2022 • BACK TO SCHOOL | 3
GETTING READY
in Mind, Body and Soul to Return to School Written by Abby Weingarten
Reentering school after learning remotely is no easy task for kids— emotionally, socially and academically. But counselors, teachers and administrators are ready to help these learners—along with their longtime in-person peers—as they navigate the 2022-2023 schoolyear. Taylor Gooch, a school counselor at Chief Joseph Middle School in Bozeman, said students will undoubtedly face challenges as they transition back to an academic setting in late August. Some students have been studying virtually at home for one or two years, while others have been in brick-and-mortar schools for the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic. All students have their own specific hurdles to tackle, but school counselors are more prepared than ever to assist. “The unique thing about kids is that every kid is bringing in their own background and challenges,” Gooch said. “If kids are coming back from a couple years of remote learning and transitioning from elementary to middle school, for example, they can’t rely on all the same routines as before because they’re in an entirely new environment.” The shift from elementary to middle school is just one example of a jarring transition for incoming students this year. However, adjusting to new schedules, meeting new teachers and juggling new responsibilities are universal challenges that are especially trying with a pandemic still in the picture. So how can students acclimate? What are some tools for success? “One of the things I’ve done for the past two years is have kids think back on a time when they did something that was uncomfortable or new—whether it was coming into a new school and not knowing anyone, or something similar—and just channel the previous skills they used then,” Gooch said. “I have them think, ‘Can I ask for help?’ and I encourage them to draw on their previous successes.” But it isn’t just students and parents who are learning to adapt to the “new normal.” How do school counselors and administrators prepare to help students and parents in such ever-evolving times? “In times like these, we have to have grit and adjust and pivot, and that can all be exhausting. I think we need to normalize that exhaustion—that it’s OK to feel overwhelmed,” Gooch said. “As counselors, we need to learn how to be available to parents who are coming from many different backgrounds—to just try to listen and validate the family’s concerns. We really do care about and support each one of our families that walk through our doors.”
