anxiety and isolation of the pandemic this year, my own life continued to happen. Late in 2019, I lost my brother-in-law to a sudden heart attack. Shortly before his funeral, my mother-in-law had a stroke. In March, my dad also died from a sudden heart attack. Then there was the death of a close family friend.  I have had stress-related health issues in the past, and I felt myself going back down the road of being unwell. I had to reel some things in.

Fortunately, I had learned resilience skills and self-care strategies from Brightways Learning that helped me personally and gave me the capacity to support my students. Brightways workshops and events taught me about the power of Webs of Support, not only for youth but for myself. They equipped me with tools I can apply to mitigate trauma for myself, my students, and their families. Learning about how to build and nurture my own Web of Support helped me to know that there are people I can lean on and count on to support me through tough times. Knowing that I wasn’t able to “give what I didn’t have myself” helped me refocus my efforts back to what was best and most important for me. Brightways helped me remember the importance of self-care and that connection matters.

Brightways has been a huge help for me personally and professionally. I’ve been able to show my students how grow their Webs of Support so they can also handle the stress and isolation caused by COVID while maintaining their capacity to learn. Feeling valued as a part of a team helps feed my soul and retain my love of teaching.

At some point, the pandemic will end and we all will find a way to sort it out and return to the lifestyles that we used to have. One thing that I trust will not change is the support of Brightways with their primary focus on resilience and connections between people.  

—Kerrie Carl is a teacher at Klawock School in Alaska. She also leads PHlight Clubs and educator workshops for Brightways Learning.

Kerrie leading a pre-COVID PHlight Club event.