Explain that this phrase has been used a lot during the coronavirus crisis to describe how the situation poses challenges for everyone. The things that kept me going during lockdown were…Īfter some feedback on their ideas, write the phrase ‘we’re all in the same boat’ on the whiteboard.Same storm, different boatsīegin by pre-teaching any vocabulary that your learners might not know, and ask them how they would complete the following sentences: These activities are designed to prompt and support discussion about lockdown, to develop empathy, and to help learners feel more comfortable by sharing their feelings about their experiences and the changes they now face in coming back to school. Carry out an anonymous poll, asking learners whether they’re happy to discuss their experiences and giving them pieces of paper on which to vote ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘don’t mind’.įor groups who do feel comfortable talking about their experiences, this article provides some ways in which we can approach and explore the topic in class. Begin by suggesting the subject as a potential discussion topic for a future lesson. Before planning a lesson around the topic, find out whether everyone in the group is comfortable talking about it. And this may provide the potential for interesting, engaging and relevant discussion. While some learners will have spent the time in relative comfort, some may have had to deal with loss or bereavement, traumatic or challenging experiences at home, or difficulties navigating and maintaining social and peer relationships.Īlthough individual experiences will differ, all learners in a group will have the shared experience of living in lockdown. And while providing space in the classroom for learners to talk about the crisis can help them to understand and process their experiences, it’s important to handle the topic carefully. The crisis will inevitably have had some impact on our learners’ mental health and emotional wellbeing. According to the contexts in which they’re working, different teachers will feel differently about the extent to which they feel it appropriate to discuss the coronavirus crisis – and resulting lockdown – in class.
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