As we begin the transition back to in-person learning, teachers are finding that parents and students may need a bit more support than expected. Students and parents may be apprehensive. Students will not know what to expect and parents may worry about their child’s health. You may find that students have forgotten how to study and function on a structured school-day schedule. In this article I am going to share 5 ways to use communication to help ease the fears of your students and parents and help get back into the in-person school routine.

1. Communicate Changes that Parents Can Expect- Parents and students are going to have fears and concerns about returning to in-person learning. One way you can ease their fears is to communicate all changes that they can expect. Share policy changes, schedule changes, and procedure changes that they can expect to see when in-person learning returns.
2. Communicate Skills that Students Will Need to Transition to In-Person Learning Smoothly- As students return to in-person learning, many students will not be prepared for the rigorous learning environment and new content delivery. Help prepare students by sharing resources, websites, and an essential skills list that parents can use to prepare their students to return to in-person learning.
3. Continue to Communicate Updates and Share the Class Syllabus- Continue to share learning vides, read alouds, and websites that students can use at home to help strengthen the partnership between school and home. Upload the syllabus and study guides to help support parents and students.
4. Provide Social/Emotional Support to Parents- Keep in mind that parents have spent an entire year indoors with their child. We have closed schools and businesses in fear of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both parents and students will need social and emotional support as children come to school for the first time in over a year. With Bloomz, you can send updates, photos, and videos of what you are learning in the classroom. Parents will feel much more at ease when they can see their child’s smiling face!
5. Share Study Strategies and Tips That Parents Can Introduce from Home- After more than a year of virtual learning, there has been tremendous learning loss. Students will need to relearn how to function within a daily structured schedule. Students will need to relearn to build good studying habits. Students will need to relearn how to study and learn. You can communicate with parents how to support students at home in building good habits like when to study, where to study, and proper bedtime routines. Sharing these strategies through Bloomz will help transition students back to in-person learning more quickly.

What are some ways you use communication with parents to help make the transition from virtual learning to in-person learning seamless?

• Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash