As the COVID-19 pandemic has closed schools and led to a rapid transition to online classes, teachers have been working diligently to adapt lesson plans to support virtual learning. In addition to teaching academic content, perhaps the most important role teachers can play for students during this crisis is to support them as caring adults. This means taking the time to help ensure that students’ social and emotional needs are met.
While in school buildings, teachers can see students and talk to them to gauge how they are doing, in virtual classrooms, it is considerably harder for a teacher to assess a student’s mental health or state of mind. Without in-person interactions, teacher must instead find ways to deliberately check in with students to help them cope in these difficult times.
The strategies outlined below can enable teachers to virtually support students’ well-being.
Make time to connect personally with students and help students connect with each other
In “Hope Matters,” an article for Inside Higher Ed, Mays Imad of the Teaching & Learning Center at Pima Community College shares 10 strategies to support students during COVID-19. Here are some of the ways that teachers can connect with students and keep them engaged with one another:
- Contact students to ask what you or other adults can do to help them individually
- Set up virtual office hours to connect with students and families outside of class
- Schedule informal group chats for students to connect
- Focus on connectedness by creating opportunities for students to work virtually in small groups
Use optimistic language to lift students’ spirits
Teachers can also set the tone for students and give them a sense of hope in times of uncertainty. Students look to adults for guidance and reassurance, and teachers can act as a source of calmness and security when they interact with students virtually.
For example, by using optimistic language such as “When you come back next fall…”, teachers can help students to stay positive and look forward to a return to a more normal routine one day. Teachers can also share positive affirmations and highlight students’ strengths during class and in feedback to student work. This can help students to stay engaged and keep them thinking positively, even in bleak times.
Maintain a trauma-informed lens, especially for those students likely to need more support
Teachers should keep a closer watch and check in more regularly with students who may be at greater risk for stress or trauma. This includes children with a known history of anxiety or depression, those whose families are experiencing financial hardship, and those whose family members may be vulnerable to COVID-19, among other factors. For these students, Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, put together helpful strategies for teaching during COVID-19 from experts with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. They suggest that teachers consider taking the following steps:
- Reaching out to caregivers to offer or explain the supports used in the classroom with their children
- Setting up individual conferences by phone or computer to check in with students and ask about their safety and worries
- Connecting with school mental health professionals to know the process for referring students and families when necessary
