In March 2019, the world changed drastically for the US Education system. Covid-19 shut the doors of schools and barred children from the classroom for two years.
Districts scrambled to provide academics via e-learning. The parents of over forty-nine million school students found themselves monitoring the academic progress of their children at home.
Frustration, stress, and confusion accompanied the process. Many parents found themselves trying to figure out how to resolve technological issues but had no ideal of what to do.
Loss learning prevailed in many areas of the country.
The Shift Back to Classroom Instructions
The shift back to the classroom has not been easy for students. The trauma of Isolation from peers, lack of academic motivation, and restrictive masking has taken a toll of the mental health of the nation’s children.
However, the plight of students should only be temporary. Administrators, educators, and parents have the power to restore the pleasure of learning back into the hearts of the nation’s children.
Nurturing the wellbeing of students must be our top priority. Although the task will be challenging, it must be done with great passion and patience.
The Collaborative Approach
This approach offers a support system that consists of school administrators, educators, parents, and community volunteers. Classroom educators alone cannot restore the quality of education prior to the chaos of the pandemic. A collaborative effort is required.
School Administrators
Providing teachers with the necessary resources to nature student wellbeing is the role of district administrators who consider mental health a higher priority than enforcing the demands of standardized tests.
Educators
Providing creative lesson plans which engage students in a variety of ways should be the role of educators. Classroom activities should consist of frequent outdoor projects as well as field trips that have influence.
Parents
The emotional support that parents provide for children is crucial for that child’s wellbeing. In fact, parents hold more power of children than all their teachers combined. The message that parents give to students regarding the importance of their education will last a lifetime.
Community Volunteers
Leaders, business owners, and clergies are necessary for empowerment, inspiration, emotional and spiritual support. These should care because the children are the future. They are the next generation who will be taking control over society.
The collaborative approach is designed to nurture the whole child and restore back the quality of education before the pandemic.
The Whole Child Mentality
Nurturing the Well Being of students will require a whole child mentality. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the whole child approach “encompasses the entirety of what develops a truly successful student: health, safety, engagement, support and challenges” which develops skills and abilities.
ASCD offers four considerations for Nurturing the Whole Child
Physical Education
Children need physical education. Developing strength, endurance, and good cardio condition are necessary if students are going to stay physically healthy. Physical problems will interfere with a child’s focus in the classroom. For example, if a student is tired or lack energy, he or she will be distracted.
Nutritious School Lunch
Eating the right food is important for good health. Not only for students but for everyone. School lunches must remain healthy. A balanced diet aligned with fruits and vegetables must be the order of each school day when it comes to lunch and snacks.
Frequent Recess
After more than two years wearing face masks in school, students are anxious to break free of this sense of bondage. Schools should at least have two recesses to give students a break from the classroom. Recesses help students release stress and refreshes their minds for learning.
Counseling Progress
Some students will move forward after the chaos of the pandemic. But most children were left traumatized. Therefore, having school counselors on site to provide guidance and support for these students will go a long way in nurturing the well being of students.
Indoor Instructions vs. Outside School Projects
The classroom has always been the source where research and learning take place. However, the demand change is a pressuring reality. Students need to come out of the classroom and engage with their environment.
Studies show that time spent outside of the classroom is beneficial for student learning and comprehension. Outside learning is exciting and member able.
In older years, school children needed to be in the classroom where all the learning resources where at hand.
Now however, with the advance in digital technology, students can work outside on lab tops and other mobile devices.
Many schools are discovering that holding class outdoors provides a new perception for students in terms of education. According to studies, 88% of teachers say that children are more engaged in learning when taking lessons outdoors.
Nurturing the well being of students must be taking seriously. If this vital necessity is ignored, the loss learning, pandemic trauma, stress, and confusion will become a lasting obstacle to restoring the quality of education that once graced the education system.
Therefore, administrators, educators, and parents must rise to the occasion and perform the academic roles that are necessary to restore a quality education industry for the children.
