Six ways schools can prioritize students’ emotional well-being
When my school resumed in-person classes this winter, I watched as a 5th-grade boy splayed on his stomach across the chair in class, his arms extended like Superman. He wasn’t trying to be funny; he was simply trying to ground himself. After months of toxic stress, his ability to pay attention and self-regulate had been compromised, and as much as he detested remote learning, the return to school hadn’t been a panacea. He was happy to see friends but also tired easily, bristled at perceived slights, and struggled to produce work.
When I reached out to several fellow psychologists and educators by phone to hear about their own experiences returning to school, I found out that the student I observed is not unique. “The first thing educators need to understand is the toll that this year has taken on each person’s nervous system,” Mona Delahooke, the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges, told me. “Nobody was immune from the stress of having to leave a familiar environment overnight, and our bodies and brains adapt differently to the new situation.”