Stephen Thompson, MA, CCWS, CHRS, EdD(c)
Director of Global Programs & Impact
Purpose of this Resource
This brief guide is for educators who are doing the hard and courageous work of showing up for displaced students after wildfires, while also navigating their own loss, instability, or stress. You may be teaching from a temporary classroom, managing personal housing uncertainty, or balancing family needs alongside professional responsibilities.
This resource offers practical strategies, supportive reminders, and tools to help you care for yourself while creating a stable and compassionate learning environment for students who are also navigating the impact of disaster.
You Are Not Alone: Understanding the Dual Role
Being both an educator and a survivor can be exhausting. You may feel:
- Pressured to stay strong for students
- Guilty for needing help
- Numb or overwhelmed
- Torn between your job and your own recovery
These feelings are normal. You are navigating two full-time jobs—caring for others and managing your own healing. This guide is not about doing more. It is about doing what is possible with care, clarity, and compassion.
Creating Stability for Students Without Losing Yourself
- Start with What You Can Control
- Begin each day with one consistent classroom ritual, such as a calm bell-ringer activity or community check-in
- Use a visual schedule to help students know what to expect, even if the setting is temporary
- Keep a list of 3 to 5 simple grounding techniques you can use for yourself or your students when emotions run high
Why this helps: Predictability builds trust and lowers anxiety for both you and your students.
- Be Honest, Not Overexposed
- You don’t need to share personal details, but it is okay to acknowledge that this time is difficult for everyone
- Simple language like “I’m figuring things out too, and we’re going to do our best together” models resilience and openness
Why this helps: It builds connection and normalizes emotional responses without putting pressure on you to disclose too much.
- Make Room for Emotions (Theirs and Yours)
- Allow space for students to express feelings through art, writing, or quiet time
- Keep regulation tools available in class, such as calming music, stress balls, or coloring sheets
- Create a short debriefing routine for yourself after class; take 3 minutes to breathe, stretch, or write down one thing that went well
Why this helps: It allows you to release pressure and stay emotionally present without burning out.
- Ask for Help, Even If You’re the Helper
- Let your school leadership or a trusted colleague know what support you need (supplies, flexibility, time)
- Use available staff wellness resources or mental health services
- Pair up with another teacher to co-create lesson plans or trade emotional support
Why this helps: Collaboration builds resilience. You don’t have to carry this alone.
- Protect Small Moments of Self-Care
You may not have time for long breaks, but short intentional actions throughout the day can make a difference.
Try:
- Drinking water or having a snack between classes
- Keeping one personal comfort item nearby (a calming scent, photo, or note)
Setting boundaries around email or work hours when possible
Why this helps: Small routines restore a sense of personal control and calm, even in chaos.
Reflection Prompts (For Journaling or Staff Circles)
- What are three things I’ve done this week that helped me stay grounded?
- Who can I check in with when I’m feeling overwhelmed?
- What do I want to remember about how I showed up for myself and my students during this time?
Closing Message: You Are Doing Enough
You may not feel like you’re doing your best every day, and that is okay. Just showing up for your students while navigating your own displacement is an extraordinary act of commitment and care. Your presence, your effort, and your compassion are powerful tools for healing.
Recovery takes time. Be gentle with yourself, lean on your support systems, and remember that resilience is built through small, steady steps.