Recommendations to provide adequate emotional support to children when they return to the classroom

After two years of virtual education, around 6.7 million children and adolescents have been returning to face-to-face or blended classes in public schools in recent weeks, according to the Ministry of Education.

In this scenario, students have been experiencing various emotions that range from the joy of meeting and sharing with their peers, to the fear of catching Covid-19.

“It is necessary to speak honestly about the need to promote emotional well-being, understanding that socio-emotional skills are the levers of this new beginning, because with them we will build communities that practice affective communication and promote collective resilience in this return to the classroom,” said Fabiola Barriga. co-founder of Ama.Ser. and Alumni of Enseña Peru.

“Recognizing and naming students' emotions will allow us to understand what kind of behaviors or responses they have or might have,” he added.

According to the latest UNICEF data available, at least 1 in 7 children has been directly affected by lockdowns worldwide.

In this regard, within the framework of World Education Day, which is commemorated on 1 April, the specialist makes some recommendations to provide adequate emotional support to children when they return to the classroom:

1. Recognize our emotions. It is important that both teachers and parents can identify how they are feeling about this return. Then move on to having constant communication with students, to learn how children feel about going back to school, how they get along with their peers, if they feel comfortable going to school and what their fears are.

2. Strengthen ties. During this pandemic, everyone has been subjected to stress, depression or anxiety. In that scenario, it's important to get closer to students. Asking them what they can do very well and what new things they learned during the confinement period, talking about this at home or in class will help strengthen their self-esteem and sense of belonging.

3. Awaken optimism. To reduce the physical and emotional tension of the entire school community, alternatives should be sought to face and recover energy, consulting the different members of the school about what has made them feel calm and calm during this time. Similarly, systematic instances of breathing, movement, expression and conversation exercises should be included, which can be of great help.

4. Express and regulate emotions. Crises arouse diverse emotions in people and generating adequate spaces to express them is very important. This is in order to regain balance so that both children, young people and adults can recognize their emotions, understand them and seek regulated forms of expression.

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