Making the Transition Back to In-class Learning

It is no secret how hard the last year or so has been. Teachers and students suffered and struggled. Everyone did their best in uncharted waters. The pandemic changed how we lived, taught, and learned. Now it is time to regain some sense of normalcy, which everyone is excited about. But how?

Researchers have figured out that holding students back a grade doesn’t solve any gaps in learning. Rather, it fosters apathy and boredom. Wrangling bored students to care about concepts they feel they have already learned is every teacher’s worst nightmare.

Assess Through Tasks

Use real world tasks to assess deep learning. For example, have them plan something that has a budget to see where they stand with basic math skills. You could have them work together in teams to see where their social skills need work. Reading parts in a play out loud is an easy way to see how their reading skills are progressing.

Refresh Before Test

Tests don’t always reflect what students know. They may have learned something, but need a refresher. Quickly go over what they should already know before testing them. Give them a chance to get in the swing of things before throwing a standardized test at them that may not reflect their actual knowledge.

Focus on Gains

Students may be behind in math and science this year. But what have they learned? Some students will be much better at time management and self-direction. Some learned better technology skills. When students had the ability to learn at their own pace, many were more self-motivated. The most beautiful gain? The majority of students said that they missed going to school. Socializing is such an important part of what is taught at school. Try to incorporate social aspects of learning to celebrate the fact that students are back together in the classroom.

Mind the Gaps

Try to identify the necessary prerequisite concepts that need to be taught before moving on. When there is disparity between levels, set up learning groups to reflect what they need to focus on. That way students can concentrate on learning the building blocks that they need to progress. Incorporate spiral learning into your teaching method, reintroducing important concepts throughout the school year.

Utilize Your Community

One teacher just can’t teach to the level of every child. Look into community programs that will help children before or after school. See if your school is willing to offer after school tutoring or summer school courses. Work with local colleges to help families find affordable tutors. Ask parents to volunteer their time to work with students during class time. Facilitate students getting extra credit to tutor students who need a little extra help.

It Takes a Village    

We all want to see our teachers and children succeed. Remember that you aren’t alone. Emotional and mental health of students has been in the forefront lately because we understand it is key for their ability to learn. Your health is necessary in your ability to teach. Reach out for help from fellow teachers, friends, family and therapists. Your community needs you and we have your back!

BASIC SKILLS SUGGESTIONS:

https://www.remediadigital.com/beginning-basic-skills-recognizing-coins-ebook

https://www.rempub.com/easy-sentence-writing

https://www.rempub.com/high-interest-reading-3-book-set

https://www.rempub.com/skill-booster-series

https://www.rempub.com/the-funbook-of-math-word-problems

Helping Students Develop Social Skills

Improve Social Behavior

One of the most important things students learn at school is how to interact with each other. It isn’t taught as a subject like English, History, and Math, but perhaps it should be. And so, the subject falls on every teacher to teach social skills to every student, everyday.

Having possibly experienced isolation, financial hardships, and even loss of loved ones, students are yearning for a “return to normal.”  After being cooped up for over a year, many students will need a bit of a refresher when it comes to their social skills. Come to think of it, we all could!

Add the complication of having to wear masks, then social skills become even more important. With facial recognition not fully kicking in until the age of 14, younger children wearing masks can have a hard time recognizing their friends, let alone be able to communicate with them. There are ways to help them socially so we can all stay well physically.

Improve Communication Skills

Students need to speak clearly and make eye contact while speaking. Listeners need to put all distractions aside and give their full attention. Educators can make a game of it. For example, have students read instructions that guide other students through a series of tasks.

Expression 

Remind them that even if they are wearing a mask they can still communicate with expressions. A smile can be seen in the eyes as well as the mouth. Expressive hand gestures and body language help with communication. Words, of course, can also express feelings.

Encourage Optimism

Model optimism by showing the students how to find the positive in what is originally seen as negative. A field trip being canceled for bad weather can feel like a real loss. Getting to watch a movie or play a game, and rescheduling the field trip can feel like a win. Encourage them to use positive words. “No worries,” uses two negative sounding words. “You’re welcome,” is a positive statement.

Being Easy-Going

After spending so much time with their families, students will have to relearn how to navigate social situations with their peers. Giving in doesn’t mean giving up. Remind students that when working in a group situation everyone can’t always have their way. When everyone makes compromises, common goals are more easily met.

Catch Them in the Act

Students interact with each other all day long. Acknowledge their acts of generosity and kindness. Make a game out of doing random acts of kindness in and out of the classroom. Have students share their personal favorite from that week.

Honesty

Talk about how practicing honesty isn’t a free pass to say cruel things. The goal and intention behind the truth are what matters. The old adage, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” still holds true.

For social skills lessons, check out the Real-World Skills Series for lessons on honesty, generosity and kindness; Real-World Skills: Social Skill - Improving Behavior (book 1) at remedia.com.

Or get this book from our Digital website RemediaDigital.com

Real-World Skills: Social Skills - Improving Behavior - Book 1