Back to School: 15 Tips for Students, Teachers, and Parents

It's almost that time again.  Time for that loud and persistent alarm clock to wake us up earlier than we want.  Time for hurried breakfasts (if you're lucky!) and coffee to go.  Time to feel rushed, overstretched, and overwhelmed.

The "back to school" season should be a fun and exciting time, but for many students, teachers, and parents it is a rude awakening that the days of summer bliss are over.  While re-acclimating to a school schedule can be a challenge, a little planning goes a long way in easing the stress of a new routine.  Start your year off on the right foot by following these simple tips.


Students

1.  Allow yourself some time to exercise regularly.  Campus Mind Works at the University of Michigan provides a list of mental health benefits that can be attained from maintaining physical activity.

2.  Re-establish a healthy sleeping pattern.  Go to bed and wake up earlier a few days before the first day of school and buy an alarm clock if you don't already have one.  Many students now set alarms on their cell phones, however this increases the chance that you will stay up to look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and not get the sleep you need.  It is recommended that teenagers get at least 9 hours of sleep...how much are you getting?  Alarm clocks are relatively cheap and are available at a number of stores including; Staples, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Amazon.

3.  Label your binders and books.  This can be as simple as cutting out paper and labeling the items yourself, or going online to find templates to customize and print out.  Pinterest has a number of ideas if you want to get fancy and companies like Avery and Bindertek provide customization labels as well.  Need a reminder on how to cover a textbook with a good old fashioned (and often free of charge if you ask nicely!) paper bag from the grocery store?  This video will show you in detail how to extend the life of your textbooks and allow you to label them for better organization.


AllThingsAlgebra offers free binder labels such as the ones pictured above for free.

4.  Know what is expected of you.  Keeping a polite and open line of communication with your teacher will go a long way in building a positive relationship.

5.  Think positively.  You will inevitably have a bad day.  Check YouTube for thousands of motivational videos...all you have to is pick one you like!


Teachers

1.  Plan your classroom "routines".  Many of us had to read Harry Wong's "The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher" in our teacher preparation classes.  Harry suggests we teach and practice what we want students to do in our classes in the first few days so we will have much less stress down the road.  I have personally found that early "drilling" of my classroom expectations and emergency procedures serves me well later on down the road.

2.  Organize meaningful "Do now" or "Bell work" assignments.  Students should have something to do when they walk in the door, again setting the tone early leads to less headaches in the future.

3.  Plan your first two weeks before school starts.  Many veteran teachers already have this step down but it is very important, especially for those who are young or in a new position.  Having the first two weeks planned will help once the "kinks" of the first two weeks are ironed out!

4.  Create an "About Me" presentation and letter.  Introducing yourself in a positive and fun way will begin the very important relationship-building process with your students.  "Back to School Night" is usually very early in the year for most of us and having the presentation and letter ready to go will help big time!

5.  Determine your preferred method of communication.  Most of us prefer e-mail nowadays because it provides a concrete record of our messages and/or responses.  If you would like to use a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Schoology or Google Classroom, or a class blog as your main form of communication you will need to make that clear to your students and their parents.


Parents

1.  Re-establish healthy eating habits.  Regardless of your child's age (unless they are in college!) it is your responsibility to provide them with the nutrition they need to maintain their focus throughout the day.  This doesn't mean you have to go crazy, some fresh fruit and/or granola bars on their way out the door can make a word of difference in how your child feels and performs.  Healthy lunches and dinners will help your child keep their energy up and weight down.  Being a parent is tiring, but cooking healthy consistently will pay dividends...leftovers always work too!

2.  Help your child stay organized.  Teaching a young one the importance of organization is important even if they don't stay organized for long!  Help your elementary school student organize their backpack each night, but do not do it for them!  Make sure they are with you, paying attention, and participating in the organization.  Be persistent and it will pay dividends in the future!  Most middle and high school aged students are capable of organizing their backpack by themselves, however their lockers are sometimes a complete disaster.  LockerBones offers affordable locker organization solutions, or if your student is creative they may come up with a system that works better for them.  Pinterest is a good resource for locker organization tips as well.

3.  Be aware of how your child's teacher communicates.  Teachers across the country are communicating more and more through e-mail and teacher webpages.  Check your child's weekly agenda and/or grades online if you can and don't be afraid to e-mail the teacher if you have questions.  As a teacher I much prefer questions regarding assignments and tests in the beginning or the middle of the marking period/semester as opposed to the end when there is little anyone can do to fix the problem if there is one.

4.  Ask questions.  Many of us were asked; "What did you learn in school today?" when we were growing up...I can't speak for everyone but my answer was usually "Nothing".  Luckily my parents knew my response wasn't true and I was more interested in my dinner than remembering what happened in school.  One night my father politely demanded a real answer from me...it actually made me feel guilty of all the times I said "Nothing" and I rattled off 4 or 5 things I learned that day.  Ask your student questions that will require solid answers and/or solid action.  For example...

"What do you want your grades to be on your report card this marking period and how will you make that happen?"

If your child has trouble coming up with solid answers/action plans you can help them create SMART goals.

5.  Monitor social media.  As a high school teacher I cannot stress enough how important it is for parents to be aware of what their child is posting or reading on social media.  Make it clear that what is said on social media has consequences and can sometimes lead to dangerous situations in school or in other public places.  If necessary, remind your child about privildges vs. responsibilities.  If your child has a phone and you are paying the phone bill it is not their phone, it is yours!


It is my sincere hope that students, teachers, and parents find at least some of these tips to be helpful.  Remember, positivity is contagious and in the words of Keith Hughes; "Where attention goes, energy flows"!  If you have a suggestion to add please share it in the comments section.  I want to wish everyone a fun, exciting, safe, and memorable 2017-18 school year!

Comments

  1. Ryan - this is such a great post! There is so much information here that I can certainly use as a professional and a parent. I have a son starting high school in a few days and I have a feeling that this is going to put a lot of kinks into our routine. Up until now, our 3 school-age kids got on the same bus and went to the same school. I have never heard of "bell work" activities - I'll have to ask my teacher husband if he employs this type of activity in his classes. My kids start next week and I still have to go to the store for bulk lunch items. It all begins!! Good luck this year!

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    1. Hi Kelly,

      Congratulations on your son beginning his high school career! "Bell work" or "Do now" activities are basically small assignments that the students are expected to do when they enter the room or at the very least start it at the bell. They are help tremendously when trying to take roll/get organized for the current class.

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    2. This is, indeed, a helpful post. It's 12:33 a.m. - I have 4 weeks before I need to get to bed and wake up at 6 (though I did this late-night thing during the school year last year too....didn't turn out to well for me healthwise...I blame Boise State :)). Think I can hack it?!

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    3. I have faith in you Kerri! I definitely understand the health component, once the school year begins I do everything I can to manage my time wisely so that I can still get a workout in every once and a while!

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  2. Reading your tips for students, reminded me when I was in High School covering my books with paper bags. I loved to decorate them based on the subject. :) One tip I suggest to make mornings go smoothly is prep the night before. I make my lunch, set my coffee to turn on automatically and set my clothes out the night before. This just makes one less thing to think about in the morning.

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    1. Hi Kendal,

      Thank you for your suggestion! I definitely pack the night before to make things go smoother in the morning...if not I end up spending too much money at Wawa in the morning!

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  3. I really like this post in how it addresses tips for all parties involved in the school process: students, teachers, and parents. These offer great advice, and I am glad to say that some are even good for all such as establishing healthy habits such as exercises and eating regularly. I can't tell you how many times I see busy teachers not eat. Thanks for the tips.

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    1. Thank you for your comment Angela. It's funny, in years past when I returned to school I wouldn't be hungry at all during the day because I was used to doing physically taxing work all summer long. I would be mentally exhausted after a school day but all I would eat was a granola bar or two because I wasn't physically exerting myself like I was used to!

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  4. I agree with everyone else that this is a great post! Although my kids are not yet in school, I appreciate the tips for both teachers and parents. While I am sad to see the summer go, I am also looking forward to getting back into a routine. I might be a bit of a nerd, but I enjoy the getting organized process and the back to school season.

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    1. I think I am looking forward to going back as much as I ever have this year. I don't know why, but this summer just felt longer than the past few and I was able to relax a lot more...probably because last summer we were moving into our house and planning our wedding...two minor life events! Hopefully we have the same attitude 3-4 weeks into the school year!

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