4 ways to help students transition back to school after lock-down
In our latest blog, we look at some ways schools can help students transition back to school after lock-down to minimise any stress and settle them in.
Going back to school after lock-down is never going to be easy – particularly after a lengthy absence like the one we’ve just gone through.
As your schools re-open their gates to students this week, you might be wondering what the ‘new normal’ will look like this time around and the kids you’re teaching might be experiencing a whirlwind of emotions.
In this article, we make some suggestions to help staff and students back to school after lock-down, including ways you can support student well-being and practical measures to promote cleanliness and hygiene.
Let’s get started!
4 ways to help students transition back to school after lock-down
As many students will have been out of school since before Christmas, it will be important to ease them in gently and address some of the worries they might be having. Here are some ideas to help them settle back into school life:
1) Revisit work done during lock-down
Going over some of the most important work covered in lock-down will help your students get back into ‘learning mode’ and will be a useful opportunity for you to check their understanding and see where any gaps in their knowledge are.
2) Remind students about health & safety measures
Your school might have adjusted its health & safety or social distancing guidance for re-opening or students might have forgotten them.
It’s therefore a good idea to remind your students of this collectively so they know what bubbles they’re learning or mixing in, and understand good hand-washing practices, for example. Try to keep this light-hearted to help minimise any stress they might be feeling.
3) Be a listening ear
Kids have been through extraordinary circumstances in the past year, with a lot of disruption to home and school life. Encourage your students to talk openly about how they’re feeling – they can even write their emotions down or use drawings to express them if they don’t want to talk.
4) Plan fun activities to help students re-connect
Many students won’t have seen their friends for a while, so introduce a few ice-breakers to help them get comfortable with each other again! Re-connecting with each other is likely to lower their overall anxiety levels and help them settle back in quicker.
Whilst the first week or two isn’t likely to be easy, and will be a busy time for teachers, we’re sure that the majority of kids will be happy to be back to school after lock-down!
At Utility Rentals, we provide a range of equipment that can help re-opening schools maintain robust standards of hygiene in the face of the ongoing pandemic. From air purifiers, to super-hygienic hand-dryers, mobile hand washing stations (and more), we can help you cover all the bases!
Our flexible rental agreements mean you can access this equipment straight away, with no upfront costs. They also include many benefits like installation and parts-and-labour warranties for the full rental term.
For equipment to help the transition back to school after lock-down, contact our expert team!
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