Opportunities, Challenges and Benefits of Group Interventions in Schools During COVID-19 Social Distancing

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Practical Teacher-Training Program for Group Facilitators

The Group-Facilitator Certification Course consisted of three sections:

1. Group counseling and intervention with children and adolescents: Practical and theory-based instruction using supportive-expressive group therapy to promote child and adolescent psychological wellness through school-based group counseling (Shechtman, 2010), social and emotional learning, the Synchronous Growth Model and authoritative teaching strategies
2. Group meetings to undergo, participate in and gain experience in group counseling and to achieve personal growth
3. Supervised instruction on setting up and managing student intervention groups: Defining group goals, choosing techniques, preparing materials, scheduling and conducting group meetings and raising discussion topics (See the Group Instruction Supervision Navigator in Figure 1 – a key tool for trainee supervision), accompanied by reflective writing.

This core tool guided trainees in discussing their experiences with setting up student intervention meetings.

The Synchronous Growth Model

The Synchronous Growth Model intertwines psychopedagogy and neuropedagogy, helping develop both student and teacher skills by recognizing the multi-faceted synchrony between them. In addition to social and emotional interventions for students, the model incorporates personal, professional and experiential development for teachers to practice psychoeducational skills and enhance their competencies.

The Student-Focused Module

The Student-Focused Module is a group intervention program, which was assessed in a pilot study. Fifteen students (ages 15-18) who needed monitoring for issues such as attendance problems, low achievement or a dysfunctional family of origin participated in eight weekly 90-minute student group meetings. The group moderator raised a variety of topics that were of interest and concern to typical adolescents. The moderator encouraged discussion, gave support and suggested solutions in a candid, non-judgmental environment. Students demonstrated openness to participate in these forums, whose topics covered needs universal to students in this age group.