Dear Reader,
For so many of us, this August is both familiar and new. After 18 months of remote and hybrid instruction, most schools are reopening five days a week. Yet we are not pressing the reset button. From masks to social distancing to regular testing, our classrooms and schools are not the same ones we left months and months ago.
This year introduces a gargantuan task for educators: to reintroduce children to school. In this newsletter, I want to step back to think about culture and community. With so much in flux, classrooms should be a source of reliability for children and their families. Schools can be extraordinary spaces for adults and children, especially when they are created with intention. As I enter into a school year like no other (after two previous schools years worthy of the same description,) I’m reflecting on ways to craft a community centered around trust and care. I doubt little I do in the future months will be perfect, but so much of the work is first done in our aspirations.
Sincerely,
Erin
P.S.
The next newsletter will be out in two weeks due to Labor Day.
Relearning School
Reintroducing school spaces to children should not be a battle. If anything, we need to extend and deepen our patience and understanding.
Even though school didn’t stop, kids grew accustomed to a new normal. Socially-distanced classrooms, both in-person and remote, made the typical routines of a classroom onerous, if not impossible. Discussions in partnerships and small-groups moved with less verve; small check-ins to build relationships required more preparation; everything, literally everything, took more time.
When children return to classrooms that are once again full of many other children, they will likely be excited, but also less comfortable. Everyone has learned, whether at home or at school, with more space. Children will once again navigate being next to each other, not to mention having to wait their turn in line for the restroom. The experience of sharing space with lots of other people will be unfamiliar, and, if I speak for myself, not always welcome.
This year marks my tenth year in the classroom, and I truly believe in the power of structure and routines to create a sense of safety and trust in a classroom. However, I know these routines will feel strange for many students, especially the ones who spent 18 months learning exclusively from home. Reintroducing school spaces to children should not be a battle. If anything, we need to extend and deepen our patience and understanding. It isn’t easy for teachers to readjust to a new schedule. It certainly won’t be easy for kids.
Partnering with Families
Families are the experts.
Educators had a difficult 18 months, but it is not commensurate with the burden borne by families during the same period. Even before the pandemic, we knew the crucial role families played in the educational success of children.
Consistent communication with families can help illuminate both strengths and pain points for individual children. Families are the experts on how their children experienced school over the last 18 months. Family insights can help acclimate wary and rusty children.
Some recommendations:
Send out a family survey that treats families like the experts they are. (There are more and more resources to provide high-quality translations for family communications. Talking Points is one example.) Ask questions like,
How was the past school year for your child? What worked for them? What didn’t work for them?
What are your hopes and dreams for this year?
Does your family have any encouraging mantras and sayings that we can use at school?
How do you prefer to be contacted? How often would you like to be contacted?
Within the first couple weeks of school, have a conversation, either in-person or on the phone, with every family. Most schools have restrictions in place for adults other than employees entering school buildings. For this reason, it will be much harder to invite families to classrooms and to chat at dismissal. If families are comfortable, you could also invite them to talk on Zoom or Google Meet.
Families love to hear how awesome their kid is! (Kids also love to hear how awesome they are. More on this below.) Depending on a family’s communication preferences, you can send shout-outs when you notice something special in school. Even a quick note home on a post-it will show a family how you are caring for their child.
Every Kid Should Feel Seen
But we need more than just routines — we need rituals.
As I mentioned earlier, the beginning of the year will not be easy for everyone. We need to remember and respect that children are experiencing yet another transition. No matter how children show up, they deserve our patience, care, and support.
For some kids, this year will mark the end of prolonged isolation. For others, a return to school will be the first time in awhile where they share spaces with the wants and needs of several others. While some will be looking forward to interacting with caring adults, others will be anxious, even upset, about returning to school. Even the most idealistic of teachers need to remember that school has not always been a happy place for everyone, even before the pandemic.
Yes, we will need routines for pencils and walking up and down stairs. But we need more than just routines — we need rituals. Rituals are not just something that happen in a classroom that can be interrupted by schedule changes. Rituals are the sacred moments where we honor feelings of togetherness. They are non-negotiable and exclusively inclusive of every human being in the space. They often occur on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
Some examples of rituals:
A morning meeting where every student is greeted and given space to share their thoughts. Morning meeting is a great opportunity to build other community traditions, like a class name or secret classroom handshake.
A closing circle or dedicated time at the end of the day where students can reflect. This is a great opportunity for teachers and kids to give shout outs and recognize one another. It is also an opportunity for kids to self-reflect and think about ways they would have done the day differently. Most importantly, it is a moment when the teacher can close the day by acknowledging everyone.
Every Friday, the teacher can select (or have the class vote) for someone who went above and beyond. Above and beyond can mean something academic, but it can also include acts of kindness, a new undertaking, or really anything important to classroom community. This could also happen on a monthly basis.
Grade-wide or school-wide gatherings where there is shared learning or an opportunity to recognize the contributions of students.
Small groups of students are invited to lunch with the teacher on certain days of the week. Everyone has an opportunity to join throughout the year.
The important take-away is that kids have multiple opportunities to be seen by their teacher and one another. Rituals can reinforce the belief that every person in a community matters.
Extra Credit
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” - Jorge Luis Borges
Ever wondered about the value of sharing academic and social-emotional information with families? Check out this 2019 study into a text message program with Pre-K families.