Yes, it is that time again! Everywhere you go around town you will see back to school sales, school supply lists, and the excitement is palpable in the air! Students are gearing up for another year – older and closer to adulthood. New clothes, new school supplies, new friends and old friends are bonuses in the frenzy to prepare for the start of a new school year. Parents, on the other hand, are counting down to the days when they can see their kids off with a smile and a wave and a sigh of relief. Summer is nearly over.
I admit to never quite getting over that expectation and optimism about the beginning of a new year. I have always loved the smell of books, the feel of new binders, opening the packages of pencils and pens and wondering what I will write with them. Could it be the next great American novel? An essay so profound that world peace is finally achieved? More importantly….will I make good grades? Yes, I was always one of those for whom the bottom line mattered!
Now, as a teacher, I love when I get a new grade book and lesson plan book. I fill them out with my name and schedule. As I write the names of my new students in the book I wonder who they are. Is one of them destined to be a president of our country? Will one of them find the cure for cancer? Will I be able to reach them, teach them, and guide them? Finally…will they do their work? Yes, I am still one who will finally boil things down to the bottom line!
As you brave the school supply aisle in the stores, bargain with your kids about what they can and cannot wear, and long for the insanity of school prep to end I would like to offer a few tips from the teachers to help your child be ready for the first day of school!
- Start getting them ready to get up early. Send them to bed (get a little peace for yourself!) and make them wake before noon. The first weeks of school are always tough on kids as they get used to new teachers, new schedules, and new ideas – getting plenty of rest will help make this easier for them (and their teachers)!
- Regarding all the Kleenex we ask for: yes, we use that. Especially during the cold and flu season – then again in spring when allergies strike. (I have been known to simply hand a box to kids with the sniffles!)
- Remind your kids to wash their hands with soap and water. Then, when they are done, remind them to use paper towels – not their clothing – to dry their hands off. This is especially important after a trip to the bathroom and before eating! (just sayin’….)
- Binders, spirals, and paper – oh, my! Ok – they don’t have to cram EVERYTHING into their binders. This can cause the binder to wear out more quickly and result in the loss of papers.
- Labeling: yes – put their names on everything! Let’s face it – kids can be unorganized (same with adults) and if their name is on their stuff, it is easier to get things back to the rightful owner!
- New stuff: Kids are always proud of the new things they get before the start of the school year. Additionally, they have the innate need to share those. Remind them that it is probably NOT a good idea to share those things in the middle of a lesson.
- Homework: brace yourselves, warn your kids – it is coming! Perhaps giving your kids a book to read, or math problems to solve, or other project can help them ease into the new year and all they will need to do! (plus, as a parent, it’s just fun to put a sheet of multiplication facts in front of them during the summer..muwahahahahaha!)
- Breathe. Parents, it’s ok. This, too, shall pass and your child will be entering another year of school. This year will be full of changes and challenges. Through them all, however, everyone will learn and grow. And after all, isn’t that what school is all about?
It’s going to be a great year!
Christine Moore currently holds a degree from Howard Payne University and recently earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Married with four children, Christine teaches 6th grade reading in Brownwood and has been working in education at various levels for the past 14 years. Her husband, Jeremy, owns a local company that specializes in web design, custom computer builds, and on-location repair called DreamSoft Design at www.dreamsoftdesign.com. Christine welcomes your questions and comments and would love to hear from you!
