As our students return to face-to-face education, they will need to cope with many different emotions: anxiety, disappointment, worry and excitement…
These emotions overlap with what our teachers and we adults are also feeling. Especially during this period, our teachers will not only have to deal with their own emotional states, but will also be there for our students as compassionate leaders guiding them to a safe place where they can learn together.
During this period, our teachers will play a major role in our children’s emotional well-being. So, how can we support them?
As parents and education administrators, we need to ease our expectations regarding learning a little and shift our focus first toward emotional needs. Teachers educate individuals, not lessons. When they support well-being first, a more suitable foundation for learning is established.
As British Dil Okulları, during this period we are focusing on three main elements that form the social-emotional foundations of children’s return to school:
1. Relationship
The most important thing our students need from us… is us. They need to know that we exist in their lives and feel that they matter to us. This is less about the words we say and more about how we make them feel when we are with them: it is essential that they feel invited, accepted and valued.
During this emotionally turbulent period, we must make conscious invitations to our students that strengthen our relationships. This could be organizing a special welcoming ritual every day or doing fun activities together with them. Such bonding practices can help our students feel safer and more comfortable, reducing their anxiety.
2. Rhythm
Children love rhythm and need it.
Consistently repeated routines, rituals and structures give children a sense of security. This rhythm offers a structure they can lean on and feel safe in during difficult moments. However, right now most children are experiencing the exact opposite. They have no idea what will be “normal” in this new period. We must quickly establish new routines so that our students can regain their sense of trust. These rhythms bring order to their days, providing a degree of predictability during these unpredictable times.
3. Release
Our students’ emotions will fluctuate as they return to school, and these intense feelings need an outlet to be expressed in a healthy way. Being able to channel this emotional energy of our students in advance can prevent aggressive outbursts that might otherwise occur later. Daily release opportunities allow students to express their accumulated emotions and freely express the complex feelings they carry inside.
The beauty of this practice is that it doesn’t require us to know exactly what a child is going through. It’s enough to give them the opportunity to express their emotions through natural means such as music, physical movement, storytelling, writing, poetry, drama, art or the outdoors. These tools help students get closer to their emotions and feel a sense of emotional release.
The return to school won’t be easy during this period. We will need to try unfamiliar approaches and develop skills we’re not used to. But the most important thing to remember is that this period is not about focusing on success or performance, but about building a sense of trust. Once we establish this emotional foundation, students will be ready to learn.
Let’s be patient with our students and with ourselves throughout this process. We are all in this together, and as British Dil Okulları, we are happy to stand by each and every one of our students.