Educators are mentally and emotionally exhausted from the COVID-19 Pandemic!
- Ask yourself: “Can this meeting be an email instead?”
- Use faculty meeting time for community building (no, not just icebreakers)...
- Ask faculty to bring in something they’re passionate about (e.g., photography, painting, origami, dance) and teach their peers.
- Bring in therapy dogs & wellness activities.
- Set up communities of practice (e.g., teaching, research, mentoring) for professional learning, emotional support, and collaborative brainstorming.
- Create a virtual celebration board (e.g., Padlet, Jamboard) where faculty can share small & big wins each week and cheer each other on.
- Promote campus resources (e.g., faculty/staff assistance programs; recreation classes, meditation workshops).
- Provide funding for whatever faculty need to do their jobs well (e.g., professional mics for classroom teaching, high-quality webcams for virtual meetings) and feel safe at work (e.g., air filters, outdoor workspaces).
- Provide mini grants for faculty to set up events, activities, spaces, and/or groups that will support their mental and physical well-being (e.g., hiking group, monthly movie nights, coffee meetups).
- Redesign systems, practices, and procedures so that faculty are not constantly overworked and undervalued.