Getting Proactive

with Back-to-School

written by Julie Firstenberg Kamins

Summer camp, late nights, sleepovers, swimming…summer is synonymous with fun, so who is ever ready to go back to school? So much angst fills the days leading up to a new school year. Questions abound: Who will my teacher be? Will he or she like me? Will any of my friends be in my class? Can I handle the workload? What if I don’t do well on my report card? This anxiety can be alleviated when an entire family steps in to make a child excited about returning to school and to instill a desire to learn.

TELL STORIES THAT MAKE YOUR CHILD WANT TO START SCHOOL:

Two years ago, when my son was starting second grade, I found a book that I made when I was the same age. I showed my children this treasured item called “Julie’s Life.” When I proceeded to read it, we were all hysterically laughing. The book revealed my entire life story up to that point (in a rather wordy way, I may add), and declared that I was never to marry, only to date, and that I was going to work at UCLA as a professor. I did not plan on having children, just hundreds of animals, all with their own beds. Well, my son and daughter thought it was so funny that I am now married with two children, have no animals, and work from home. We also took out the book I had written, Why Am I at the Red Table?, about a second grader’s first day of school, and we talked about its theme: focus on yourself and on your own personal best. Telling stories about the grade level he was entering into and stressing that second grade is a time to think about your hopes and dreams made my son feel so relaxed about his first day.

FRESHEN UP YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR A FRESH START:

I stress to my students and to my own children that a new year means a new beginning. Each school year, I purchase a leather organizer. I have carried on this tradition for almost a decade; when I look at the crisp, unsullied pieces of paper, I feel ready to fill them in with vigor. I don’t think that a fresh start has to mean buying everything new: a backpack, folders, pencils, calculator, etc. Sometimes, sharpening pencils, putting new stickers on a folder, or switching the face of a calculator with a friend’s can make something from last year feel brand new. I also recommend cleaning one’s room and desk as well as preparing a place to file, so that a workplace is ready and waiting.

HANG A GIANT MONTH-AT-A-GLANCE CALENDAR IN A FAMILY AREA:

Many students have trouble planning ahead in school and don’t know how to prepare for tests, quizzes, or long-term projects. A month-at-a-glance calendar helps a student plan in advance. Subjects can be color-coordinated. I recommend, for instance, using green for science (it reminds me of photosynthesis taking place in the chloroplasts), and then working backwards on the calendar, filling in all the possible study times. The more specific a student can be, the better. For example, on Monday, the child can write: make note cards of all key terms and vocabulary; Tuesday—memorize key terms and vocabulary; Wednesday—memorize diagrams; Thursday—take practice test; Friday—SCIENCE TEST. I also advise for students to factor in breaks and to write those on the calendar as well, as a means of staying motivated and feeling rewarded.

PLAN IN ADVANCE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS INTEGRATED INTO A DAY:

We have entered an era filled with great distractions: iChat, Skype, texts, tweets, television, IM, video-chatting, video games…the list is endless. In the past, if I missed a television show due to studying, it was gone…over…I couldn’t get it back. Now, I have instant access to almost any and every show, and yes, it is tempting. As adults, we are more adept at handling these urges, but children love instant gratification. If a student has his or her phone in reach, then I would say there is a 100% chance that child will answer a text while studying. Don’t you feel addicted to answering your e-mails, texts, etc.? Having clear boundaries in place before school begins is a critical part of creating a work area at home, which will help the student have success during the school year. In our house, we have a quiet table where the kids sit and do their homework. All technological gadgets are off limits until studying is done; no phone, no iPod Touch, no iPod Nano, no iPad, no Wii can even be mentioned until work is done diligently and thoughtfully. If we find that our child has some slippage in work habits, then all technology is saved for the weekends, not the weekdays.

Families need to be proactive as they enter the school year together.

Julie Firstenberg Kamins has recently re-launched her website www.thetutorwhisperer.com, where she shares her tutoring tips, strategies, products, and recommendations.  Julie is well known for utilizing alternative methods for reaching children who are not learning traditionally; she also helps guide students through the rigorous college application process.