Practical Ways Counselors Can Offer Support During Distance Learning
This is a crazy time. COVID-19 has all of us in an unprecedented situation. With school buildings around the world closing for multiple weeks (and maybe more), many school counselors are wondering what their role will look like. I have put together some distance learning ideas for school counselors that you can use during this time. I have broken down the tips based on student access to technology.
The number one thing to remember though, as always, is to show empathy toward your students. Many students have now become child care for their younger siblings while parents work. Families are worried about food, finances, and safety and may not have the capacity right now to put effort into their child’s schooling. Please keep these things in mind when giving resources and expectations to students.
If Your Students Do Not Have Access To Internet:
Use snail mail to work on social skills (and writing)! Send them a postcard or letter in the mail, encouraging them to write you back. Use the mail to check in with students about how they are doing. You can also ask simple questions to promote social emotional learning - “tell me about a time since we’ve been off school when you have been upset.”
Mail out a weekly newsletter, like these character education parent pages, to students in your small groups or that you check in with. In your newsletter, give families ideas for how they can practice social emotional concepts at home during this time.
Provide information for how parents can get access to the services they need. This is a time of crisis. Many families aren’t sure how they will get food, or the child care they need. If you know of resources in your area, give parents a call, or send out a letter, to let them know of ways that they can get their basic needs met.
If Your Students Can Access The Internet:
Thankfully, with the internet, there are so many ways to connect with students and families. This is the perfect time to set up a counseling facebook page, twitter account, or even your own website. Post tips, ideas and activities that the families at your school will find helpful.
Post videos of yourself reading social emotional learning books. Encourage students to follow along and then provide questions for them to think about at the end. Peter H. Reynolds has given permission for his books to be read out loud on video during this time, but asks that you stop periodically to ask questions about the text. Julia Cook has given permission for her books to be read on video on a closed platform (not YouTube or Facebook Live). Todd Parr has also given permission for his books to be read on video.
Post a video of yourself each day reading a mindfulness script. Encourage students to participate in the mindful moment with you. This is a great opportunity for students to feel more calm and focused during this time of chaos. If you have my mindful morning scripts, you are welcome to video yourself reading them, provided you are posting them on a website that is not accessible to the general public.
Send e-mails to students who you frequently work with or check in on. Use these e-mails to check in about how they are doing, but also to provide simple activities for them to complete. You could ask them to watch a YouTube video, give them journal prompts, etc.
If Your Students Have Printers:
If your students have access to print materials out, this is the perfect time to use things like interactive notebooks. Many authors who sell materials online (including myself) are allowing you to e-mail resources to parents during this time. So, if you have interactive notebook materials that you have purchased, this would be a great time to use them!
Encourage students to make a coping skills collage. They can print out pictures of things they can do to feel calm, or things that make them feel calm. They can glue them together on a poster or piece of construction paper, and hang it in their room or use it to make their own calming area.
If You Are Meeting Virtually With Students And Families:
Try to keep the same structure (if possible) as your face-to-face meetings. This structure will be helpful in making the transition easier for you and students. For example, if you always start with a check in, continue that practice.
Be willing to veer from the planned topic. We are all experiencing so many emotions during this time. Some students will not have the capacity to learn about new topics during this time, they simply need a place to discuss what is happening. Don’t limit this. This is the perfect time to encourage our students to express their feelings in a healthy and constructive way and to give them the coping skills they need. That being said, there also may be students who are craving the routine, and do not want the conversation to be dominated by talks of the change. For these students, continue to talk about counseling topics that you would discuss if you were still meeting at school. Not sure what your students would prefer? Ask them or their parents!
This is a time of high anxiety for all of us. But, remember, you are a flexible and adaptable human being. As a counselor, you have SO MUCH practice in changing plans, schedules and lessons. You can do this. This is your time to shine. I’d love to hear about the things you come up with to best support your students. Drop a comment below, or send an e-mail to CounselorChelsey@gmail.com to let me know what you’re up to!
