The end of the school year is fast approaching and what a year it has been…again! This time last year we were all convinced that September would see a return to normal and we would be shaking off the restrictive covid rules and routines. Unfortunately, not….
This time last year we were full of hope and gratitude. We were hopeful that things would get better soon. We felt grateful for all the hard work of our key workers and parents working from home while juggling remote education. Yes, we wouldn’t say we were enjoying it but we’d accepted the situation and were making the best of it. But with the announcement of the extension to the roadmap out of lockdown in early June, it feels like the tide has turned and everyone’s reserves of goodwill and patience have run out. Everyone I speak to, in all walks of life and professions, is saying the same. The kids, staff and parents are all so tired, tempers are fraying and frustrations are showing. We’re digging down deep for that last scrap of resilience we’ve got to keep our spirits up. It’s all perfectly understandable but somehow we have all still got to keep pulling together for a bit longer.
With this in mind, I’ve been thinking about what can we do to makes things a bit more bearable?
Well, the first thing is to acknowledge it and talk about it so there’s no elephant in the room. So, here goes. We’ve all had enough of lockdown and the restrictions. We’re getting frustrated and taking it out on each other. On top of this, it’s the end of term and the weather is either too hot or too rainy so the kids get grumpy. Holidays are cancelled again or so difficult to do it’s hardly worth the effort and we can’t even watch our kids’ sports days but we can go to a stadium?? (it’s because these events are police/security guard controlled with covid pre-testing of all spectators, the venues have track and trace codes but schools don’t have any of these facilities). I’m encouraging my staff to talk about things with their classes and families to recognise how frustrated and sad we’re all feeling right now.
The next thing I’m recommending is a bit of self-kindness. I probably use the phrase “I’m just being kind to myself at the moment,” a bit too much, especially in relation to why I haven’t started exercising again or got my chocolate addiction under control but genuinely some kindness and understanding is needed right now. We need to reassess the additional strains and stresses that the pandemic has put on ourselves right now. In school terms, this means I’ve told my staff that I won’t be doing my final round of lesson observations in the next two weeks. They’ve got enough on their plates trying to keep the recovery curriculum going, write end of year reports, plan covid-secure transition days, end of term treats and the dreaded sports days without me adding to that pressure. That doesn’t mean I’ve lowered expectations, it just means I trust them to do their jobs well in really trying times which they have proved time and time again that they do.
For the children, the staff are putting in more mini-breaks, more meditation and more mindful moments. Walking around school today, it sounded like a high-end spa! Whale song was coming from one classroom as children did some breathing exercises, chime bars were ringing out in another and in one classroom children were laying out on the floor eating melon slices and grapes (turns out this was a Roman feast)! The point being that staff are being responsive to their children’s moods and needs. They’re adjusting the timetable to suit the children, putting in the learning around these moments of kindness to keep them going to the end of term. As adults, we need to do the same thing in our lives – build in those moments of kindness to ourselves to get us through to the end of this pandemic. For me, that means another necklace ordered online.
Finally, we all need something new to look forward to. June 21st was the day we were all counting on, the end of lockdown. Then, suddenly, that magic milestone was taken away from us. It feels a bit like being a kid again and that reward you were promised by your parents if you were really, really good has been whisked away even though you did everything right! Of course, I know there are very good reasons for extending the lockdown. My rational brain understands that but my emotional brain is not a happy camper! So, we need to come up with our own rewards and treats, something to look forward to. A few days ago, I arranged for a coffee-car to come to school in a few weeks, just before the end of term. I’ve let staff know that there will be a hot drink or smoothie and a sweet treat waiting for them at the end of the day – just a little something to show my appreciation and something to look forward to.
So, if you’ve found yourself feeling down and miserable recently, if your kids, family or workmates are testing your patience then take a deep breath, be kind to yourself and others and most importantly, plan something nice to look forward to.
By Emma Meadus, Head Teacher at Coppice Valley Primary School
*Sponsored Blog
