As Summer is coming to a close we want to offer a few tips to parents and teachers on preparing for next school year.
As a mentor and teacher coach, I always emphasize two crucial things to new and veteran teachers.
#1: The first is the importance of establishing routines, such as a consistent morning schedule or structured homework time.
#2: The second is the significance of a student’s first impression of you as a teacher on the first day of school.
Let’s begin by discussing the importance of routines.
Establish a Routine
During the summer, kids enjoy freedom from set schedules and engage in fun activities on their own. While children may sleep in, and stay up late, teachers usually use this time to work on lessons for the upcoming year.
They attend classes, participate in professional development, and meet with colleagues to prepare for the next group of students.
When I was working as a full-time teacher, my morning routine was consistent. I kept the same daily schedule during the summer that I did during the school year.
A routine is a positive habit you do regularly without much thought.
Establishing habits is essential because it helps you start the day on the right foot. A healthy routine sets a positive tone for the rest of the day.
Research on forming habits suggests that simple habits take about 18 days to form. In contrast, more complex habits can take several weeks or even months.
Begin Preparing Early
When training new teachers, it is crucial to remember that the first ten days of school are the most important. Students establish good habits and routines during this time. Students are most open to new rules and expectations during this period.
Suppose a teacher neglects to establish expectations for behavior, transitioning, classwork/homework, and other routines during the first ten days.
Throughout the rest of the year, the teacher must constantly remind students of their responsibilities. The sign of a well-managed classroom is when students consistently follow routines without needing reminders.
Why is this important? When you have to remind a student about something that should be routine, it is distracting and takes away from teaching time. The technical term is ‘time on task.’
An effective teacher is someone who spends a lot of time teaching without interruptions. This is true for all students. Public, private, and homeschooled.
Teachers Need Parents’ Help
Parents can help by starting home routines to prepare for school several weeks before the first day. This means ensuring that children have a regular sleep schedule and wake up at the same time every day. It also involves creating a designated study area in the home where there are no distractions from technology.
Once you have established your routines, the first days of school will be less stressful.
This brings me to the second point: Meet your child’s teachers before the first day of school.
Meet the Teacher
Most private and public schools have pre-planning days, which start about two weeks before the first official school day. During this time, teachers train, prepare their rooms, and get back into the routine of coming to work every day.
Call the school and request (don’t ask) a time when you and your child can visit the school. Ideally, you want to meet your child’s teacher. At a minimum, you want to find the wing of the school your child’s classroom will be.
All the schools have an open house, and the secretary will tell you you can only visit that day. That’s nonsense! Talk directly to the principal or assistant.
There is no reason you can’t take a fifteen to twenty-minute introductory tour.
Eliminate the first day’s jitters and anxieties of your child as they transition to a new wing, grade, or move to a new school. Getting a tour before the first day is not an unreasonable request.
Build a Relationship with the Teacher
The connection between a child and their teacher typically develops within the first two weeks of school. The same goes for the relationship between a parent and a teacher. As a teacher, I consistently tried to connect with parents and students in the lower grades. Since you never know who will be in your class the following year, it seemed sensible to introduce yourself to future students.
Before the school year starts, I always contact the parents and students on my class list. I appreciate it when a parent provides me with information about their child’s likes and dislikes.
Attend parents’ night if you need help meeting your child’s teacher early. When you meet the teacher, immediately schedule a conference. Establishing a working relationship with the teacher is crucial.
You Can Do It!
I don’t know any adult who can’t recall at least one negative first-day experience in school. Sometimes, these experiences cascade into almost daily events.
The same is true for positive school experiences. Good first-day impressions result from a teacher implementing routines that remove a child’s anxieties about the new classroom.
The parents and teachers at Learn Bright know you can do it! We offer helpful lesson plans and videos to make learning enjoyable, efficient, and simple for the whole family. We hope you have an amazing school year!
