Backpack? Check. Lunchbox? Check. Crayons and pencils? Check, check. Add in a day of shopping for the perfect first-day outfit and the back-to-school checklist is complete. Or is it? The sharpest pencils and the fastest shoes on the playground are important, but what do the teachers need parents to know most before school begins?
After 31 years as an educator, I can tell you we spend countless hours training, planning, decorating and resting over the summer so we can be ready to teach and love your children. I asked several of my former colleagues and friends from early childhood, elementary, secondary and administration the question “What do you want parents to know before school starts?” My intention was to look for a common thread and I found one indeed.
The thread begins with the journey young minds take in early childhood education, birth through age 5. Dr. Shelley Connell of Primrose School of NE Flower Mound and Primrose School of Old Orchard shares that the ages of 0 to 5 are the years when a child’s brain has the most “plasticity”, meaning that the flexibility to learn and grow in different situations is at its greatest. This includes the ability to learn and grow in their independence over time, with strong support. Our friends at Primrose express the dichotomous realization that creating a place of safety for children to “fail fast” often sets them up to “learn fast”, too.
The elementary angels on Earth want you to allow children to pack their own backpacks, tie their own shoes and zip their own jackets. This may seem simple, but not when you are five years old. Think of all the time you will save during the morning rush when you remove these from your to-do list and all the confidence your child will feel when they accomplish these tasks on their own.
The secondary rock stars need you to know that no news is good news. With hundreds of students coming through their doors each day, communication with each parent can be difficult. Be reminded that hearing nothing means your child is amazing. Remind your student to track grades along with you and stay on top of progress.
The administrative bucket fillers share that learning to successfully struggle as a child builds the capacity to adult. Life lessons are the backbone of development and rescuing might actually create an inability to solve issues as an adult later on. Trust the process! Teachers are amazing at teaching life lessons in a safe and supportive manner.
Does self-empowerment seem interwoven in these thoughts? Allowing children to be accountable for supplies, grades, behavior and decisions may seem difficult for you and them, but the result is a confident student. Children need the opportunity to experience safe struggles which in turn promote problem-solving and independence. The Primrose School principle "We believe who children become is just as important as what they know", is at the forefront of the educational journey.
My hope is for your child’s year to be filled with not just academic learning, but life lessons that extend beyond the bricks of a school building. As the school year kicks off, Primrose School of Old Orchard and Primrose School of NE Flower Mound will be celebrating 25 years of early education and care in the coming months. We celebrate the collective love and care from our teachers, parents, and administrators that goes into helping our kids grow! Happy 2024-2025!
Children need the opportunity to experience safe struggles which in turn promote problem-solving and independence.