Returning to our favourite routine
By Shayor Islam Anan
In March 2020, the world came to a standstill. In September 2021, students all over Bangladesh rejoiced as they finally walked back to their classrooms after 1.5 years of online school and lockdowns. Whether it’s thriving in an online classroom or craving in-person interactions with their classmates, students have made the best of this unexpected situation. Now, as the start of a fresh school year approaches, everyone is preparing for the next stage of our new normal.
Students all over Bangladesh started the year with online classes.
But they’re finishing the year by returning to their favourite classrooms!
Slowly, the classes are getting back on track and we’re meeting the familiar faces once again. So, naturally this auspicious meeting calls for some celebration! As students prepare to come back to school, here’s what they can expect to find and feel. Everyone is going to be adjusting to a new normal! So, we can try the following to make sure we’re adjusting to offline classes and the set of challenges it brings!
Don’t forget the safety pack
It’s important for students to carry the following regardless of the pandemic stage. Carrying extra can also help in times of need such as: a friend who forgot to bring their mask or sanitizer. Since a lot of restrictions are placed to ensure everyone’s safety, it’s imperative to carry these at all times!
Break the ice!
It might be awkward to talk to friends face-to-face after 1.5 years. So, students can carry these cards to break the ice with their friends. It’s a positive message for friends and it helps them to break the barrier.
Sweet badges
In this pandemic, the students are not the only parties who have missed their classes and peers. Teachers have missed their students and seeing their smiles. Even the staff who work for schools- from the administration office to the medical workers, everyone has missed playing their part for kids in school. A fun initiative could be to give these teachers and staff a ‘badge of honor’. It can say sweet messages such as ‘world’s best teacher’, or ‘thank you for working hard’.
Redecorating the classrooms
A fun activity that is impactful would be redecorating the classrooms. Students are finally filling up the empty classrooms and an entertaining activity would be to redecorate with friends and classrooms. This will make sure the students are having fun in their classrooms while maintaining companionship.
Students can also decorate different parts of the classroom with inspirational messages. The teachers can help in this case!
The pandemic has taught us to have patience and kindness even in the worst of times. The students going back to classrooms face the biggest change in their environment which is why even returning to the seats that they’ve known for the longest time may feel strange. These precious souls deserve their first school days to be celebrated. So, let’s make sure that they’re equipped with the best support to adapt to their new environment with the same old community.
