Surviving Middle School
A blog for middle school students, parents, teachers, coaches,
counselors, staff, administrators, and anyone else interested in coping with life’s challenges
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School starts next week?!
Yep, I can't believe it either. It seems like we were just wrapping up the school year and saying goodbye to students and staff. Where did the summer break go?
I hope that everyone had a great summer filled with long sunny days, late nights, and fun family adventures. Ready or not, school starts next week!
Like me, you may be filled with both excitement and nervousness over the new school year; excited to see old friends and new faces, excited to be one year closer to high school, excited to finally be able to play school sports, excited to have new teachers/students, excited to be challenged, and nervous about the the same new things. This post is about getting yourself ready for the new school year, whether you're a student, parent, or staff member.
Sleep
If you haven't already done so, start getting back into school routines of bedtimes and mornings. Don't wait until Sunday night/Monday morning to get back into the earlier bedtimes and wake times. Some of the students I tutored this summer took advantage of the longer summer days to stay up late playing computer games or watching TV. Now is the time to get your body's circadian rhythms back into school mode. As a parent and teacher, I can see the effects on students (and myself) of not getting enough sleep. Set the pattern now for the school year by getting more sleep BEFORE school starts.
Open House
Most schools have an open house the week before. Go! Seeing any changes to the school, new classrooms, and new teachers helps alleviate some of the anxiety students and parents might be feeling. There is something comforting about knowing where you or your student will be next week and putting together faces with names. Open house is also when students pick up their course schedules, supply lists, agendas, and learn about sports/clubs and school expectations.
Goals Setting
Families are busy and a new school year brings many new opportunities and even busier schedules. No matter what happened last year, the new school year is an opportunity to start fresh. Goals help students and families anchor their year and set out on new pathways. BEFORE, the first day, sit down as a family to talk about goals and schedules for the new school year. During the first week, my 7th grade students will create a mind map of their goals for this school year. I think it's important to realize that success in school and learning is more than just academics.
I have students create goals and strategies for academics, health, social, and life. Academic goals can be a mix of longterm (ex. I'll pass the 7th grade) or short term (ex. I'll get on the 1st quarter honor roll). Academic goals might also be very specific (ex. I'll complete all math assignments by their due date). Health goals might include playing school sports, exercising, healthy eating, and sleeping well. If you have a tendency to stay up playing video games, sleep might be a great goal to set for this school year. Social goals might include meeting new students, joining a club, or sitting with different people each week at lunch. Life goals are things to improve your life. These could include spending more time with family or friends or trying something totally new (ex. art, music, photography, coding). Below are some of my goals for this school year...
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| www.mindmup.com |
First Week of School
The first days of school are important, exciting, and tough at the same time. It's exciting to see old friends, meet new teachers and students, and to start your path to your best school year ever. I hope that this blog will help you make that a reality! Attending the school's open house and checking the school's website will help you prepare for the first week of school. Here are some additional tips for starting the first week off well:
- Get enough sleep every night
- Eat a decent breakfast
- Pack your backpack (and lunch) the night before
- Come prepared with supplies
- Smile!
- Greet each other
- Ask for help
- Follow expectations
- Compliment others
- Share your day with family and friends
So, I invite you to share your questions, concerns, and back-to-school experiences in the comments sections. Let's have a GREAT YEAR!
