During the pandemic, children were isolated from their peers. During that time, their socialization skills suffered. Now that schools are beginning to open again, how can you help your students with building their social skills? In this article, I will share with you 6 ways to help your students with socialization after the pandemic.

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1. Meet and Greet- Have an informal meet and greet with your students. Introduce yourself and have a question and answering section. Show excitement about the things your student shares. This will help them to open up more and feel comfortable in a school setting again.
2. Model proper socialization- Use good manners with your students—model proper socialization such as good listening skills and good speaking skills. Show students how to ask follow-up questions to demonstrate active listening.
3. Support, but don’t be pushy- Support students who struggle with taking part in the conversation, but don’t pressure them to participate too soon. Instead, give students plenty of opportunities to participate when the stakes are not too high. This will make for a comfortable forum for students.
4. Practice good social skills- There will always be opportunities for students to practice good social skills. Help support your students in handling conflict, having a conversation, and how to disagree with their peers kindly.
5. Contact home for support- Contact home early to get support from your students’ families. Ask about the student. How can you help their child acclimate to school again? Give parents ideas to discuss with their children.
6. Morning Meetings- Discuss things often. Hold a morning meeting to update students on what is expected of them daily. Daily morning meetings are a great way to practice conflict resolution, build trust with students, create an environment where students feel valued and heard, and so much more!

Remember to be patient. Children are recovering from the trauma of a global pandemic, and this will take time. Therefore, support and patience are essential.

How will you support students socialize after returning to school?