As teacher morale hits a new low, schools look for ways to give breaks, restoration

After months of teaching during a global pandemic, Wade Buckman felt worn out physically, mentally and emotionally. He had been teaching in person all semester, until an outbreak of COVID-19 cases caused his school to abruptly shut down for two weeks. The transition was chaotic, and Buckman was expecting another shutdown to come soon. The workload and pressure, he said, were unyielding.