Easing Tiny Goodbyes: Accounts of Teachers' Challenges, Resilience and Patience in Handling Pupils with Separation Anxiety

The study on the experiences of teachers on kindergarten pupils with separation anxiety is a phenomenology that aimed to describe a phenomenon. The identification of the pupils with separation anxiety was based on their display of behavior of fear of being left alone and separated from their parents or guardians in the first few weeks of the start of the school year. The conversational partners are 15 teachers teaching kindergarten classes in the municipality of Midsayap. The conversational partners have described and narrated their lived experiences which served as the study’s primary data. The experiences they openly shared were organized into themes such as common behavioral episodes, educational and learning adversities, empowering resiliency, and fostering authentic relationships. Along with these are the core ideas derived from their responses to the research questions. The study elucidated the educational challenges arising from separation anxiety, including difficulties in maintaining focus, engagement, and academic achievement. Tailored support aimed at equipping students with coping mechanisms and emotional resilience is proposed as essential for fostering their overall well-being and adaptive responses to separation-related stressors. Moreover, building authentic relationships plays an important means in supporting students' emotional needs and promoting positive outcomes. Creating a supportive and empathetic environment where pupils feel understood, valued, and safe to express their emotions is emphasized as integral to their emotional well-being and the development of healthy coping strategies.