Positive Rewards 

My Life In Corona - by Aabis Salman 7B

The coronavirus lockdown has been tough enough for everyone, but for children who rely on school for much more than learning, this time has been the greatest challenge. Meeting the need for peer to peer connection and providing the necessary outlet for a voice, JFC's Aabis Salman in 7B has launched his own YouTube channel. Despite the constant reminders that 'we're all this together', Aabis found that he and his friends were still avoiding honest conversations about their fears and anxieties.

When I asked him about his inspiration for the channel Aabis claimed that 'Unlike term 2 where we had more energy because it was all new , term 3 remote learning has people feeling really over it. A lot of my friends were saying that they wish they were at school because learning at home was not as enjoyable. When I heard a lot of their stories I thought, why not film it? That way it can remain as part of history!'

Starting up the channel took a while but Aabis kept at it knowing he had his friends and family to support him. 

'I asked my parents for ideas about how I should start it and spoke with my friends that I know well and decided to get them involved too! I soon organised interviews with people we knew well about topics – lifestyle during ISO, education is the work harder/easier, is workload more/less? Soon enough a Councillor from Moreland Sue Bolton gave advice about how to take it further and the rest is history!'

Channels like this are important according to Aabis 'because I believe that students deserve to be heard during remote learning – we see politicians talking about schools, teachers talking about schools but we don’t hear the students’ voice. Some students keep their emotions to themselves and do not have an opportunity to talk to others and maybe this is a way for them to get their emotions out...'

For many young people like Aabis, COVID-19 has upended their lives at a pivotal moment when they are transitioning into secondary school and for others a little older, into adulthood. As teachers, parents and significant adults in their lives, there are a lot of question marks around all of those important milestones and we wonder whether they'll be possible this year. It is through our children like Aabis and his friends that makes us all think that they will be ok!

To follow Aabis and his friends please check out his link and follow him on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoEhR9my5q48tkY2cgYEq0w 

Maria Hristova

Teachers as Leaders of Learning