These days it comes the countdown for many boys and girls
Emotions flow in different currents, sailing between the joy of seeing friends again, the laziness of getting up early and the sadness of leaving behind a few days of enjoyment and rest with the family.
For many boys and girls, going back to school is not always easy ; For this reason, we leave you below a series of recommendations that can help us adapt our sons and daughters.
For families…
These are the key tips and ideas for parents to take into account to make it easy for their little ones.
1. Connection
Talk to them about how they feel about the beginning of the course (to do this we can use drawings, games, songs), calming your discomfort in case there is fear, anger or anxiety, without minimizing or downplaying it and helping them integrate that emotion through the adult’s transmission of understanding and security.
2. Anticipation
Visit the school days before the start, try to arrange a prior meeting in the park with children who are going to belong to your classroom, explain through dolls or images, or take an imaginary trip to school; It can help give confidence to minors at the beginning.
3. Cooperation
So that our children feel that they are taken into account, that their opinion and collaboration is important to us. involve them in the preparation of school supplies, accompanying us to buy and whenever possible, choosing based on their tastes This will strengthen the creation of a positive expectation towards going back to school.
Avoid rush and anxiety on the part of parents when going to school, being aware of the present moment and being next to our children, listening to what they tell us or helping to put words to those who are living, always being aware that we transmit security and not “I have to go.” This moment is very important, so that our children’s first steps towards school are taken with poise and serenity.
For teachers…
Teachers can also help with many actions to welcome their students with and from the heart, promoting pleasant and positive emotions about the reunion. To do this, our suggestions are the following.
1. Prior communication
Any contact with the students, days before starting, that is emotionally charged, transmitting welcome and security, can help boys and girls go to class more confident
A video call, email or, for example, the idea that my daughter’s teacher, Bakarne Robles, had with this postcard delivered to the home, full of love and images, can fill children with enthusiasm and positive expectations.
2. Create bridges between home and school
Start with an activity that provides continuity between home and school such as bringing a vacation photo (example that you can see in the previous postcard), or an object that reminds us of where we have been (shells, sand, stones, books, etc.), will allow the transition to be more fluid.
Likewise, offering families the possibility of prior communication, in case they consider the need to transmit some relevant information, will always help to better contextualize each student.
As teachers, mental and emotional states are also activated in us at the beginning of the course. Becoming aware will help us better collect the emotions that students bring since as Jose María Toro says, “good education has a lot to do with creating ties and untying knots.”
We can achieve all this by launching affective communication, and transmitting an emotional state (tone of voice, gestures, rhythm of speech), which denote commitment and understanding, to surround the students with an aura of security.
In short, going back to school is not only about getting students to go to class, but also about getting them to want to stay and come back the next day.
Author: Anabel De La Cruz Sánchez, Psychologist at Vitaliza.
