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

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium explores the evolving role of teachers as emotional first responders and community caretakers during overlapping crises—the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2025 Eaton Fires in Southern California. Using critical narrative inquiry, capital theory, and the concept of delayed grief, it features compelling narratives from educators connected to the Pasadena Unified School District. These stories offer raw, unique insights into teachers’ experiences before, during, and after the disasters. They reveal how teachers were expected to absorb collective trauma, often framed through a “superhero” narrative that praises self-sacrifice but creates inner conflict when prioritizing their own well-being. Panelists urge teacher preparation programs to better equip for crises and calls on districts to provide sustained, authentic support for teachers’ mental health and resilience.

Sub Unit

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education / Division K - Section 03: Teachers’ Lives, Identities, and Journeys

Chair

• Anthony Collatos, Pepperdine University

Papers

• Breathing Through the Smoke”: A Critical Narrative of Teaching and Grieving in the Wake of Crisis - Jensine Magaly Lucas, Pepperdine University; Cristina M. Arellano, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

• Reimagining Teacher Education: Embedding Trauma-Informed Practices and Mental Health Supports Post-Crisis - Ellin Avanesian, Pepperdine University; Elianna Campos, Pasadena Unified

• Echoes of Loss: Delayed Grief and Its Impact on Teacher Well-Being - Jensine Magaly Lucas, Pepperdine University; Ellin Avanesian, Pepperdine University; Cristina M. Arellano, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; Elianna Campos, Pasadena Unified

Session Organizer

• Jensine Magaly Lucas, Pepperdine University

Discussant

• Anthony Collatos, Pepperdine University