Be alert to how children are feeling

Do you have children in your group with family members in Ukraine or Russia? Or children who are more directly involved in another way? Talk to the children and their parents. Ask how they are doing, how they are experiencing this period and whether there is anything you can do for them. Perhaps a child would like to talk about it in class, or perhaps not. For example, you could ask them to make a drawing or write something about what they would definitely take with them if they suddenly could not stay in their own home for a while. Adapt this to the ways of expressing themselves appropriate to their age. Make room for expressing emotions and feelings, but also offer opportunities for interaction and distraction.

Do you notice that children are being unkind to each other because of their background? For example, are children with a Russian background being addressed negatively by their classmates? The Anne Frank Stichting has tips and teaching materials on dealing with prejudice.

Acknowledge feelings and provide reassurance

The war can be frightening for all children. They see and hear the fear and concern of adults. This touches on the basic need for certainty, safety and predictability. For children, school is precisely an environment where they can be reassured and feel a sense of control over what is happening. This is even more important for children who already feel unsafe in their living situation. The additional unrest can be especially frightening for them. Remain calm, acknowledge their feelings and reassure the children. You can read about what else you can do at the Academy for Talking with Children.

Provide appropriate information

Inform children and young people about the war in Ukraine. The extent and manner depend on the children's age. Address the questions that children and young people themselves have. Do this using language and a level of detail appropriate to their questions. Speak from the perspective of their world.

Would you like more tips about your role, how to guide a discussion effectively, or more background information? View the teaching resource from Utrecht University. It also contains a number of concrete activities. The teaching resource is intended for primary and secondary education and vocational education. And on the website of Goedemorgen op school you can find even more teaching materials for secondary education.

Hold group discussions

Let children put their thoughts into words, listen to one another, ask each other questions and respond to one another. Agree together on how you want to handle this, how to deal with different opinions and how to respond respectfully to one another. Perhaps the page on tension and discussion in the classroom from Stichting School & Veiligheid can help you with this.

In any case, make sure that children and young people can support one another. Let them express what they need and what they can offer the other person.

Discuss with the school team how to deal with this situation

How can you work together to ensure that the war situation is discussed safely at school? For example, consider the following:

  • How often do you watch the Youth News?
  • How do you discuss the war in the group?
  • How do you involve parents and what do you expect from them?
  • Which words do you choose?
  • In which subjects do you address it, and when not?
  • How are children and young people informed at school, and who can they turn to with questions and when?
  • How do you make room for all perspectives, that is, those of the perpetrator, victim, bystanders and the resistance?

Reaching agreement as a team and communicating clearly about it is reassuring for children and parents. Parents can then follow the same approach at home.

Ensure a good balance in the daily schedule

By allowing yourself and the class some extra moments of calm and positive experiences, you create a good balance. Consider additional opportunities for physical activity, free play and creative assignments. This brings distraction and energy into the day, for both yourself and the pupils.

Keep an eye on yourself

Finally, it is important to keep a close eye on yourself as well. This is an exceptional situation and comes after a period of lockdowns and coronavirus measures. Therefore, discuss with your team what the war in Ukraine is doing to you. What are your doubts, considerations and thoughts? Are you able to have the conversations with parents and children, or do you need support from colleagues or other professionals? If necessary, ask for support from the social community team or youth work service.