Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1259894
Students' Well-Being N T H E N E W school year, educators should be prepared to face students who are still coping with the pandemic's impact. Erica Moran and Giuliana Valdovinos, both social workers with Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach, know what to expect after working with young people this spring. "Students were feeling grief from loss of routine and structure," Valdovinos says. "There was a lack of engagement and motivation [for school]." As an example, she notes how a dis- ruption in sleep patterns — staying up late and waking up late — would result in missed Zoom calls with teachers and other important academic deadlines. Moran adds that students' lack of physical movement and missing the company of peers may lead to mild or severe depression. How can educators address these issues and set a productive classroom tone? Children and teens pick up on teachers' moods and emotions (studies have found that students' cortisol levels — a marker of stress — mimic their teachers' levels). So while educators need to be able to man- age their own stress and anxieties, it's also critical for students to learn how to regulate their emotions. Moran and Valdovinos offer sugges- tions based in social-emotional learning (SEL), the process through which we understand and manage emotions, develop empathy, and establish and maintain positive relationships. 1 Start by making sure your connection with students is there. This involves welcoming rituals such as greeting Erica Moran I 57 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 0 Funding That Supports California Public Schools Last fiscal year, Lottery players contributed $1.8 billion in supplemental funding to public schools. That distribution includes K-12 schools, community colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and other school jurisdictions. For more information on the Lottery's contributions to California public schools, please visit: www.calottery.com E N H A N C I N G E D U C AT I O N