School is starting. Here are 8 tips for parents and students to start the school year out well.
As the calendar flips to August, and the Dog Days of Summer settle in, the approaching Back to School season can conjure up different feelings for different people. For teachers it may be excitement to welcome in a new group of students and for a year of learning. For parents it may be elation to get the kids out of the house and back to school. For students, it may be a combustible mix of anticipation, apprehension, and anxiety.
Of course COVID-19 still hovers over society as a whole and education in particular. Mask policies are being set, then changed, then fought over, then negotiated, then changed again. Are schools offering hybrid instruction or is every child going to be back in the physical classroom? While parents and students understandably have questions and concerns, most reasonable people can agree we want everyone to be safe.
How do parents sort through all the information bombarding them to best prepare their child to go back to school? The answer? Read the Engage the Brain blog for the best tips and advice to set your child up for their best school year.
Engage the Brain interviewed several of their Learning Specialists and mined the Internet, searching for the Best Back to School advice. It is divided into two categories: For parents and for students.
For Parents:
Adjust the Sleep Schedule
Transition your child to a school year schedule a few days before school starts. Julie Riddle, a Learning Specialist at Engage the Brain and former classroom teacher, says that children who have had a few days of back to school rest instead of summertime sleep hours were able to transition without a lot of afternoon fatigue.
Encourage Down Time
Every minute of your child’s day does not need to planned out. Stephanie Peterkin, a kindergarten teacher and Learning Specialist, encourages parents to “allow kids to be kids.” She advocates for unstructured time each day for children to simply play and unwind. Julie Riddle echoed the thought. She said, “Students with down time tended to be a little more self-sufficient and were more relaxed and ready to receive instruction.” Keep these thoughts in mind as you create your child’s after school schedule. Sports, clubs, and instrument lessons all take up valuable time.
Communicate with the Teacher(s)
Depending on your child’s age, there may be one, two, or up to seven teachers at school. Learn each instructor’s communication preference. Some prefer email; others a phone call; still others prefer a message through a Learning Management System such as Canvas. Julie Riddle emphasizes that she is not a mind reader! She encourages her parents to send an email introducing themselves. This will set the stage for a yearlong relationship, which will benefit all parties involved: parent, teacher, and student.
Build a Routine
Children thrive on consistency and predictability. Help your child develop a before school and after school schedule to help with transitions from one activity to the next. When is snack time and homework time after school? Peterkin recommends getting in the habit of getting everything ready the night before so mornings are not as hectic. She suggests including the kids in the responsibility of getting their clothes out, making lunch, and packing up their backpacks. Creating checklists can be helpful that your child can follow each evening to ensure every task is completed. Lena Boccio, a speech and language pathologist suggests asking open-ended questions about their day. Instead of asking, “How was your day?” and getting a one-word answer, ask thought provoking questions such “What made you smile today” or “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?” By building and sticking to routines, your child will thrive and and revive and be ready for the next day of school.
For Students:
Adjust Your Attitude
Students have had one heck of a school experience over the past year and a half. Virtual learning, hybrid, and in-person instruction have all taken place. As the new school year begins, Peterkin reminds students that it is okay to not know everything or understand everything the first time they try. She encourages her students to keep practicing… practice makes better, not perfect!
Adjust Your Attire
Many of us have become too comfortable with our hybrid Zoom meeting clothes. As long as our shirt is appropriate we could be in our gym shorts and fuzzy slippers for all the other meeting participants know. But back to school, in-person requires appropriate attire. If your school has uniform policy, this is moot point. Otherwise dress appropriately.
Have Fun
Going back to school should be a fun time of the year. Tara Karch, a former classroom teacher and Learning Specialist, recommends celebrating the return to school. She reminisced about her mother making a day of going back-to-school shopping and ending the excursion with a post-shopping lunch at the same restaurant each year. Peterkin reminds students that learning is meant to be fun. She encourages the students to “be curious and creative” and to ask questions.
Get Moving
The pandemic has not been kind to some people’s waistlines. Lockdowns have meant less exercise for both adults and kids. A sedentary lifestyle is easy to settle into. Don’t! Get outside and move. In a previous blog post, we discussed the importance of exercise and self-care. Increasing your endurance through walking, running, or biking is great for both your physical and mental health and positions you to meet the challenges of school.
Concluding Thoughts
Many parents worry about their child returning to school. Will they be behind academically? Perhaps. But students have worked on other more valuable skills during this unprecedented time, such as perspective, negotiation, empathy, and flexible thinking. Arguably skills that will benefit them long after they have forgotten how to solve an algebraic equation.
If you have questions or concerns about your child returning to school, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.