Bridging the Educational Gap While Addressing Mental And Emotional Issues
Bridging the educational gap while addressing mental and emotional issues is crucial to ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed academically and personally. When students face mental and emotional challenges, it can negatively impact their ability to learn and engage in the classroom. By taking a holistic approach to education, we can bridge the education gap and help all students thrive both academically and personally.
Children and teachers alike have been grappling with resource challenges, numerous disruptions, and a steep learning curve as they try to make this new reality work.
The result?
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states the following:
“Prolonged and repeated closures of education institutions are taking a rising psycho-social toll on students, increasing learning losses and the risk of dropping out, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable.”
Learning loss is a critical concern. Curricula can’t continue the way they once did. There are students who are behind and need support this school year to get them to where they should be. All of this has to be done while helping them deal with the accompanying mental and emotional issues. The pandemic isn’t over and there’s still a lot of work to do.
Here are some tips that can help your child close the educational gap and overcome mental and emotional issues.
Get a copy of the curriculum
Sure, you’re not a teacher; however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a sense of what your child should be learning. Visit your province’s education website and download the curriculum relevant to your child’s grade level.
Match that curriculum with what your child is being taught. Ask yourself these questions:
- What has my child mastered?
- What does my child have left to learn?
- How can I get my child the necessary support?
The answer to the third question could come from an informed tutor at Tutors on Call.
Talk with your child
Your child could be dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety. It’s possible that these feelings could increase if you apply too much pressure to complete the curriculum. The trick is to close the educational gap without making your child feel overwhelmed.
Talking with your child can be the first step in achieving this. Your approach, however, matters. Your child should feel like you are providing a safe space for feelings to be expressed without judgment.
Instead of saying, “I’m disappointed by your grades! You need to work harder,” you could say, “What’s happening hon? I love you and notice that something seems to be wrong. Tell me what’s happening.”
Listen to what your child says and come up with solutions together. Children tend to be more receptive to solutions when they’ve been involved in the process. Sometimes, the solution is just providing a listening ear.
Seek external help if necessary
There are some mental and emotional issues that you probably can’t address. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s time to get external help. Some places where you can find virtual child therapists in Canada include:
Final words
The learning losses caused by the pandemic have created concerns about children being left behind. That doesn’t have to be the case for your child.
Be proactive by:
- Getting your child’s curriculum
- Talking with your child
- Getting external help if necessary
Our experienced tutors can help you fill your child’s knowledge gaps. Contact Tutors on Call today for a consultation.