{"id":17292,"date":"2023-08-30T04:47:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T09:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=17292"},"modified":"2023-08-30T04:47:22","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T09:47:22","slug":"what-parents-should-do-before-the-first-day-of-school-according-to-teachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=17292","title":{"rendered":"What Parents Should Do Before The First Day Of School, According To Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As summer winds down and a new school year begins, kids, educators and parents all have a lot on their minds.
They may be dealing withfears about school shootings , concerns about teacher shortages or the fallout from harmful legislation, like Florida\u2019s Don\u2019t Say Gay bill or Stop Woke Act, just to name a few.
And then, of course, there are also the normal jitters that a new school year can bring.
To help make the transition back to the classroom a smoother one, we asked teachers what they wish parents and caregivers would do before the first day of school. (And if your kiddo is already back in school, it\u2019s not too late to address some of these things!) Here\u2019s what they told us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Practice the school routine ahead of time.
    \u201cIn the weeks before school starts, take time to practice wake-up time, the morning routine that you have at home and school bedtime. This is important because, for some students, the transition to a school schedule can be extremely difficult. Giving them the opportunity to practice the routine allows them to get comfortable, feel the routine in place, and it allows time for your family to discuss or work on any frustrations that may arise before it is time to actually go back to school.\u201d \u2014 Tamara, an educator in Colorado and creator behind @ifpencilscouldtalk on Instagram<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Check in with your child emotionally.
    \u201cThe first day of school can bring a rollercoaster of emotions, especially if it\u2019s the first day at a new school. Check-in with them about their concerns, feelings, questions and reservations. If they have a concern or question, consider how you can alleviate this before the first day. If you\u2019re unsure of how to do so, reach out for help to other school community members.\u201d \u2014 Staci Lamb, a teacher in Maryland and blogger at The Engaging Station<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Let them know it\u2019s OK to be nervous.
    \u201cBefore starting school, it\u2019s important for you to make space for their feelings. ALL their feelings. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Help them understand it\u2019s OK to be scared and that their teacher is probably scared, too. This helps them validate their feelings and know that it\u2019s OK to feel however they feel.\u201d \u2014 Lindsay Sauer, teacher and creator behind @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Encourage your kid to ask for help when they need it.
    \u201cAs a high school teacher, I want the parents and guardians of my students to prepare their children mentally. High school can be tough academically, socially, mentally and emotionally. Remind them that you and their teachers are there to support and encourage them. Tell them to always try their best and reach out when they need more help. Explain that their best may look different from day to day as they experience different setbacks and obstacles, but that their best is enough.
    Provide them with steps for how to be respectful when they misunderstand something or when something comes up that causes them to struggle. As a teacher, I want nothing more than to see my students succeed and I want to have a strong union with their parents or guardians to support their learning and personal growth.\u201d \u2014 Erin Castillo, a teacher in California and creator behind @affirmationsandaccessibility on Instagram<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Make sure you\u2019re receiving communication from their teachers, school and district.
    \u201cMany schools offer multiple means of communication (newsletters, texts, emails, social media, etc). Identify which outlet works best for you to stay up-to-date with what\u2019s happening. Ask about access to parent portals to monitor student grades, attendance, and more. Having this access allows stronger relationships and accountability for everyone to best meet the needs of all students.\u201d \u2014 Lamb<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Explain to your child that the classroom is a community space \u2014 and teach them how to be a considerate member.
    \u201cHelp your student understand that there are home expectations and school expectations and that their teacher may expect them to do something in a way they don\u2019t do at home \u2014 or it may be something they are never expected to do at home.
    Help explain that the school and the classrooms are community spaces and that communities work together to make sure the space they are in is the very best it can be for everyone in that community.
    Practicing picking up after themselves, opening and closing containers and lids independently, dressing and undressing (think socks, shoes, coats, or unbuttoning pants for the restroom), packing and unpacking belongings from a backpack or bag, and asking or advocating for help when they are stuck or confused are all little behaviors that can be practiced at home that will help immensely once their student is in the classroom.\u201d \u2014 Vera Ahiyya, a teacher in New York, the creator behind the @thetututeacher on Instagram and author of \u201cKINDergarten\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Talk to your kid about good (and bad) social media behavior.
    \u201cStudents need to be aware of how they use social media as a whole. Things like inappropriate sites and online bullying should be strictly prohibited. Kids need to be aware that whatever they put out there on the internet, it\u2019s there forever. And they must be willing to deal with the consequences that come with such actions.\u201d \u2014 Tyrelle Lee, a teacher in North Carolina<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Have conversations about embracing diversity and inclusivity.
    \u201cThese conversations can be about different foods people eat, clothing people wear, types of languages people speak, disabilities people have, and especially about understanding skin color, race or ethnicity. If a teachable moment shows itself, whether around race, gender, friendship, emotions, etc. please take the time to invite curious conversations. Encourage your student to be curious about the world we live in, and invite them to embrace all the ways we are diverse and unique!\u201d \u2014 Ahiyya
    \u201cIn school, students will meet other children from different races, religious beliefs, abilities, genders and sexualities. They will meet students\u2019 families of all kinds, including LGBTQIA+ families. It is important that before school, students have meaningful and accurate conversations with their families and read books that reflect the diversity of our world and our communities. Setting your child up for success means giving them a chance to celebrate and know themselves as well as others so we can continue to work towards more inclusive communities that are safe and loving for all.\u201d \u2014 Tamara<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Celebrate mistakes by framing them as opportunities to learn and grow.
    \u201cIn my experience, when students make a mistake or don\u2019t know something, it can be a point of deep frustration and cause them to have big, uncomfortable feelings. Spend time before the school year, talking about mistakes and developing the mindset that \u2018mistakes are opportunities to grow\u2019 or \u2018mistakes mean we have something new to learn\u2019 and celebrate that. This will have to happen consistently throughout the school year and will take time. But the more we are excited about learning opportunities and the more we instill that mistakes are opportunities, we can transfer that to them as well.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Tamara
    Huffpost<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    As summer winds down and a new school year begins, kids, educators and parents all have a lot on their minds.They may be dealing withfears about school shootings , concerns about teacher shortages or the fallout from harmful legislation, like Florida\u2019s Don\u2019t Say Gay bill or Stop Woke Act, just to name a few.And then, of course, there are also the normal jitters that a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":17293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1154],"tags":[1914,5249,1643],"class_list":["post-17292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending","tag-parents","tag-should","tag-what"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17292"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17295,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17292\/revisions\/17295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}