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The Order of Portuguese Psychologists, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Agency, UNICEF, has prepared a guide of recommendations for all those responsible for the education of children and young people. The Economic Journal has read the document and lists the main aspects, but you can read the full document here.
WHAT CAN PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS DO TO EASILY RETURN TO SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH?
- Recognize and identify fears and feelings of anxiety in themselves and in the children and young people they care for, promoting healthy ways of treating them, without falling into exaggeration. Encourage children and young people to express their emotions, making themselves available for dialogue and validating what they feel when they return to school.
- Talk about what worries the child or young person, but also about what they want when they return to school, helping to anticipate positive aspects, such as meeting classmates and teachers.
- Before back to school day, talk to the child / youth emphasizing that the decision is based on scientific knowledge and that everyone at the school will do everything possible to keep them safe; let everyone who is sick stay home; that authorities are vigilant and that when it may not be safe to go to school, they decide accordingly. In addition, it is important to reinforce good hygiene practices, pro-health and pro-social behaviors.
- Prepare children / youth for changes to normal school processes and logistics. When you know how the new rules and school logistics will work, prepare us for these changes – the better you understand them, the more comfortable you will feel about them and their enforcement.
- Be prepared to deal with some “separation anxiety.” In particular, for younger children and after a prolonged period of exclusive contact with parents and primary caregivers, the experience of separation upon returning to school can be especially stressful.
- At the end of the day, after school, talk about how the school day was, including what they liked, what worried them, and what they would like to do the next day.
- Try to set aside some extra time to be, to talk, to play, to play. At the end of the day, children may be more tired and need quiet activities; young people may be more sleepy.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS
While responding to academic and curricular objectives remains an important goal during this academic year, the authors of the guide admit that students may not be ready to participate in formal learning activities until they feel physically and psychologically safe and that feeling of security. In this context, actions to promote Health and Psychological Well-being, involvement with the family, as well as the strengthening of inclusive policies and practices are particularly relevant. Namely:
- Schools / clusters should organize a working group or a School health team that plans and evaluates school health policies and practices, that is, Psychological Health, and that, in these extraordinary circumstances, they must meet more frequently.
- Schools must reinforce the implementation of programs, projects and / or strategies that aim to increase the protective factors of Psychological Health and the inclusion of all students.
- They should also collect information, regularly and systematically, in order to monitor the psychological health of the entire school population.
- Schools should provide training moments for teachers and other professionals meet the needs of students, both for the recovery of learning and for their physical, mental and social well-being. Training should contribute to improving the ability of teachers to respond to the academic and socio-emotional needs of students. Likewise, they must train their professionals in topics related to the prevention and promotion of Psychological Health, developing actions that are specifically directed at them with the aim of preventing and promoting their Psychological Health. It is important to recognize that professionals may also be experiencing situations of stress or loss. Self-care, in addition to individual responsibility, must be part of the school culture.
- Schools must recognize the potential to increase dropout rates, Implement measures and strategies to prevent school dropout and failure. specifically in a pandemic situation.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT TEACHERS …
- Anticipate any academic, emotional and social regression of children and young people, as well as recognize the potential negative impact of an environment that requires the reduction of social interactions, providing, whenever possible, moments and strategies to reduce anxiety and stress. In this context, teachers should Avoid assuming that certain inappropriate behaviors necessarily represent disobedience or insubordinate behavior..
- It will be necessary to help recognize that everyone needs time to process the back-to-school period. These emotions will need time and space to be recognized and shared.
- Define, together with the students, rules and good practices for a healthy life. during the new phase.
- Involve students in the planning of the new academic year, so that they actively participate, get involved and assume responsibility for the learning and activities to be carried out. Negotiate times of free interaction and times of concentration and cooperation in learning.
- Reinforce open and safe communication channels that allow students to share their concerns and doubts.
- we consider andn introduce new academic content only when the new rules, routines and environment have already been firmly established and internalized by the students, and they feel safe and emotionally stable.
- Recognize that Productivity and student engagement may not beinitially the same as they had previously.
- Promote reflection on the positive and negative aspects of distance education practices, trying to promote those that can facilitate the learning process of students, keeping them in the classroom teaching scenario.
- Keep the partnerships created with parents and guardians during the distance learning period, promoting the continuity of the active participation of families in the learning of children and young people.
- Facilitate access to multiple ways of presenting information and content and identify multiple means of motivation, representation and expression.
- Monitor learning support measures and implemented inclusion and use, when necessary, of other school and community resources.
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