Back-to-School Basics: The Joys of Starting Over Every Year

It's back to school time and children get the chance to start the school year with a (relatively) clean slate. Lets' help them build a great year!

Wouldn't it be nice if us adults got handed a clean slate each September? We could start over and do some things better, forget about embarrasing or upsetting incidents from the past year, and meet new people. Unfortunately, most of us don't get to do that. However, we can help students going back to school start their year off well by thinking beyond backpacks and $50 jeans. The basics for a good school year often involve communication and people before pens and paper.

When I was a teacher, the first weeks of school weren't spent learning very much. Oh, don't get me wrong, we were learning, but it wasn't about math, science or reading as much as it was about each other. We learned rules, expected behavior, names, likes, dislikes, expectations, school schedules, new faces, and much more. Essentially, we were building a solid foundation for the rest of the school year, because without that important learning and bonding in the first weeks of school, teaching and learning would be a lot more difficult.

Parents are a part of this process, too. It is so important for teachers to have as much information about students as possible. Whether it's the special snack that must be given at 10am for a diabetic student, or that Jordan's behavior could be a result of his Dad's new job, information is key. Take some time to think about what important information your child's school or teacher should know about. It could help fill up your child's new "clean slate" with the best school year yet!