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EDUCAT ION IN CAMBR I DGE
a major world issue that continues to dominate the news, impacting everyone’s anxiety levels, and uncertainty remains. The task for schools, working in tandem with parents, is to think carefully about how they are seen to be reacting to the current situation. Anxiety can be contagious. Children will pick up their cues – positive or otherwise – from their surroundings and environment, and their anxiety levels are dependent on their experiences and the reactions of the adults around them. Therapists stress that in times of crisis, children will look to the adults in their lives and need to feel that they are coping. If they see the significant adults behaving in a way that suggests they are frightened or angry, this could affect their resilience and ability to deal with other difficulties that they encounter later in life. It won’t be easy, but by working together, teachers and parents can support the children in their care. Thinking about the language they use, their tone of voice and even the things they leave unsaid can all help to show our children that they’re not on their own and that their concerns are understood. Get it right now and school communities will be helping to build a stronger generation for the future. “Anxiety can be contagious. Children will pick up cues – positive or otherwise – from their surroundings and environment”
AUTUMN/WINTER 2020
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