Toolbox of Strategies (K-2)
Learning Level: K-2
Theme Area:
Description: Students across the whole school were invited to develop a toolbox of strategies. Teachers recognised an increase in their student's fear and anxiety surrounding the COVID19 pandemic. Teachers encouraged their students during "lockdown" and upon return to school to explore a variety of techniques to manage the range of emotions they were experiencing during the pandemic. Teachers across the entire school planned this series of learning together. This was important to ensuring a whole of school approach. Despite not being physically connected at the time, it provided the children and their families with a common task and a shared language which could be shared across their school community. Each child created a toolbox (cardboard, wood, plastic, icy pole sticks, recycled products) which housed a variety of artefacts (keys to success, decorated touchstones, peg doll, mini australian guide to healthy eating poster, COVID19 germs, flashcards with images/pictures that had personal meaning or a calming influence (e.g. image of the beach) which could be stored in their place of learning at home or on their desks at school. The children were encouraged to refer to the artefacts at different times of the day and in response to events that may create uncomfortable feelings of anxiety, uncertainty or fear. Some classes also created books entitled 'what does being healthy look like', which provided studenst with the opportunity to explore this question in their own world. The students shared their insight with their peers, teachers, parents and other children (in other grades) across the school.
Measures of Success: Students were able to recognise the COVID19 pandemic was affecting themselves, their families and other children in their school in different ways. From a set of options and with guidance from their teachers students created a toolbox of artefacts that taught them new techniques and reminded them of healthy habits that could support them during the lockdown and in the months after. Students had considered and created artefacts that were a personally designed solution/strategies to help them to manage their emotions.
