Ontario teachers say they’re ‘June tired,’ but it’s only October. Such is the toll of COVID-19

As a kindergarten teacher, Michelle McKay used to revel in the lively, open classrooms that are the hallmark of early childhood education.

But that ended abruptly for her and countless other teachers in March when schools shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, with schools open again, and in a new role as a support worker for students with autism spectrum disorder, McKay typically visits two schools a day in Mississauga, where, instead of the lively squeals of youngsters, her workday begins with a series of safety protocols that just a few months ago she could not have imagined.

After donning her personal protective gear — usually a face mask and shield — she is screened at the door for COVID-19 symptoms. Once inside, she follows arrows on the floor and sanitizes her hands on the way. When she finally reaches the classroom, she focuses on maintaining a careful distance between herself and the students in a bid to keep everyone safe.

Like most of her colleagues, McKay’s job these days is a big departure from what it once was. But even with a new school year and a new role, her level of exhaustion is at an all-time high.

“We’re feeling June tired,” McKay said. “We don’t normally feel like this at this time of year.”

Many of Ontario’s 160,000 teachers say burnout is running rampant. They’re overwhelmed with a barrage of new responsibilities outside of teaching, including rigorous cleaning of classrooms, navigating technological issues for online classes and trying to maintain physical distancing between younger children.

All this, while being responsible for the education of Ontario’s two million students — a process that’s become increasingly complicated as more parents opt for online education at the eleventh hour. About 7,500 students recently switched from in-person to at the Toronto District School Board, while 3,000 opted to switch back from virtual to in-person classes.

Despite more students learning online, physical class sizes have remained the same, teachers and their unions say, because of a shortage of teaching staff that has

The stress is also evident in numbers. A survey by Mental Health Research Canada, a national non-profit organization, found the number of teachers with high levels of anxiety increased, from five per cent reporting anxiety before COVID to 25 per cent amid the pandemic. Those teachers were surveyed in the last week of August, prior to Ontario schools reopening for the fall.

Teachers also stated through the survey that they are pessimistic about their levels of anxiety for the next two months

The pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down, and public health officials forecast up to 1,000 cases per day in Ontario by mid-October — 40 times the average of around 25 daily cases when schools were shut down in March. More than 480 coronavirus cases have been reported in Ontario schools, with one elementary school in Scarborough closing temporarily on Sept. 28 due to an outbreak.

McKay said she fears the anxiety will force more teachers to go on unpaid leave or long-term stress leave in the coming months.

“It might be working right now,” she said. “But long-term, I’m not sure how the current plan is sustainable.”

Gail Bannister-Clarke, president of the local union representing Peel District School Board’s 7,000 teachers, said the number of teachers on extended leave is now 94, much higher than usual.

“We know at this point of the year, people usually aren’t off,” Bannister-Clarke said. “People usually come back from the summer refreshed.”

Ryan Reyes, a spokesperson for the Peel District School Board, confirmed there is a higher than usual number of staff on leave. Their reasons include looking after their kids or immunocompromised family members and personal health issues.

Bannister-Clarke said teachers are fed up with what she describes as a “chaotic situation,” fuelled by inadequate support from the province, a constant cycle of unknowns and safety guidelines that are changing rapidly. Some are forced to juggle multiple roles, or teach subjects they’re qualified for but haven’t taught in years.

Even for the most seasoned educators, teaching while maintaining physical distancing and with the threat of the virus always looming means reimagining their profession, said Peel District School Board teacher librarian and kindergarten instructor Klara Redford.

Redford’s students are assigned a space or desk. They can’t share materials and supplies. It is starkly different from the collaborative learning environment early childhood educators have often relied on and cherished, she added.

“It’s been really, really difficult, and it’s stressful for teachers who, especially in the early years, are rooted in that philosophy of inquiry and play,” she said. “They can’t do that anymore.”

Redford said it’s still a challenge to get younger children to distance themselves, especially during activities like story time. “To maintain a two-metre distance in a kindergarten class is actually impossible,” she said.

This is compounded by the added pressure on teachers to keep their classrooms clean. Armed with a spray bottle, Redford endeavours to wipe down every surface touched, all while trying to teach her young students.

Even with rigorous cleaning, COVID-19 cases are still being reported in schools. Bannister-Clarke estimated she receives about three alerts per day from Peel Public Health notifying her of a COVID-19 case in a Peel school. This information is sent to teachers as well, she said, further fuelling their anxiety.

“Once you hear that someone in your building has COVID-19, you think, ‘Am I really safe?’”

Research shows the impact of COVID-19 on children is less severe than adults. Statistics from the Public Health Agency of Canada reveal only 1.4 per cent of infected kids and teens end up in hospital with the disease, compared to 13.5 per cent of cases involving all ages. Worldwide, COVID-related deaths in children are rare.

But even without the threat of the virus, Bannister-Clarke said online teaching comes with its own challenges.

Teachers like Dayna Platt, who instructs a Grade 1 class virtually in a Mississauga school, work around the clock. “The amount of planning that goes into an online day is intense, and we have no support right now,” Platt said.

Typically a homeroom teacher, Platt now spends all day teaching every subject: language arts, math, science, social studies, visual arts, drama and dance. She added her classroom of 21 has no support for special education or English as a second language (ESL) students. She estimated 18 of her students need ESL help, or about 85 per cent of her classroom.

Platt’s day begins at 7 a.m. and she said she often doesn’t log off until 11 p.m.

“I am exhausted,” Platt said. “It’s draining. It takes a toll on everything. It takes a toll on relationships. It’s hard.

“There’s no relief anymore.”

Her anxiety is further heightened by technology issues. Once, Platt said she tried to share her screen with students and the whole program shut down, leaving her six-year-olds confused as to what happened to their teacher.

Things that used to offer respite for teachers, like planning time or an open staff room where they can share their grievances, are no longer there, both Redford and Platt said.

Many teachers who couldn’t afford to take unpaid leave have also sacrificed seeing their elderly parents in the process, like Redford, who has limited her contact with most of her family since returning to the classroom.

“I go home and my stress relief is just hanging out with my dog,” she said. “Or getting some fresh air.”

School boards like Peel do offer some mental health resources for teachers. Reyes said teachers had access to virtual group support sessions to share challenges due to the pandemic and how they’ve coped with them. They also have continued access to a “Well-being Toolkit,” which includes resources and support for anxiety and recommended self-care activities.

Their union offers a benefits plan that covers $1,500 in fees for psychologists, social workers, clinical counsellors and psychoanalysts. Teachers also receive 11 days of medical leave with 100 per cent pay, or a short-term medical leave of 120 days with 90 per cent pay, Bannister-Clarke said.

But Cathryn Raman, a special education itinerant at the Peel board, said teachers have a hard time reaching out for help even when resources are there.

“We don’t like to be the ones to have to admit and ask for help,” Raman said. “We problem solve and we work through, and we’re the ones facilitating and helping as a general rule. That’s what we do.”

“To be the ones now feeling that sense of ‘Hey, I’m having a difficult time’ is hard.”

As she looks ahead, McKay said she sees no respite. The extended deadline for parents to opt out of physical learning and place their children in an online class has been set for mid-October. And while COVID-19 cases continue to rise, McKay said she anticipates more parents will end up making that decision, sending the system further into disarray unless more teachers are hired.

Teachers who spoke to the Star said they believe a reduction in class sizes and the hiring of more staff are key to offering educators the mental and emotional relief they seek as they head into the winter months.

No plans have yet been released by the government to directly address the ongoing issue of class sizes. , but Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s office maintains the plan in place is a good one.

“We must allow an opportunity for our students to return to school, combined with layers of prevention to maximize health and safety,” Caitlin Clark, a spokesperson for Lecce, said in an email. “We have done exactly that.”

Clark said $200 million of provincial and federal money has been given to school boards to hire more teachers, in addition to reserve money boards have access to. Peel’s board has used that money to “reduce elementary class size averages at physical locations to be below ministry targets,” Reyes said.

But the mental and emotional toll of teaching under an unprecedented global pandemic remains. Part of the exhaustion, teachers like Platt said, is being unable to do the job they love to the best of their ability.

“You feel like a crummy teacher when things fail or when you can’t support your students when you know you could if circumstances are different,” Platt said. “I can’t be the best teacher that I can be.”

Nadine Yousif is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering mental health. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Follow her on Twitter: