Back to the Classroom: A Game Plan for Reducing Anxiety

Back-to-school supplies were a bit different this year for 13-year-old Laura Correa.

Along with a day planner, an array of pens and a thick notebook, Laura added face masks and hand sanitizer.

Laura, like many across the country, spent part of the last school year in a hybrid learning environment; in person learning 2 days and 3 days virtual classroom interacting with other students and teachers only via a computer screen. Going back to 100% in-person learning with potential restrictions only added to her anxiety.

“I feel better about returning to school in-person because I got distracted with online learning. But I’m still concerned for my safety because of COVID. And I really miss being able to work on group projects with my classmates” she said, due to the smaller class sizes and separation of the students within classrooms.

“As students prepare to return, they will be facing a host of intensified challenges,” said Anthious Boone, an elementary school principal in Pennsylvania. He cited mask-wearing and learning how to socialize again with peers as some of these challenges.

But parents can help prepare their children for what may be a tough transition.

“As parents endeavor to help their children cope with potential back-to-school anxiety,” Boone said, “it is absolutely imperative that they stay well-connected with both the school and their children.”

Laura’s parents, Cesar and Regiane Correa, regularly receive COVID email updates from the teachers at Florence Chapel Middle related to contact tracing and set aside time to talk with Laura about her day. They also designate Friday evening every week as family worship time. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, they look for practical Bible-based advice to help with any issues or concerns.

“We reviewed how Bible characters from the past overcame challenging situations and how this can help Laura,” said Cesar. “This has helped Laura feel confident about returning to school.”

While coronavirus variants have stoked pandemic anxieties, the Correa’s have endeavored not to overlook other challenges their daughter may face.

One of their favorite resources is jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses that is free to all. There are sections dedicated to “Friendship Issues” and “School and Your Peers” in the publication “Questions Young People Ask- Answers that Work (Volume 2) that Laura recommends to everyone.

“There are also videos about other kids that struggle like me and seeing how they cope with their struggles has helped me overcome challenges with returning to school” she said. The Correa’s have found jw.org to be a practical resource in dealing with the challenges of in-person learning, but also as a reliable guide for daily living.