Caroline Simon has been in classrooms for 20 years, and the teacher is currently teaching at the Carl-Spitzweg-Gymnasium in Germering. She observed how the young people – confronted with pressure to perform and social stress – have changed. “Many children have withdrawn and are unsettled,” says the 47-year-old. That is why she has developed a program that aims to strengthen children and young people and subsequently also enable them to be successful at school. In a part-time job approved by the Ministry of Education, the Gauting native accompanies students in their personal development.
SZ: Ms. Simon, how do you currently experience your students and why does that concern you?
Caroline Simon: I’ve noticed a lot of changes since the lockdowns. When the students returned to school, you really noticed how much they withdrew and shied away from contact. At the same time there was a great demand for appointments with the school psychologists, the children were doing really badly. I didn’t experience that as a teacher 20 years ago.
Why is that?
I think that the corona pandemic has made the development visible that was previously slumbering a bit under the surface. The pressure is just great, due to social media you always have to be beautiful, always arrive well – even at night on the cell phone. This contributes to the fact that the children become more and more insecure and lose orientation. Many young people are also afraid of the future in the face of climate change, war in Europe and inflation.
“You can only achieve it if you know your goal,” says teacher Caroline Simon.
(Photo: Maren Richter/oh)
So the school itself is not the cause, but rather the venue?
The pressure to perform at school was always there, now all the other things are added to it. Schools try to help, of course. For example, there are lectures to provide the children with tools for dealing with social media. But we can’t ask the school to do it alone.
But couldn’t schools do more?
Of course it would be nice to be able to take more time as a teacher to deal with social interaction. Because when stable and resilient students sit in the classroom, it is easier to convey content and arouse interest. As soon as there are clinches in class or problems arise in the private sphere, it is almost impossible for the children to absorb new learning material.
You now take care of that part-time.
I designed my program as a kind of emergency aid. The aim is for the children to develop clarity and structure for themselves. It’s about wellness for the soul as the basis for success at school, because I think: If you’re doing well, you can also learn and be successful. And nothing makes you more successful than success.
How does that work specifically?
There are different building blocks, you can work analog or digital. For example, you create your own “Vision Board”, formulate your values or keep a success diary and meditate. I accompany this by, among other things, setting weekly tasks that lead to positive thinking.
Sounds pretty simple…
Regular training is required, as scientific studies have shown. Only then do you internalize your basic attitude. If you make it a habit to write down what you are grateful for every day, you will automatically think positively. And those who structure their tasks gain clarity. This helps both students who are acutely unable to cope and those who have no problems.
Does that mean that bad grades in the interim report can not only be turned around by cramming, but also by mental work until the end of the school year?
That’s my big goal. But you have to keep at it. Thinking positively for two weeks is not enough. You have to internalize it like brushing your teeth every day. The first successes appear after three months at the earliest.
Have you tried it with your students?
Yes of course. Last year, with a ninth grader, I created a gratitude diary with daily tasks before the summer holidays. All the students wanted to take the copies with them. And in the P-Seminar, for example, we created a “Vision Board” showing how the young people imagine their way to the Abitur and beyond. That’s really fun. Only those who know their goal can achieve it. In the coming school year, I would like to offer my program as an elective course. It would certainly be a good opportunity for school psychologists to use this support. I’ve already exchanged ideas with former colleagues who work in this way.
The courses offered by Soulsuccess are aimed at pupils aged at least twelve years and cost 60 euros for an annual subscription. The students at the Carl-Spitzweg-Gymnasium and their siblings receive the content free of charge.