Seneca has always prided itself on providing Unconditional Care to children and families to assist them with various challenges and provide resources to thrive in daily living. However, let's be honest, this pandemic has made our usual roles even MORE challenging than before.
With the Unconditional Care model in mind, our team at Prescott Elementary and Seneca Oakland Alameda Public Schools (SOAPS) have actively brainstormed creative ways to engage families to ensure they receive adequate forms of support and resources no matter the circumstances. We’ve provided portable desks, academic supplies and posters to families to assist them in creating a designated space, within the home, where the student can access their education. To promote engagement, we’ve incorporated an incentive wheel in which students are surprised with incentives, at random times during instruction, when they display positive engagement. Some of the incentives include a 10-minute game break, homework pass, and extra picks at the student store or “grab bag”. We aim to provide a fun and structured environment for the students, while also holding them accountable with their expectations.
Bet you thought positive reinforcement just worked on students? Nope, it works with parents/caregivers as well. As a result, we’ve included families into student contracts and incentives so parents/caregivers can be included in the process. In addition, we’ve worked to communicate student improvements and successes, instead of challenges majority of the time, and to acknowledge family members for providing support because they deserve recognition as well.
I hope I’ve been able to normalize the challenges we’ve all been facing and to provide ideas you may not have used yet or just inspire you to keep trying! We are all doing our best during this unprecedented time, so while we are providing love and compassion to our clients, don’t forget to love yourself as well. #SelfCare
Blog Post Written By: Breanna Donaldson, Clinical Counseling Associate
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