Breathing Through the Smoke”: A Critical Narrative of Teaching and Grieving in the Wake of Crisis

• In Event: Voices of Emotional First Responders: Honoring Teacher Humanity Through Trauma and Overlapping Crises

Abstract

This paper builds on the 2022 AERA study “Same Storm, Different Boats,” shifting the focus from K-12 student mental health to the mental health and responsibilities of teachers in post-crisis classrooms. While the earlier study highlighted social-emotional learning (SEL) gaps worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, this research centers on how young educators internalize and suppress their own trauma while navigating additional layers of distress during and after the 2025 Eaton Fires.
Grounded in capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986; Yosso, 2005) and healing-centered education (Ginwright, 2018), the study examines how systemic inequities shape both student well-being and teachers’ emotional labor amid intersecting environmental and emotional crises. Rejecting the idea that traumatic events should be treated as isolated, it explores the cumulative impact of displacement, grief, and neglect on the teaching and learning experience.

Using personal critical narratives, reflective journaling, field observations, and conversations with affected families and educators, this qualitative research contextualizes teacher experiences alongside quantitative data like class sizes and teacher demographics. Early findings reveal teachers’ remarkable resilience and commitment to maintaining high standards despite inadequate mental health resources and unstable post-disaster conditions. However, the study highlights the urgent need for long-term, substantial support to prevent burnout and teacher shortages.

The paper calls for systemic changes, advocating for SEL to become a protected, embedded part of instruction with formal training for educators. It envisions teacher preparation programs that foster empathy and trauma-responsive environments not only immediately after crises but throughout ongoing recovery phases. The research critiques school and district responses that prioritize testing and curriculum over teacher well-being, often forcing educators to mask their struggles and perpetuate a façade of normalcy. Additionally, it notes how SEL initiatives lose momentum after initial reopening, becoming optional checkboxes rather than sustained support, overlooking the reality of delayed grief.

Overall, the study urges a reimagining of educational policies and teacher training to genuinely support educator wellness, acknowledging teachers as whole individuals deeply affected by crises and essential to healing school communities.

Authors

• Jensine Magaly Lucas, Pepperdine University

• Cristina M. Arellano, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District