Reluctant Returners

What’s going on – and how can teachers ‘ease back’ the reluctant returner?

1. Separation Anxieties

What’s the issue?

Children have spent a lot of time in their household bubble and they really want to socialise and learn, but opposing that good feeling is the fear of being separated from a situation to which they have become attached.

After such a long time together, and with COVID 19 unresolved, pupils may feel parental absence much more than in ‘normal’ times. If they can’t physically see them, they may worry that something will happen whilst they’re apart. This can be particularly difficult for children with only one parent or carer at home.

What can I do?

Reassure your pupil that everything is fine at home, and that it is normal, and OK, to care and worry about them to an extent. In extreme cases, consider their return with short blocks of time: mornings only, or even visits of a few hours, to start them off. For some pupils it is the actual moment of separation that is hardest; they hate saying goodbye but feel OK once the day has begun. In this case, liaise with the parent to work around that precise moment - speeding it up whilst being sensitive to feelings. Once pupils re-learn that a parent is safe whilst they are at school, the habit of separation is re-established and things should improve.

2. Overwhelmed

What’s the issue?

Teachers are used to some children with additional needs experiencing sensory overload. But many pupils have spent months in a quiet home, and suddenly being surrounded by hundreds of pupils again, even with distancing, might simply feel too much. All the noise and hubbub, added to potential anxiety about keeping safe, can even make learning impossible. 2.

What can I do?

Make it clear to pupils that you understand that they may need a time out. Have a place in the classroom where this is possible, or a method by which they can communicate that they aren’t ready to join in with the discussion. Tell them that it’s OK to listen but not join in. Keep initial activities low-key and calm as pupils ‘learn to learn’ and interact at full pace again.

3. Brain Space

What’s the issue?

You may have returners who cannot cope with any kind of formal learning. They may have had little or irregular homeschooling during lockdown. It could even be a child who has been anxious and experienced emotional difficulties, or simply been unable to cope with learning out of the school environment. For many pupils (and adults!) the brain’s capacity for learning can literally change – and there’s a good reason for that: an anxious brain does not have space to concentrate, process and learn.

What can I do?

Small steps are a great start for all pupils. Repeat instructions and make them simple. Research also suggests that a collaborative curriculum with creativity, high success rates and enjoyment will help. Don’t make things too open-ended in these early stages, but provide lots of scaffolding and assistance to increase confidence. Need to repeat and review previous work? That’s fine. Anything that enables success will benefit moving back to full learning capacity.

4. I like it better at home

What’s the issue?

Some pupils have relished the sanctity of the home. They haven’t missed the hubbub, the friendship cliques (perhaps even bullying) or having to share, compromise and work hard. Home has been a cosy, safe and pressure-free enclave. These may be model pupils who have completed all their assignments to a high standard, but unfortunately, learning for independence and the workplace requires additional skills. Teamwork, cooperation and dealing with other people can’t be done at the kitchen table.

What can I do?

Liaise and talk. Many teachers are contacting families and pupils by phone or video media like Zoom, which can help a pupil realise that they are seen as an individual. Try to engage specifically about their interests. Find out what they like and don’t like about school, and make them see that you are really listening to their thoughts. If they feel they can be open about their worries, you can help support them when they return.

5. Don’t sweep feelings under the carpet

What’s the issue?

Pupils entering school (especially those in transition) will be suddenly surrounded by a soup of feelings, as well as dealing with their own. Lockdown has been a time of loss: friendships, routine, activities, postponed or cancelled events – and perhaps even bereavement. Older pupils have had their independence constrained at a time when they are beginning to spread their wings, and all are missing physical contact with friends and loved ones. The change has been traumatic.

What can I do?

Acknowledge (along school policy lines) the effects of COVID 19 and share how it has changed how we live. Demonstrate methods for dealing with stress using visualisation and breathing techniques (https://www.kcs.co.uk/community/permission-to-paus...). Be open about the current situation, and ensure they know it is OK to have strong feelings (or not) and that there is a safe time and place is to share these with you. Provide general opportunities for a class or group to talk about lockdown experiences: what did they play or make? How did they exercise? Let some of the feelings out – and do this regularly.

In Summary

• As far as possible be flexible with how reluctant pupils return: patience now will reap returns in the long run
• Talk on an individual level with parents and pupils; don’t expect one approach to fit everyone
• Academic catch up can only begin once anxiety is reduced
• Learning should begin in small steps with lots of creativity, sharing, support and opportunities for success
• Give pupils space to be open about concerns