JOIN USMental health interventions in schools
Schools have finally opened. But there has been an equal amount of eagerness and trepidation within educators about how this pandemic might have affected the social and emotional health of students and parents.
Transitions are never easy — physically, mentally, and emotionally, not for adults and most definitely, not for young children. This is precisely why schools, at this time, need to focus on the mental health of their students. We have not had the opportunity to work with children who are going through such a massive health crisis before. It is imperative to make a conscious effort to be aware of the needs of our learners in order to support them. We must help them with wearing masks, while maintaining social distance from their friends, with drastically reduced screen time, following new timetables and routines, and making friends and managing conflict, among other possible stressors.
Here are a few tried-and-tested ways in which schools can better cater to the mental, emotional, and social needs of students:
Take it slow: As much as we would like our students to settle in quickly, we know that giving them time to readjust, recalibrate, and recentre is essential for their emotional well-being. Once learners feel safe and comfortable in their new learning space, teaching and learning will be more effective and successful.
Check-in: A routine that we must follow is our daily check-ins. These check-ins happen during our morning circle time and at the end of the day. This is when learners share their academic or personal feelings and concerns with their teachers and peers. This helps students know that they are cared for, that they are not alone, and that they always have a safe space to talk about their feelings and have them validated.
Build and follow routines: Children are also creatures of habit. When they have routines in place, whether at home or in school, they feel safer and more in control of their minds and bodies. At this point, it would be wise for schools to ensure consistency in routines — specifically meal and playtime, designated pick-up or drop-off points and play areas.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): Help students identify stressors or triggers in order to regulate their emotions and provide them with strategies to resolve conflicts with their peers. Now more than ever, the time has come to embed SEL into everyday learning environments. Providing a “calm corner” in the classroom, taking brain breaks, and practising mindfulness regularly are other ways to prioritise SEL.
Communicate with families: Families play a significant role in contributing to a child’s well-being, as does the school. Therefore, it is important to keep the lines of communication open between the two. Each time, a different topic of relevance can be discussed, such as building independence, time management, dealing with school refusal, and supporting children’s interests, to name a few.
Getting back on campus can be overwhelming and with all the planning and protocols schools have in place, there is still bound to be sufficient trial and error. However, adopting a growth mindset through this transition is vital in helping us support our students’ mental and emotional health effectively.
(The author is a student counsellor at a school)
in Bengaluru)