After two years of interrupted learning we successfully navigated Term 1, but you wouldn’t be alone if you’ve observed that your students are feeling disconnected.

The full impacts caused by the global pandemic (and all of its associated interruptions) are only now becoming clear. Students who began this pandemic in Year 6 are now in Year 8, and students who were in Year 8 now find themselves in a Year 10 cohort. The natural bonds formed with in-person interaction in the classroom and on the oval have been interrupted.

What does this mean?

After speaking to the educators from PROJECT ROCKIT’s Term 1 workshops a pattern was clear, educators reported a rise in students displaying a lack of empathy and respect to their peers.

These statistics are a serious concern for the immediate impacts on both academic and social class engagement for students. We know that young people who feel united with, and included by, their peers are more likely to participate in class conversations, contribute to discussions, feel valued and seen for who they are. This, of course, has a strong effect on their academic performance, their mental health and wellbeing and, you guessed it, their ability to connect with others who display support-seeking behaviour.

So how do we make more room for connection in Term 2?

At PROJECT ROCKIT, we know educators are still trying to help students catch up from remote learning. Workloads are bigger than ever, and there’s a real risk for extensive burnout for both students and educators. We’ve got you. Here are some simple things you can do to make room for more connection in Term 2:

Five strategies for supporting students to connect as a cohort:

1. Acknowledge the gap

You can build trust with students and set a healthy example by being both realistic and honest about COVID-related uncertainty while also demonstrating a calmness and positive attitude towards the capacity and resilience of students. This could look like:

• Beginning Term 2 with a conversation as a class naming the dynamics and inviting students to share their point of view and needs.
• Checking with students 1:1 as the Term begins.
• Working as a class to name how students might be feeling about the return to Term and what they would like/need from their class this term.

2. Create moments to connect

Scheduling regular moments that are purely for connection will foster connection between students over time. This could look like:

• Ice-breaker activities, group challenges and even something as similar as making a themed class playlist.
• Checking in with students to actually open up shared conversation about how they are doing (especially if you’re seeing signs of disengagement like erratic attendance or behavioural issues).
• Following-up on a 1:1 level. In our workshops we share resources like headspace , Kids Helpline and The eSafety Office and find that most students are already aware that these resources do exist. The next step is to encourage them to actually use these tools to support themselves and their friends. To empower the students to know what supports are available that are widely applicable but then relevant services that cater to specific needs and identities (e.g. Kids Helpline , The eSafety Office , Yarning Safe and Strong , Lifeline , headspace and QLife ). You could also run a class project where students get assigned a support service to report back to the class about.

3. Work towards a joint-reward Create a youth-led approach

Students want to take action and have their voices heard, so use this as an opportunity to elevate your students’ voices. This could look like:

• Classroom and digital projects that allow students to self-organise on the basis of shared interests and social causes.
• Using activities (such as problem/opportunity trees) to enable student-led solutions. In this approach, students choose an issue they’d like to change or improve within the school community – this forms the trunk. Each branch represents a solution generated by the group, with responsibilities or actions delegated among group members.
• Elevating student voice through student-led initiatives to support a more deeply inclusive student culture. This means actively inviting students to champion a diversity of lived experiences within their cohort. We’ve seen some remarkable grassroots celebrations in the form of culturally diverse school canteen take-overs, LGBTQIA+ inclusion murals, and cross-year-level lunchtime yarning circles.

4. Work with external support

If you have the means to do this, collaborating with expert external providers aimed at supporting young people can elevate the connection of your cohort. Partnering with providers can also:

• Facilitate discussion, games and interactive competitions that unite students to connect or interact with peers.
• Create a unique environment that feels different to a normal school day, but is a designated safe space for both open and monitored discussion.
• Provide support through resources beyond the workshop to ensure continued learning.

You can learn more about how PROJECT ROCKIT program presenters do this HERE

5. Keep the conversation going

If things start to feel “normal” and your students are connecting with one another, that’s awesome! We love to see it. This isn’t where the work finishes though.

• Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s being said in class ( and what’s not being said by your students).
• You’ve supported them to be more connected as a cohort – keep the momentum going by continuing to run exercises and creating spaces where students can be honest and feel validated in their feelings about their class community.
• Connect with other educators to share exercises and experiences – you’re all doing awesome work, so share the load.

We’re still finding our way towards the ‘new normal’ and this is a pivotal moment to decide what kind of normal we want to create. Term 2 is an opportunity for school communities to come together and build a stronger foundation – afterall, it’s through connection and community that we grow and become our best selves.

See us in action