Summer break is here—a cause for great celebration. You and your students have persevered through one of the most turbulent school years of our age. Well done!
Now what? You likely spent a lot of time and energy helping students transition to online learning—technologically, mentally, and emotionally. Have you also considered how you might help your students transition to summer vacation?
After all, this summer may be just as atypical as the school year, as students face cancelled camps, closed swimming pools, shortened sports seasons, and other social restrictions. In other words, children and teens may feel a heightened sense of disappointment, frustration, fear, uncertainty, and loneliness this summer as compared to summers past.
Even from a distance, you can support your students’ social and emotional well-being right now. Send them this two-part strategy for maintaining a positive, goal-oriented mindset.
1. Learn Positive Self-Talk
Negative self-talk can make us feel bad and act harmfully. When a negative thought seems to overwhelm us, we can regain control by acknowledging the thought and replacing it with a positive one.
In fact, writing our feelings down—making them concrete—gives us a greater sense of emotional agency. That's why we should encourage students to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts by filling out a self-talk chart:
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Negative Self-Talk 😔 😢 😡
Acknowledge a problem or negative emotion.
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Positive Self-Talk 😊 😀 🙌
Encourage yourself with a solution.
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| I'm disappointed my softball camp was cancelled. |
I’m going to learn some new softball skills at home. |
| I feel disconnected from my friends. |
I will figure out some creative ways to stay connected, like making lawn signs or hosting a virtual game night. |
Fill in or print a blank self-talk chart!
2. Set and Reach Goals
With a positive mindset in place, students are ready to set some goals. During this unusual summer, reaching those goals may take some creative thinking.
Introduce this process:
- Write down a goal for this week of summer. Post it on your wall.
I want to learn new softball skills at home.
- Under your goal, write an action you will take each day to make it happen.
I will look up instructional videos on YouTube.
- Write a second action you will take to reach your goal.
I will practice the skill in the yard or the park.
- Write a third action you will take to reach your goal.
I’ll ask my dad to hit me ground balls.
- At the end of the week, ask yourself: Did I reach my goal? What actions did I take every day to reach it?
No one is certain what this summer will hold, but taking actions to maintain a positive, goal-oriented mindset will prepare your students to face uncertainty with courage and resiliency.
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