DE PERE, Wis (NBC 26) -- Many school districts have already welcomed students back into the classroom for in-person learning once again. But for others, those preparations continue as school counselors prepare for some students to reach about because of the transition.
Figuring out how to navigate a virtual classroom was stressful for many students and school counselors saw the impacts first hand.
"They just had difficulty concentrating or mood swings, things like that," says Krista Bosma a school counselor at the Unified School District of De Pere.
Bosma says counselors are starting to welcome students back to the classroom and for most of them, so far, it appears to be a good thing for their mental health.
"I would say a majority of the students are excited to come back," says Bosma.
There are however some students, who are experiencing stress related to the return to class.
"I know I've met with a handful of students to this point, where there have been some uncertain feelings about returning," adds Evan Pagel a school psychologist at the Unified School District of De Pere.
Both Bosma and Pagel say the majority of kids are excited about getting back to school, and that most will thrive in the familiar setting. But some counselors are concerned that there will be students who struggle with the transition.
"I would tell parents to keep an open mind and recognize that struggle might happen when you don't realize it," says Tyler Robertson a counselor at Foundations Health and Wholeness in Green Bay.
Robertson says some kids with ADHD, restlessness, or anxiety may find the transition back to class daunting. He says many got used to the at-home format that allowed them to not feel some of the pressures associated with being in a classroom with their peers.
"They actually found things to get a little bit better with control over their own environment," says Robertson.
Robertson adds that it turns out some kids do better in school when they have their own space, privacy, and less social distractions.
"Now they are able to control themselves a little bit more. So they are seeing some benefits from virtual learning."
Most school districts are giving parents an option, like in De Pere, of whether a student will continue virtual learning or head back for in-person instruction. But even with those options counselors say it's important for parents to keep tabs on their children's mental health.
"Any sort of change in behavior, we're always on the lookout for that. We want to keep that on the radar. We're certainly willing, and able, and ready to work with them through whatever challenges they may be experiencing," adds Pagel.
