Covid-19 is no longer considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't changed the playing field for all of us when it comes to education. Most people had to learn to how to hit curve balls. We still cannot tell the future, nor can we figure out fully how the trauma of the pandemic has affected our educational dynamic for the long hall. We just have to be patient, and remember that we are all in this together!
So here are a few suggestions that can be done at home to help advance both academic and social learning as we continue to adjust and re-adjust.
Photo Caption: (Poughkeepsie City District photo of Warring School 5th graders artwork in Albany, New York)
Photo Caption: (Poughkeepsie School District photo of Teacher Jennifer Ennist and Morse Elementary Students leading the charge for the Black History Wax Museum Project)
1. Provide children with calm environments, conducive to learning.
2. Help to make the transition easier by encouraging shorter sessions of study
or homework, interspersed with “brain breaks” that involve movement.
3. Do not expect children to embrace the transition back to in-class learning
because it is familiar. If children are anxious, recognize and discuss how and
what they are feeling.
4. Help children to understand that what they are feeling is normal and that it
is okay to talk about it without being judged.
5. Ask children how they feel about returning to school or summer break and be prepared to
listen without offering too much advice. Just by listening and allowing a child to talk, you are giving them a safe space to vent. It may be necessary to reassure children that you are listening by saying, “Thank you for sharing” or by asking how they think the situation should be dealt with (not offering too much advice helps children to learn how to problem solve).
Photo Caption: (Poughkeepsie City District photo of high school students accepted into college in 2023)
6. Speak to teachers/administrators about what resources are available to
assist in the transition back to school, summer and then back to school.
7. Develop routines that will help to increase comfort. These could include:
specific times for homework, sitting down to dinner and taking the opportunity
to talk about your day, and setting time aside for one-on-one interaction.
8. Develop bedtime routines, like a specific time to go to bed and an activity
to do together; whether it is reading a book (for younger children) or
playing a game (for older children), that will help to normalize the time at
home.
Remember these are suggestions and we are all in this community together!