The first day of or back to school can be a source of great anxiety, with students and parents feeling anticipation and nerves.
The tools and strategies in this “Back to School Support Pack” build a sense of security and connection, and can be used at home or in the classroom. Please share them with families and colleagues with whom you work.
The Impact of Emotions on Behavior
A Guide to Children’s Emotions: Here’s a refresher on a child’s emotions and how it impacts their behaviors. You’ll find supportive ways to nurture them and anchor them with your warm attention. You will increase their sense of safety and help them move through the fear of separation. Please circulate to parents of children in your class if you think it would be helpful.
Solutions for Handling Distraction, Upsets and Explosive Behaviors
Special Time Checklist: Special Time is an ideal Tool to bring connection and trust to your class. Many teachers find behaviors improve by spending just two minutes of Special Time with struggling students a few times a week.
How to Support A Child When They Cry: Helpful things to say to support a child when they get upset.
A Plan for Drop-Off – inspired by Instructors and Educators Katy Linsley and Magdalena Garcia in their presentation on “Separation In School” (watch the presentation in the Hand in Hand Network by logging in to your account or by creating an account for free and searching ‘replay separation’ or clicking this link).
Share with parents
Guide to Separation Anxiety: Please share this link – https://handinhand.lpages.co/ultimate-separation-survival-guide/ -with the parents, so you are all on the same page around separation anxiety. It’s a step-by-step guide that shows parents what happens in a child’s emotional world when they are scared to go to daycare or school. Â
Back To School Connection Checklists. Parents can maintain a strong sense of security and start using these strategies ahead of school to help their children feel confident about school.
Games to Heal Separation: These affection games give children an outlet to confront their fears safely, and to offload worries and fears through laughter so kids feel more confident coming to school.
How Hand in Hand Empowers Adults To Nurture Children
Hand in Hand is a non-profit that offers an evidence-based program that supports adults who care for children with a set of nurturing, emotionally responsive Tools.
Learn more about us here: Empowering Adults, Nurturing Children.
Please share this presentation with administrators and members of your team.
Empower Yourself With SEL Tools
Learn an evidenced-based program created to decrease educator stress and increase children’s abilities to learn. See more about Hand in Hand Foundations for Educators classes here.
