School Staff
These are stressful times. While we hope that we will be back to normal as soon as possible, it is important to be prepared to continue teaching and learning at a distance. To support you in supporting yourselves and your students, we have compiled the following suggestions and resources.
First and most importantly, continue to care for yourself. Engage in the self-care rituals that work for you. While maintaining a sense of normalcy and continuity may be helpful for you and your students, this is not business-as-usual. Likely, you had a plan for the rest of the year that has seriously shifted as a result of COVID-19 and the move to online learning. Rather than trying to force an old plan to work, it is important to adapt to the current situation. We have included links to support you in the transition to online learning below.
We have found it helpful to think about supporting students in the current time using a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework. MTSS is a team-based and systematic approach to identifying appropriate levels of support and specific interventions for children and youth. We encourage you to continue to work with your school leadership teams to meet the needs of all students as follows:
Tier 1 – To the best of your ability, continue to think about how you would have supported all of your students in the classroom – then, adapt to the current situation.
- Work to establish and maintain clear and reasonable expectations with your students.
- Consider using weekly prompts to check in with all students and gauge student well-being and coping.
- Use and share the mindfulness resources housed under the “Elementary” and “Secondary” pages on this site.
Tier 2 – Some students may be in need of additional support. These may be students already identified as Tier 2 within the school setting, but also may include new students as a result of the stress of the current time.
- Check-in with students of concern individually, or work with your team to identify who should check in with them (i.e., school counselor, other trusted adult).
- This could look like an individual 10-15 minute check-in, or it could be a group, depending on your capacity. Check-ins can include video, text, e-mail, or phone call.
Tier 3 – Some students may be in need of intensive, individualized support or resources beyond what you are individually able to provide.
- During this time, the risk of experiencing domestic violence is increased. If you suspect abuse or neglect, please do not hesitate to report this to the PA Childline (800-932-0313). As mandated reporters and potentially the only non-parental adults that children are now coming in contact with, our responsibility to protect students’ physical and emotional safety is more critical than ever.
- Several groups within the Lehigh Valley are continuing to provide mental health support. When necessary, continue to refer students to these resources (link below).
We hope that the resources included below will be helpful to you. If you have a resource to share or identify a need for an additional resource or type of resource, please contact us directly.
Resources for Educators:
Tier 1:
- Four Core Priorities for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning
- Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
- Tips for managing virtual instruction during the COVID-19 crisis
- Teaching Mindfulness to Teenagers: 5 Ways to Get Started
- Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning
Tier 2:
- COVID-19 Resource Center – National Association of School Psychologists
- School Counseling During COVID-19
- 12 ways to connect with kids and prioritize relationships while teaching remotely
