Blended learning and holistic teacher support for equitable ECEC during COVID-19

ISSA Member: Step by Step Albania, Albania

What happened?
In early 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns were announced in Albania, Step by Step Albania faced an extraordinary challenge: ECEC services had to pivot quickly with no warning. Educators were forced to shift to remote teaching without any national support or training infrastructure.

What was needed? How did they respond?
Educators needed immediate guidance, not just on technical aspects of virtual teaching, but also on coping with stress and uncertainty. In response, Step by Step Albania provided holistic support such as webinars and learning resources that addressed both digital migration (e.g., Zoom, Google Classroom) and the emotional impact of sudden change. This included tools to deal with stress, anxiety, and maintain community through distance.

Key challenges:

• Educators had no prior experience with online teaching and no support at national level.
• Schools closed immediately on March 9, 2020; there was no time to prepare.
• Mental strain and uncertainty were widespread among teachers.

Solutions:

• Provided webinars on using tools like Zoom and Google Classroom and encouraged alternative platforms like WhatsApp for parent communication.
• Peer-sharing of at-home learning strategies, radio programs for young children, and support by trained young volunteers, especially in low-literacy or marginalised communities.

Step by Step Albania supported peer networking among educators, inviting them to share experiences and support each other emotionally during the crisis. Young volunteers helped bridge digital literacy gaps, especially in Roma communities. These efforts strengthened social cohesion and fostered mutual care among staff and communities.

What's in place? What's missing?
Step by Step Albania showed how rapid, empathetic, blended training can support educators’ skills and emotional resilience in crisis. But because there’s no embedded system for educator support or blended pedagogy in emergencies, the positive effects remain confined to areas NGOs can reach. Embedding ECD workforce well-being into national preparedness is essential for consistent, long-term workforce resilience.

Recommendations

National policymakers:

• Integrate mental health, self-care, and stress management modules into national ECD workforce training standards and certification systems.
• Develop policy frameworks mandating occupational health plans and access to mental health support (e.g. counselling, peer support, mental health first aid).
• Establish regulatory guidelines or incentives for fair working conditions—including reasonable workloads, job stability, and recognition—to reduce burnout in high-stress ECD contexts.

Local/national actors

• Provide regular supportive supervision, mentoring, and peer check ins so staff can share emotional burdens and coping strategies.
• Organize stress-awareness workshops, reflective practice sessions, and facilitate connections between veteran and newer caregivers.
• Develop staff recognition and reward mechanisms, informal team celebrations, and feedback opportunities to reinforce value and motivation.

Private donors

• Fund curriculum and training programs that combine technical skills with well-being and self-care components, including cascaded PFA training.
• Support projects that include staff retention strategies—e.g. wellness stipends, mental health services, peer mentoring—as explicit budget lines.
• Invest in program evaluation and documentation of staff well being outcomes—tracking retention rates, job satisfaction, and stress indicators over time.

Professionals/practitioners

• Participate in PFA and trauma-informed care training that includes modules on managing personal stress, compassion fatigue, and caregiver resilience.
• Establish peer support groups or buddy systems, share daily “glimmers” (small joys) or coping strategies and check in regularly with peers.
• Practice self care routines, request clear workload boundaries from employers, and advocate for fair compensation and recognition of professional contributions.

Explore further: Blended Learning is the Apex of Education Nowadays   | ISSA

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