The first few weeks back to school can be stressful for young people at any time; however, the pandemic is accompanied by a multitude of possible additional problems.
Face masks; Restrictions on social estating of parents on the school grounds. All these adjustments and more, which are very important for everyone to remain all, have made many parents who have chosen to send their children back to school in this period have done so with some apprehension.
It comes as a surprise to parents and teachers to realize that the new COVID regulations have indeed had positive accidental consequences.
“Last year, some young people cried when their parents dropped them off in class,” the KHDA tweeted after his excursion to the German International School in Dubai. “Now their parents can leave them in class, and none of them are crying!”
From lower separation anxiety to renewed appreciation of the price of school, parents and teachers in Dubai were surprised to find several positives in the new education quarter standard: “It was such a distressing resolution to put them back into school. “, says Sophia Janahi, an Emirati mother who has a fourth-grader and a daughter in FS2 at a British school. “However, even just after the first day, the change in my children’s temperament and behavior was noticed: they settled so well compared to last year.
The first few weeks of a new school term are expected to have some moments of tears as they get used to their new environment, yet teachers agree that COVID restrictions have actually resulted in fewer tears of separation anxiety in young people. this term, rather than more.
“In the first few weeks of classes, we may struggle with transition times for our early-year students,” says Kristen Murphy, director of GEMS World Academy Dubai. “This year, we assumed that it would be even more difficult to separate our young students from their parents. However, we were pleasantly surprised at how students reacted to this year’s desertation.
Murphy says he believes it would possibly be partly similar to the excitement of young people returning to school after such a long absence. “Students have been home since March; they didn’t see their friends or wear the uniform. Our teachers are also satisfied,” going back to school, and this has been felt at all.
Hannah Howard, principal of the early years of training at Horizon English School, acknowledges that the thrill of meeting at school has helped young people settle down: “Unsurprisingly, some young people found it more complicated than others, but overall I agree that young people were satisfied and excited to return to school as well as staff.
Meanwhile, the GEMS Wellington Elementary School (WPS) team reported that they detected an era of faster installation among young people this year for others: “Our students took less time to adjust to their morning routines from previous years,” says Michelle Hughes, senior advisor; Georgina Bradley, Deputy Director; and Rebecca Howells, director of the Stage Foundation. “In general, young people were interested in reaching elegance and interacting with their instructors and colleagues, respecting social distance.
While there is no doubt that returning to school in the context of a pandemic has posed many challenges, there have been some attractive setbacks, such as the demand that all members of the network stay socially away has led maximum schools to adopt staggered schools. Start times, rather than a strict setback time, means that crowds of parents and students are prevented from entering the study rooms at the same time. This is a great relief for some parents:
“Personally, I like the most flexible and staggered start times,” says Holly Caitlin, a 3-year-old expatriate mother whose two eldest children (5 and 3 years old) attend a British school in Dubai. “We’ve had problems with early departures, so greater flexibility has made mornings much less stressful,” he says. I’m sure this quieter morning depends on how young people feel when they’re dropped off at school. “
KHDA’s back-to-school rules also require Grade 1 (KG2) and younger youth to remain in “stable” teams of up to 10 students. This has led to more personalized attention to young people, who are the most prone to separation anxiety. who, according to the WPS team, have helped young people settle down more quickly.
“Students were greeted separately in the morning as we set up staggered outings at the beginning of the day. With our “bubbles” in the classroom of up to 10 children, our students had to build relationships more temporarily with teachers, training assistants and peers.
Current regulations require that only one tutor can enter the school to drop it off or pick it up, and each parent has a maximum of 10 minutes to do so. While parents can usually delay saying a long goodbye or watching their little ones settle into their classrooms, this is no longer possible. And it’s better for children,” says the WPS team: “Children are not beaten by many adults in the hallway; when they enter, they have a view from their classroom door. “
In addition, a parent’s emotional state informs their child’s, so if a parent resists leaving, it can make their child feel anxious. The fastest and simplified abandonments that are now needed mean that this type of retention is no longer possible: “Although the deposit has changed, parents remain part of this procedure and have not been removed. There’s just less time to delay separation,” says Joanna Bacon, early childhood principal at Repton School.
If social estating means teachers should no longer physically help young people in many tasks, the aspect of change is that youth independence has flourished, says Hannah Howard of Horizon English School. “As a result, children’s autonomy has advanced, creating more of the students, reflected in their classroom learning skills. At the early childhood foundation stage, we were painting with young people in small groups, supporting their learning and creating a tailor-made technique for all our curious and artistic students.
GEMS Wellington Elementary School (WPS) noted the same thing: “Children have more independence in their learning skills and for life. Children can use generation more independently to access their learning and talk to their instructor and classmates. They had to expand time control skills, stick to a certain schedule, and be guilty of their own learning. We have observed that many young people have further developed their resilience and adaptability to new situations. Teachers have ensured that the well-being of academics is a priority. to bring young people into the classroom satisfied and safe.
Having the generation of remote learning available to schools and parents, and the fact that everyone had to take an extensive course on this generation at the real time the pandemic occurred, opened a new avenue to familiarize young people with the school environment early. Virtual tours and videos for parents in advance have helped dispel parents’ considerations,” says Joanna of Repton School. “If the father is relaxed, then this communicates unconsciously to the child. “
Zeyna Sanjania, a mother of two, said her son’s school started with e-learning before moving on to physical learning, which, she said, made the installation procedure much easier: “My son moved much better in the first year than before. Zeyna said: “I don’t know if it’s because she’s older or in a smaller class. But an unforeseen credit was that he was able to meet and connect with his on-screen instructor in the first week of distance learning. “so when he joined the school, he already knew the instructor well, which I suppose facilitates the transition. “
With all the COVID-related adjustments being made, schools have had to focus more than ever on the well-being of children, resulting in even more stimulating settings. “KhDA and DHA have placed a lot of emphasis on student well-being. and families, which has been so vital,” says Kristen Murphy, senior director of GEMS World Academy Dubai. “Reminding ourselves and our academics that we must take care of ourselves and others is a vital lesson. It is a glorious opportunity to see how resilient our scholars are open-minded and courageous.
Having experienced the isolation of lockdown and disruption of learning at home, the maximum parents and academics who have selected in-person training during this period are more grateful than ever for the paintings and service provided by schools, which is what it does. much more than academics.
“Before lockdown, it was a struggle every morning for my children to go to school, but now they come through the school gates,” says Emirati Mother Sophia Janahi. “My fourth grader even said to me, ‘I can’t be how much I really love school now, it’s much less hard to be informed with genuine people. It’s unbelievable. “
And teachers are equally grateful that young people return to teach in person, as Joanna Bacon of Repton School Dubai says: “Children are really amazing and deserve never to be underestimated or underestimated. Their stamina is astonishing. “
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