The First Days Back: Ideas for Facilitating Reconnection
The first days back in the classroom are an opportunity to establish a welcoming environment in which students reconnect to the classroom and the learning environment. With the disruptions from COVID-19, returning students (and teachers) may need some additional support to build connections to school, to each other, and to the learning process. Most educators will feel pressure to attend to “learning loss” from the pandemic year. Given that pressure, and the chronic stress we all experienced during the pandemic, it is especially important to spend time creating a welcoming classroom culture and trusting relationships with and among your students.
Start With Reflection
Self-awareness is one of the five core competencies in social emotional learning (SEL). For some of us this skill comes naturally, and for others it takes concerted effort to slow down and reflect on your inner experience. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, this year will require added intention to build in reflection practices for yourself, so you can better attune to your own needs and the needs of your students.
How did the year away from school impact you?
How do you think the year away from school impacted your students?
What feelings are you experiencing as you return to school?
What do you think your students are feeling as they return to school?
What are your fears and your hopes about this school year?
What might be your students' fears and hopes?
Connect Before Content
Focus on social connections to rebuild a sense of belonging in the classroom. Teachers, you already know that students who feel a sense of safety and belonging in the classroom are better able to pay attention, retain information, and make learning connections. And you already know how to create a supportive, welcoming classroom environment. Give yourself permission this year to take as much time as you need to build student connections. You’ll benefit from a stronger learning community.
Your students will be coming to the classroom with different degrees of disruption or trauma from their experiences during quarantine and distance learning. Some will be eager to reconnect, while others will need more time to open up. Be patient with the process of building solid, safe connections in your classroom.
After a year of unpredictability and loss, many people need predictability, consistency, and structure, in addition to emotional attunement.
Notice when you start to feel the urge to push past social emotional learning opportunities to get to academic content.
Remember that laughter, joy, and silliness is healing! Build in time for fun with your students. (We recommend brain breaks and movement.)
Sustain Through the Year
Attention to classroom community and relationships is not just for the first few days and weeks of school. These practices will be necessary to come back to throughout the school year. If you find that it’s easy to overlook social emotional learning opportunities when the year gets busy, schedule it in! Regular opportunities to connect can support students’ need for strong relationships and provide routine and predictability when built into the classroom schedule. A little bit goes a long way, especially if done regularly.
Keep returning to connection.
Put student check-ins, class meetings, brain breaks, and SEL activities on your classroom calendar.
Be flexible with your expectations of yourself and your students.
Compassion practices, especially self-compassion, are vital for sustaining yourself through the school year, and will keep you emotionally available for your students.
Ask for Help
Not every teacher can be everything for every student. It really does take a village! When things get tough - and they will - remember that it’s okay to ask for help. You are part of a team, and you are not meant to solve every problem or manage every situation alone.
First, take a deep breath.
Notice what thoughts and feelings are coming up for you.
Remember that student (and adult!) behaviors often indicate an unspoken need. What is the behavior telling you?
Make use of the resources available to you at your school site.
Remember your Acknowledge Alliance Resilience Consultant is here to support you!
