The readings provide an in-depth look into links between social interactions at school and children’s psychological development. COVID-19 gave researchers an understanding that social-emotional development is based on constant socialization with peers, as children experience the effects of a generational gap when they are locked with parents (Herman et al., 2017). During such periods, mental distress increases due to lacking ability to connect with the outside world and increased media consumption (Imran et al., 2020). This notion implies the need to establish limitations on severing connections in such a drastic way among developing youth.
It is also worth noting that the impact of a teacher on their students’ mental and academic status is outlined in the articles. Stressed-out teachers inadvertently share their personal experiences with children, negatively affecting outcomes and lowering students’ performance (Hoglund et al., 2015; Linnavalli & Kalland, 2021). This connection works in both ways, as a teacher’s positive attitude tends to transfer to children (Moskowitz & Dewaele, 2019). Individuals, as well as organizations responsible for children’s mental well-being, must act accordingly to the need of the latter and strive to improve all sources of influence. In conclusion, students’ success highly depends on external factors that influence their school environment, putting the quality of social interactions on top of factors that affect one’s academic performance.
The following questions can shed light on this topic:
- What creative interventions can schools implement to avoid harming their students’ mental well-being over prolonged periods of external pressure, such as during a pandemic?
- How can parents be prepared for an event that will make them replace a teacher as a source of mental stability and guidance for a child?
- Can the consequences of social distancing among children be alleviated efficiently via any online tools?
References
Herman, K. C., Hickmon-Rosa, J., & Reinke, W. M. (2017). Empirically derived profiles of teacher stress, burnout, self-efficacy, and coping and associated student outcomes.Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(2), 90-100.
Hoglund, W. L., Klingle, K. E., & Hosan, N. E. (2015). Classroom risks and resources: Teacher burnout, classroom quality and children’s adjustment in high needs elementary schools.Journal of School Psychology, 53(5), 337-357.
Imran, N., Zeshan, M., & Pervaiz, Z. (2020). Mental health considerations for children & adolescents in COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 36(COVID19-S4).
Linnavalli, T., & Kalland, M. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the social-emotional wellbeing of preschool children and their families.Education Sciences, 11(8), 435.
Moskowitz, S., & Dewaele, J. (2019). Is teacher happiness contagious? A study of the link between perceptions of language teacher happiness and student attitudes.Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 15(2), 117-130.