Teachers as first responders in tragedy: The role of emotion in teacher adjustment eighteen months post-earthquake

The present study examined how teachers functioned as first responders in a natural disaster and their perceptions of their emotional management both in the immediate aftermath of a large earthquake and their personal and professional functioning 18 months after the disaster. Employing a mixed-methods design, the results showed mixed effects for earthquake related factors and emotional management in associations with personal and professional functioning. The findings point to the importance of teacher training in emotional management and the role that school management can play in training teachers for their role as first responders and sensitively managing their post-disaster work environment.