4 steps to make sure the transition back to school goes well

Donatella Fitzgerald MBE
Donatella Fitzgerald MBE
Two school girls getting onto. a schoolbus

As we start thinking about returning to school, the big question for teachers and parents is: How can we help our children get off to a smooth start????

After the long break, students might be keen to see their friends again. But it's not always easy to get back into the class routine. It's especially difficult when students are moving into a new?class or?are facing important exams.?

So what can you do to support children in transitioning back to school at the beginning of the academic year??

Here are 4 steps to help them get off to a great start.??

1. Be organized and create routines

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up.? – A. A. Milne?

Have a "family meeting" to brainstorm the routines for the school year,?e.g., tidying room, getting school clothes/uniform/bag ready the evening before, homework routines, family?meal times and exercise. Ensure each member of the family has input into the routine too. Create a chart with the routines so everyone can see what has been agreed upon and how they are being adhered to.

2. Start bedtime routines early

Early?to?bed?and?early?to?rise,?makes?a?man healthy,?wealthy, and?wise. – Benjamin Franklin?

Agreeing on firm bedtimes during the school week is very important for everyone in the family.??

If children and teenagers do not get enough sleep, it can negatively impact their health?and academic achievement. It's important that they are aware of this too.??

In an ideal world, we should ensure that adults and children are not exposed to any form of screen time for at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. This will help everyone sleep better.??

Start the back-to-school sleep transition gradually. To help your child adjust, move bedtime?up by 30 to 60 minutes?at a time over the course of a few days or a week before the start of school so the transition from a later bedtime to an earlier one is progressive.?

3. Talk about homework and teach organizational skills?

When it's obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. – Confucius?

Organization needs to be taught and practiced. As children get older, homework usually increases. Take an active interest in your child's homework.??

Parents can be supportive by demonstrating organizational skills and helping children with time management. Assist them with creating a plan for their homework and encourage your child (whatever age) to have a study plan of some sort and to set goals for their homework which are SMART:?

  • Specific – Describe in detail what activities they are going to do.?
  • Measurable – How will they know when they are progressing/finished???
  • Achievable – Do they have the skills and resources to get to their goal???
  • Relevant – How does this goal connect to short and long-term targets??
  • Time-bound – Set a concrete deadline.

Teach them how to approach homework with a "strategy". How much homework do they have? How long will it take to do it? Prioritize urgent homework and do more difficult things when they are less tired.??

Make sure there's adequate space in your house and set up a homework-friendly area that is well?lit, and?has a table with enough room to put their pens and books. Of course, this is preferably somewhere quiet.??

Also, it's important that parents are motivators and monitors and that they try to make themselves available for advice. Always praise children for their work and efforts. If you spot any problems, try and address them. Keep distractions to a minimum at home while they are doing their homework.

4. Make mealtimes quality family time: listen and share one good thing about each day?

Kids who grow up having family dinners, when they're on their own, tend to eat more healthily.? – Anne Fishel??

A meal around the table can bring to the entire family and be an important opportunity for daily interaction. Sitting down to eat as a family provides the opportunity to have an influence over both short and long-term family?health, and?can help children establish resilience and the ability to cope with the demands of life as we know it now and in the future. It can also be an opportunity to introduce mindful eating too – being more aware of what and how we are eating.

Additionally, this time together allows for members to talk and share things about their day and also offers an opportunity to establish a strong and powerful bonding experience. How can we make sure family mealtimes are quality time? ?

  • Be attentive and offer undivided attention during this time.??
  • Turn all modern technology off during the meal so everyone is focused on each other.??
  • Talk to each other about topics such as: What lessons do you have today (at breakfast)? What did you enjoy about today? What did you have for lunch (while sharing the evening meal). Tell me one thing you learned today. What made you laugh today? What made you happy today???
  • Listen mindfully to your child's thoughts and worries (if any).?
  • Encourage each member to talk about one good thing that has happened to them that day. This lets them know you are there for them.??
  • Assign mealtime jobs to involve everyone, e.g.: setting and clearing the table and putting away the dishes.

However, sometimes it's not possible to share meal times during the week so plan at least one on the weekend if possible.?

The benefits of any small moment of time can have long-lasting positive influences on your child's mental and physical health. Children model adult?behavior?and if they see you eating and engaging positively with them and others, they will carry this into their own lives.?

With a bit of preparation, the leadup and transition back to school can be smooth and enjoyable not only for children but also for the rest of the family.

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    6 tips for planning your first English classes

    By Nicole Kyriacou

    You are nervous, yet excited. You want to appear relaxed and fun, but still be taken seriously. Most of all, you are keen to make an excellent first impression.

    With all that in mind - planning your first English classes of the year can be a daunting experience.

    Here are six things to consider when planning your first classes:

    1. Set clear aims

    Whether you are teaching young learners, teenagers or adults, it’s important you discuss the aims and objectives of the course from day one. You’ll need to learn more about your students' needs to do this. Why are they learning English? Do they want to prepare for an official exam? What activities do they enjoy? What things do they need to improve the most?

    The way you do this will depend on the age of your learners. For example, with adults and teens, you could get them to interview each other and write a report about what they found out. With younger children, do a survey they can complete using smiley faces.

    2. Find out students’ interests

    Although you should understand your students' needs and why they want to learn English - to help make your classes relevant and engaging - you should also discover what they enjoy doing outside of class.

    To do this, get students to write mini bios you can stick around the classroom. Or have them prepare presentations where they share something they are passionate about with the rest of the class - using coursebooks. As a class, go through the contents page, vote on which topics students find most interesting, and start with those.

    3. Break the ice

    You want your first class to be fun so that students are motivated, and associate English language learning with something they can enjoy. Ice-breakers can also be an excellent way to get to know each other and learn about your students' current level of English.

    Activities where students have to ask each other questions work well.

    4. Provide a comfortable environment

    Young learners and teenagers tend to be shy at the start of a course - especially if they don’t know each other. Develop a rapport and break down boundaries by including team-building activities in your first class.?Your aim is to have all the students feeling more comfortable with each other before the end of the lesson so that there are no awkward silences in future lessons.

    5. Manage expectations

    Managing expectations is an essential part of a teacher's job. Make sure in the first class you are clear about what you expect from your students and what they can expect from you.

    Have students brainstorm the rules for the class and then make a big poster or ‘class contract’ which all students have to sign. Display the poster on the wall so you can always refer to it if someone misbehaves.

    Try to keep the rules as positive as possible. Instead of writing: 'Don’t speak your first language', write: 'Try to always speak English and ask if you don’t know a word'. If you are feeling really brave, you can even get your students to devise a list of rules for you which you can display on the wall next to theirs.

    6. Make it challenging

    It’s great making your first lesson fun - but there’s nothing more motivating than leaving a new class and feeling like you’ve made a good decision and you are going to learn lots (and you aren’t wasting your time or money). This is especially important for adult learners.

    So, as well as getting to know each other and finding out their needs, teach them something new. This could be 10 new pieces of vocabulary, how to structure a letter or report, or a list of resources they can use at home to practice their English.