Tips for Helping Students with Transitioning back to In-Person Learning

1.    Safety

Ensure a sense of safety by following school COVID protocol.  Following safety protocols drastically reduces anxiety for both students and teachers.

Familiarize students with rules and routines of the classroom.

2.  Do frequent check-ins with your student

Incorporate check-ins as part of their grade. Example: Bell ringer on a good memory, positive trait of your best friend, what do you like about yourself, what did you do for fun last night?

Model healthy behavior when feeling overwhelmed in the classroom.  Stop, take a deep breath, and return back to task.  Include students so they can learn and see the effectiveness in this behavior.

3.   Create an environment that encourages self-care

For example ask students: “Tell me something that made you smile yesterday”

            “Tell me your favorite activity you do for relaxation”

             “Tell me what you do for fun”

          Allow for breaks:

Watch a brain break video, play relaxing music, allow creative time-read or drawing.

4.   Be positive

Focus on what is going well.  Ask what is working right now?  Don’t focus on all the negativity surrounding us.  Give them something to look forward to.  Give them a sneak peak of something they can look forward to for the next day.

Take time during the day to thank a peer or teacher for something positive they did.  This encourages a positive mindset.

5.   Help students develop a sense of belonging.

Create opportunities for student to build social connections

Assign a peer partner to teach them classroom routines

Group projects-assign tasks for students to accomplish together

Pair an in-person learner with a virtual learner or student coming back from virtual learning.

6.   Utilize available school resources.

Principal, other teachers, school counselors, school therapist

Attached resources