Returning to school (in a nutshell) – help for children and teachers
After a long hot summer the idea of returning to school, with its routines and work pressures, is challenging enough at the best of times. Add in Covid-19 and the return this year will be met by some children, and teachers, with a mix of fear and trepidation. So how can we help make this transition go as smoothly and with as little stress as possible? Is it even possible in the current climate? The simple answer is, yes, there are things we can do to ease the transition into the start of another school year. These are - preparation, positivity and pacing.
Preparation includes both the practical preparation of preparing school uniforms, books and, for many students this year, masks and emotional preparation including getting used to term time sleep routines and thinking about what it will be like to return to school. This mental preparation applies to teachers too, who are being faced with added challenges in an already challenging job.
A focus on the positives of a return to school can also help lessen the anxiety. Focusing on the positives is not a denial of the challenges but rather a balancing of a focus on the positives as well as the inevitable stresses. Acknowledging the hard stuff while also emphasising the benefits of school such as seeing friends, the enjoyment of learning (or teaching) new things, and regular sports activities is an important way you can prepare your child (or self) for the start of the school year. How you do this for each child will depend on their interests. A child who struggles with learning will need a different focus from a child who thrives on learning, for example. Focus on what is important to your child, whether it be the socialising, the extra-curricular activities or an interest in learning, there’s usually something that is appealing about the return to school.
The final point is pacing which refers to knowing the pressure points for your child, or yourself - for both teachers and parents, and building in breaks from the extra pressures of the return to school during a pandemic. This may include organising less structured after-school activities to give more time for simply relaxing, allowing for times when children act younger than their age – as this is a natural and temporary response to stress, and simplifying weekends to allow for more time to recharge.
Together, preparation, focusing on the positives, and finding a pace that allows for relaxation and fun are active ways we can smooth the transition from the holidays to the start of the school year. And this year, as we continue to face the added challenges of a pandemic , it is more important than ever to find ways to support children and teachers as they return to the classroom.