What can we learn from 2020 Graduates about transitions?
Here are a few disturbing facts about how International Schools support departing and/or graduating students for what awaits them in their next chapter in life:
Student, parent and staff Arrivers are prioritised by many international schools but fewer than half support those leaving during the academic year or at graduation.
Only a very small percentage of international schools provide any transitions-care support for students returning ‘home’, Stayers or Locals.
The majority of international schools have no formal way of assessing the success of their transitions-care program. Of those with an alumni program, very few use their alumni as a resource to gain greater understanding of their transitions-care program success.
I serve as a Board Advisor to SPANschools.org (Safe Passage Across Networks), a non-profit organization which offers a home to people and schools committed to healthy student, family and staff transition. I am very fortunate to support and learn from SPAN Board Members, such as Jane Barron, SPAN’s Director for Training and Consulting, from whom I learned the 3 disturbing points above.
Last week I posted a short article, with links to other articles, about how schools need to tap into their Pastoral Leadership Team to support students that are experiencing unusually high exam anxiety this year. These same Pastoral Leaders also need to be freed up at this time of year to start preparing students that won’t be returning next year, by helping them say goodbye to a community they have secure attachments to and prepare them emotionally and cognitively for the next chapter in their life. Below is a variety of research and resources that will help you better understand the importance of transitions-care, as well as what you can be doing NOW to ensure your students don’t experience excessive grief related to leaving somewhere they have grown comfortable and secure in.
The first resource I want to share is what prompted this series of articles. The Nest Session, which is a job-alike for transition specialists in international schools to equip themselves with information on timely transition themes, connect with peers from around the globe in break-out rooms and leave feeling refreshed in this isolating time and work. From that link you can also register for the next Nest on June 3, which will be the last one for this school year.
During this session I learned of Jane’s research, and felt it needed a shot in the arm by generating greater attention to the importance of her and her colleague’s research. FYI, for both websites you will need to register to gain access to these resources, but if you are truly passionate about the wellbeing of your students you won’t regret it. If you prefer to skip the reading of the report, here is a YouTube link where Jane and her partner share their findings.
One final thought, and something that endeared me to Doug Ota’s book, and to Doug who has become a good friend. As a parent he opened my eyes to understanding how grief follows us from one stage of our life to the next, and continues to grow until either we are fortunate enough to understand how to unpack it, develop strategies to repress it (some call this resilience, but it isn’t) or it manifests in some behavioural outburst. Another very good, research based, argument is from John Hattie; according to John’s definitive research he captures in Visible Learning: well-managed transition can add significant value to a life and to a learning journey. Put another way, mobility, when not managed well, is the most significant obstacle to learning.
