Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
In the wake of the pandemic, early childhood program, PreK-12 and higher education administrators, providers, teachers, faculty and staff; counselors and advisors; custodians; school bus drivers; and information technology, housing and food service, and other staff have mobilized to go above and beyond to support the well-being and safety of all our children and students during this crisis.
However, early childhood providers, teachers, faculty and staff are also susceptible to issues such as loss, isolation, significant family challenges, unemployment or financial distress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Serving as a support system for young children, students, and families with a wide range of needs while experiencing the negative effects of the pandemic can be mentally, emotionally and physically taxing and result in compassion fatigue. Early childhood providers, teachers, faculty and staff may require mental and behavioral health supports, assistance with child care or eldercare, or other forms of supports.
In addition, the pandemic and its necessitation of virtual and hybrid instruction have presented opportunities for professional development as some educators quickly learn and adapt to utilizing new and varied educational technology to support engaging and effective instruction. These lessons may be carried over as early childhood providers, teachers and staff return to the classroom and in-person services while continuing to make use of integrative technology.
The resources on this page share early childhood program, school and campus strategies to address the social, emotional, health and other needs of early childhood providers, teachers, faculty and staff. Early childhood providers, teachers, faculty, staff, early childhood programs, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, other places of educational instruction and States may use these lessons learned, best practices and Federal resources to create plans of action to support early childhood providers, teachers, faculty and staff returning to early childhood programs, schools, and campus.
This brief by the Region 2 Comprehensive Center outlines wellness strategies for personal self-care, modeling positive behaviors for students and leveraging wellness at the community level. Strategies include engaging in individual activities like brain breaks, movement and mindfulness to support staff well-being; demonstrating healthy behaviors, such as setting boundaries and implementing mood checks; and leveraging the school community by identifying a community “buddy” and participating in weekly check-ins.
Have a lessons learned or best practice focused on helping to ensure equity as schools and campuses work to continually reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit the Best Practices Submission page to view details on submission requirements, and then e-mail Bestpracticesclearinghouse@ed.gov to share your lessons learned or best practice.
Have feedback to share on a resource accessed on the Clearinghouse site? We want to hear from you. Select the button below to share your feedback with the U.S. Department of Education and the Clearinghouse team.
This infographic describes how to achieve well-being through social emotional learning-focused activities that promote positive and supportive relationships with colleagues and students.
Hear from Cory Delgado & Karen Kevorkian on the creation of their school leadership teams, made up of all levels of staff, and focused on addressing problems, creating effective communication between administrators and educators, and working to improve the teaching, learning, and school climate for a stronger student & staff experience.
Have a lessons learned or best practice focused on helping to ensure equity as schools and campuses work to continually reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit the Best Practices Submission page to view details on submission requirements, and then e-mail Bestpracticesclearinghouse@ed.gov to share your lessons learned or best practice.
Have feedback to share on a resource accessed on the Clearinghouse site? We want to hear from you. Select the button below to share your feedback with the U.S. Department of Education and the Clearinghouse team.
Provide Feedback