Menachem Moscovitz: How Can Teachers Discuss CoronaVirus with Students

People all over the world are taking precautions to protect themselves, their families and their communities from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The study cannot be taken for granted and children should continue to learn and that they can do so in an environment that is welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive to all. 

 

Sharing accurate and vital information and science-based facts about Covid-19 will help and diminish student’s fear and anxieties regarding the virus and will support them in coping with any sort of impact in their lives.

Menachem Moscovitz shares the following suggestions about how teachers can engage students of different ages. Any conversation or method you are going to carry on should be made with keeping in mind the specific needs of children/students.

Preschool

• Keep the focus of your conversation on good health behavior such as covering coughs and sneezes with elbows and washing hands. This is the first thing teachers should teach kids.
• Teachers should encourage at least 20 seconds of hand-washing among kids.
• Try to deliver this message in a sensitive and a ‘not so scary’ way.
• To educate children in a creative way you can take the help of puppets or dolls to demonstrate symptoms- sneezing, coughing, and fever. What to do if children feel sick and how to comfort who is sick.
• Develop a way to keep track of how kids are washing their hands
• Teach kids about arm's length distance, while sitting in a circle tells them to sit farther apart.

 

 

Primary School

• As a teacher make sure to listen to children’s concerns and answer their questions in a calm and age-appropriate manner. Encourage kids to express themselves and communicate feelings.
• Introduce the concept of social distancing for example: standing further away from kids, avoid large gatherings and crowds, and not touching objects and their own face as well. 
• Help students to understand the concept of disease, prevention, and how to control it. You can also demonstrate how soaps can stop the transfer of germs etc with the use of fun exercises.

 

Lower Secondary School

• Menachem Moscovitz advises teachers to not just listen but understand students' problems/issues as well.
• Emphasize that students can do a lot to keep themselves and others around them safe. For example: introduce the concept of social distancing and focus on the previously mentioned good health behavior.
• Discuss the reaction they might see or experience around themselves or in their neighborhood. So that they can be prepared and not find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.
• You can create student groups and ask them to spread correct facts and awareness about the Coronavirus.

Upper Secondary School

• Make sure to listen to student's concerns and give appropriate and useful advice.
• Menachem Moscovitz suggests teachers confront and prevent stigma. Make sure to make them understand that fear and stigma can make a situation worse.
• Try to incorporate relevant health issues into currently taught subjects such as through science you can teach about viruses.
• Help students create their own public announcement services so that they can spread awareness through social media. 

Conclusion: Teachers have to be active in this whole scenario, they are the ones who can spread awareness among kids and cultivate good habits.

The Key to Quality Classrooms by Menachem Moscovitz

Teachers are the builders of a nation in a true sense believe Menachem Moscovitz. They try their best every day to educate students and make real-time countless decisions and ignite countless interactions between them and students. 

 

Several teachers talk and discuss the way they interact with students and try to figure out more ways to do it. The classroom assessment scoring system is one way for educators to look teaching system through one single lens says Menachem Moscovitz.

• How is CLASS organized?

The CLASS describes ten wide dimensions of teaching that are directly linked to student achievement and social development. Each of these ten dimensions is divided into three broad categories: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. 

 

Menachem Moscovitz says that every teacher must be well recognized with all these categories for good results. Let us dive into the above categories:

1. Emotional Support: It refers to the ways a teacher can help children develop warm and supportive relationships. It also focuses on experience enjoyment and excitement about learning, and experience appropriate levels of autonomy or independence. This includes the following; 

 

• Positive environment: The enjoyment and emotional connection a teacher have with his/her students and as well as the peer interactions. 
• Negative climate: The level of negative attitude show by the teachers. 
• Teacher sensitivity: A teacher's response to a student's academic achievements and failures. Menachem Moscovitz says that the initial reaction of a teacher and parents as well matters a lot.  
• Regard for student perspectives: This refers to the degree of emphasis given on a student's needs and interests during an interaction.

2. Classroom Organization: Menachem Moscovitz emphasis on this structured method more. This category refers to the ways a teacher can help children develop skills to regulate their own behavior. Further to get the most out of each school day, and maintain valid interest in learning activities. This includes the following;

 

• Behavior management: How well teachers monitor and address bad behavior.
• Productivity: How well students understand routine and is well informed about a teacher’s teaching method.

3. Instructional Support: This section refers to the way a teacher effectively supports a student's cognitive development and language growth. This includes the following;

 

• Concept development: How teachers use activities to promote a student’s thinking skills and cognition in advance.
• Quality of feedback: How teachers learn and expand participation through students' feedback.
• Language modeling: The level or standard to which teachers stimulate, facilitate, and encourage students’ language use.

How Teachers Can Help Students with Test Anxiety

Exam time is full of stress and anxiety because of this loads of students fail. As exam time comes closer students become more fearful of what will happen if they fail? There is no one to encourage only a few lucky kids to have a strong support system. The rest of the students carry the exam burden alone.

In some cases exam fear can trigger poor results, reinforcement of their failure can negatively affect a student's well-being. It is, therefore, becomes a teacher's responsibility to keep students calm and manage exam pressure.

Menachem Moscovitz believes that a high-stake test before the exams is one of the best ways to prepare students. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the fear of failure arises from the pressure to do well.

Of-course no teacher or parents want to see their students or kids go through a stressful time. So, what measures can one take to release kid anxiety? What can educators do to minimize the effect of exam stress? Menachem believes that we need to make kids more confident about themselves.

• Ask Students Why Are They Afraid?

Having a better understanding of the source of why a kid is experiencing test anxiety can help in figuring out the best way to manage it. Some students will articulate their feelings better than other kids, but regardless asking the question is a must.

• Big Picture

No single test is going to decide a student’s academic career, or have that significant of an impact on their future. As an adult, it is much easier for you to understand this perspective. Menachem Moscovitz says that as a teacher you can share this perspective with the students to make them feel lighter and relaxed.

• Test-Taking Strategies

Giving an exam is also a skill and knowing how to give an exam helps calm student's nerves by making them familiar and have confidence in test-taking skills. Some of the best activities include reading out loud and skipping questions that student doesn’t know.

• Empower Students with Simple Strategies to Reduce Anxiety 

For lots of students, anxiety does not hit until they have sat down to perform a test. The basic anxiety-reducing technique can be beneficial for these students. As a teacher, Menachem Moscovitz, say that you can practice simple deep breathing exercise, use positive self-talk, and mantras, or do the seated stretches to release tension once the test is underway.

How Can Teachers Teach About Racism: Tips by Menachem Moscovitz

Teachers can find conversations on racism daunting says Menachem Moscovitz. But it is significant to discuss it. Lots of teachers give arguments on why they avoid discussing this topic. 

 

• Do Children Notice Race?

Do school children understand the depth of the word- Race? Can a child tell what race a person belongs to just by looking at him/her? How dangerous can it be for a child growing years if introduced to racism? 

 

All these questions are tough even for a wise person to answer, then how can we expect children to understand all of this?

One thing is for sure that children do learn things each day, they observe their surroundings and catchphrases or a word. Kids are innocent they are not aware of what is wrong and what is right. 

 

Menachem Moscovitz believes that parents can shape the majority of a child’s thinking and behavior. These things should be first introduced to a kid through his/her parents. Many psychologists agree with the fact that not talking about racism does not help instead it creates isolation.

• How to Address the Race in a Class filled with Students?

Figuring out when to talk about racial culture can seem to be stressful, especially while including in school curriculum. But, you have to be ready and prepare your mind for this task. 

 

• Honesty is the Best Policy

As we all have been taught all these years that honesty is the best policy. Talking about racial diversity/culture means acknowledging what students already know- ‘world is filled with different values and people.’

• Self Awareness

Self-awareness and self-reflection is the first step to prevent racism in schools. Teachers/educators must be able to see or notice how the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, social-economic status impact us at different levels. 

 

• Lessons on Race and Conflict Resolution

To prevent racism educators must talk to students explicitly about racism and have discussions about race can be uncomfortable, but with proper planning. An initially uncomfortable conversation can become a transformative learning experience. When we learn about cultures but do not talk about the difficult aspects of our history, we are doing a disservice to our students and our society.

• Understanding Your Role

As a teacher you should be well aware of your role, you don’t tell children what to think, you tell them how to think. Experts agree that it’s important that adults affirm what young children are feeling. A good teacher lets students share their thoughts and does not judge them for it.