Back to School Blues

by Julie Merchant

Key points:

•   Attitudes flare
•    Kids view this as the end of all fun
•   Calendaring for the semester fosters independence,        accountability and clarification
•  Parents can help by looking through all handouts and teacher provided documents with your students and asking questions.
• Calendaring all assignments, quizzes, tests, reports, projects etc. in different colors keeps confusion down.
•  There are many questions parents can ask that help stimulate thought and encourage early clarification
•  Miscommunications at the beginning of a new class or new semester  are very common and should not be chastised, but praise for seeking clarification should be high.

If you're a parent, chances are your kids have just returned to school and you are witnessing the Back to School Blues. You are dealing with an attitude of overwhelm, short tempers, exhaustion and a strong desire to just sit and 'veg' over this long holiday weekend. These behaviors are very natural as the kids attempt to settle in to a new year, new classes, new instructors  and different expectations.  It seems as though it should be easy, unless your kids are transitioning to a new school, but - as you can see there are many things that are not the same.  

It is especially hard to return after a summer break, as they have become accustomed to very little cognitive stimulation over the past 10 weeks.  At this point your kids are mourning the end of video games, television time and other electronic stimulation.  All they want is that one last chance to play their game or 'do nothing', when in reality, now is the time to get organized so that they are set up for success and can occasionally have some game or do nothing time.  This is very difficult for kids to see, but as parents , the best thing we can possibly do for them is to sit down this week and comb through their syllabi, review all of the information that was handed out or verbalized, and put as much as possible into a calendar for the semester. 

If they are in an online class, there are many tabs and areas of information to get into and extract this information from.  helping them to find the information and expectations will enable them to have a much clearer picture of their semester and increase accountability. In class, hopefully the teachers have given out semester expectations in the form of a syllabus, or access to a classroom web site.  If you have not seen anything yet, it is time to ask.  If your students do not have anything, it is very appropriate to email or send a note to the teacher asking what their expectations are and how you can access them.  Once your students have found this information, encourage them to calendar the following:

•     All assignments by title and due date
•     Any rough draft or proposal due dates                  
•    All Exams and quizzes

*Color coding by class/subject or assignment type can be helpful.

As parents, the best way to support this process is to be there as they go through their papers and ask questions .  You do not want to do their work for them, as that will not help them.  the goal here is to teach accountability and there is no  better way to foster a sense of accomplishment and independence than for your kids to get themselves organized at the beginning of a semester.  Help them by asking questions about particular classes - such as;

•  What did the teacher say you would be studying over the course of the  semester?         Help    them to categorize units or subject topics that enable them to see the general         outline for the semester
  
•  How many exams will you have?  what format will they be (multiple choice, essay, True        - False or a combination)?  Will they be cumulative, comprehensive, or restricted the   current unity of study?
  
•   How do you plan on preparing for the types of testing expected?
  
•    Are there any projects, presentations or reports?
  
•    How does the instructor grade all of your work?
  
•    Are you graded on in class participation? 

All of these questions should help to stimulate thought in your student, as they look at each class in terms of the entire semester.  By doing this work up front, students have set themselves up for success, they are committing to a semester plan and with you involved, they are also publicizing their commitments.  This is very helpful for students who struggle with self discipline, asking for help, and understanding expectations. 

Often new teachers present information in a way that students are not accustomed to and it is very common for students to misunderstand instructions, assignments and overall communication at the beginning of a semester.  This is not something to get upset with them about, nor is it something that they should be upset with themselves about, but they should be encouraged to ask clarifying questions.  Many students are intimidated by their new teachers and therefore do not ask questions, but they must realize that if they did not understand something, it is very likely that many others are also confused and someone needs to ask!  Asking questions for clarification can be done via email or in class, either way the teacher is made aware of the need for clarification and will experience less frustration down the road. If the teacher is savvy, as most are, they will clarify for the entire class and the other students will also experience less frustration later on.

Setting themselves up through this kind of proactive planning, enables students to get a firm grasp on their entire semester from the beginning. It enables parents to keep up with their students, by checking in periodically and  when students start to slip up, it is much easier to catch.  By committing to this small task and disciplining ourselves to check in on a weekly basis, we are doing our part to help close the achievement gap. 

I hope that everyone  finds this to be a useful tool and that by trying it out, you experience the peace of mind that this simple organization tool can bring to the family each semester.