It’s a Friday. The day after Veterans Day here in the U.S. Our school district decided to give us the day off. It’s touted as a Mental Health Day/Day of caring. We are encouraged to rest and to help others where help may be needed. You know, to give back to those that may have even less of a burden than you. We are also encouraged to use a hashtag to post on social media our good deeds for the day. Because no good deed is done unless it’s documented. Right?
#MentalHealthDayButPleasedoSomethingForSomeoneElseToday
It’s a bit long for a hashtag but sums up well the sentiment of giving, even when one realizes that you may not have more to give, but you should try anyway. You know, because we “care.” Always Karen, er, caring.
Is it a coincidence that this day was decided because it’s a Friday, right after a national holiday on a Thursday? One could ask, would this have been a Mental Health Day/Day of Caring had this holiday occurred on a Wednesday? In essence giving us a Thursday AND a Friday to rest, relax and DO the “mental health” thing? Things that make ya go hum.
However, one can never question the intentionality of those deciders, making decisions that offer rest on one hand, and a moment to still work on the other. Whodathunkit?
These Mental Health Days are mere bandages for wounds that are in need of reconstructive surgery. You cannot “heal” or “rest” as you “give back” all in one day! This reeks of caring wrapped in the jargon of eduspeak, BUT WE TAKE IT because we need it.
Most are too tired to launch a protest, or to formulate a cogent argument as to why giving us a day off disguised as “mental health” with the attached “day of caring” is oxymoronic!
And, apart from being oxymoronic, asking teachers to tap into their empathy reserves on their only mental health day to serve others comes off as tone-deaf.
Do you know what teachers do on these days “off?” Mental Health be damned,
- Grading
- Lesson Planning
- Learning a new strategy or application sent down from on high
- Answering emails
- Preparing for upcoming observations
- Contacting Parents
- Shopping for school supplies with our own money
- [insert a million other odd teacher tasks here]
Then, maybe then, if we can shut down our minds for just a brief moment, we rest. We spend time with our loved ones and do the things we normally do not have time to do on weekdays. Am I grateful for this time? Yes! Is it mental health? Not in the slightest.
This is nothing more than what a system built on consuming bodies does, consume, and as you “rest” it asks you to consume more, give more, consume, even more, give just a little bit more, as to remind you that you indeed should feel guilt in all aspects of your life, both in the system and outside of it. Remember, you do it “all for the kids.” This type of system is designed to offer you platitudes over progress, crushing guilt over contentment and grind over grace.
So yes, thank you. Thank you for giving me a day of caring (for others,) and mental health day (for me). I’ll see you this Monday, ready to push back all my trauma so as to have just enough space to vicariously absorb the trauma of my students. Until next time...
-consumed
