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Re-Engaging Students After A Long Break…Four Points To Note

The COVID -19 school closures came at a time where teachers and students least expected. Teachers and students were caught in the middle of school work and forced to halt whatever work that was ongoing. There is no doubt that this was a challenging time for both teachers and students especially students preparing for exit exams.

Authorities are easing restrictions now and students are expected to return to school soon. Great news schools are re-opening but for teachers, there is a looming task ahead. Students have been out of school for months and preparing them for school work wouldn’t be easy. That transition must be handled in professional way to assist students to get into their groove as soon as possible.

This Article looks at four ways that could help teachers to re-engage students after the covid-19 break.

Plan

Planning is very important at this point on the part of teachers. Teachers must do a lot of deep thinking to plan their first lesson when students return. The first lesson is very important because this is going to usher students into the mood of active learning once again.

This planning should border on the teaching method, the topic, assessment and even the duration of the lessons. Should teachers welcome students with very complex lessons? No! Should teachers engage students for lengthy periods because they need to catch up? No! Should students be bombarded with assignments and homework right away? No!

Students have been out of school for a while and in resuming school work, the transition must be smooth.  Students might be a bit sluggish as a result of the long break.

Be strategic

Teachers need to adopt a strategy to achieve whatever they want to achieve when school resumes. In the case of Ghana, only final year students are to return to school. Therefore any strategy adopted should be directed towards assisting students prepare for their upcoming exams. Teachers should rather adopt a motivating strategy than a strategy that could cause fear and panic. Students have already been through a lot and examination tension is building up so students need to be uplifted and encouraged to learn.

Start from where you left off

Students were engaged in some kind of school work before schools were closed. If schools resume, teachers may do a quick recap of previous lessons before taking off. If possible, finish up previous lessons before introducing students to a new one. If a test was conducted before students went down, you may want to take students through the questions and assist students make the necessary corrections where needed. It always good to give students a head start.

Limit assignment and home work

Giving assignments and homework play a vital role in teaching and learning but that is not a friendly way to welcome students back to school, is it? You didn’t like lengthy assignments when you were a kid right? Well, from experience, I know that most students dislike assignments and homework. Wouldn’t be wise to give students limited or no assignment from the start? For students, this could be a perfect welcome back to school gesture.

Gradually, teachers can then introduce assignments as students warm-up into action.

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