By Chrissy Brady

It’s early June as I write this and the festivities of the school year are finally behind me! With all the joy and celebration comes an exhausting amount of work behind the scenes to take some kids across the finish line. Most people don’t see the teachers dragging students across that line but all the hard work is worth it to see the students’ smiles and family pride at graduation or promotion.  

Shortly thereafter, I walked into Staples and saw the employees setting up the “Back-to-School” displays. “NOOOOOO!  Too soon!” I groaned. And I’m the teacher! I love school so much I never left. Can you imagine how students feel?  What about the students who struggle with learning? Or who may not necessarily understand what it is to be a student or enjoy school? How can we help them get “back” to school when they may have never been fully invested in being present to begin with? Since I was stuck without good answers, I turned to the experts — my students, parents, and teacher team.  

Me: “How can adults help children who may have a hard time at school, get ready to go back to school?”

From Parents:

• Be prepared! Start waking, eating, and going to bed on a school schedule starting at least one week before school starts.

• Prepare outfits for the week on Sundays — it reduces stress in the mornings and anxiety throughout the week.  

• Turn off social media and computers at least an hour before bedtime — we all know how tough this can be but it will be worth it!

From Students: (Full disclosure, this has been heavily edited to remove high school slang/language.)

• Stock up on snacks both at home and at school.

• Have a selection of quiet fidget toys aka “sensory tools.”

• If we ask you to “back off,” we mean it, we need some space — but it means a lot to us when you come back to check in on us later, even if we don’t show it.

• Help us meet expectations by telling us exactly what they should be — where are the classrooms, where are the bathrooms, who are our teachers; but don’t expect us to “get it” the first time.  

Particularly at the high school level where expectations change every single hour when students rotate classrooms; understanding what is wanted and needed from students takes time, repetition, and patience — not just from teachers but from parents when the students get home.  Students are emotionally and mentally exhausted the first week of school.  

From Educators:

• Make the student win — don’t make the assignment, instruction, whatever it is, more difficult than it has to be. Let the student experience some success before pushing them a little bit to go beyond their comfort zone.

• Focus on positive behavior supports even if the student isn’t necessarily displaying their best effort. Offer full-sized pencils when students forget their own — golf pencils imply you don’t trust them with the best for their own education. Nonverbal positive reinforcement can be just as effective as verbal praise.

• Support students with structure and universal design for learning strategies.  Consider what materials you require or use in class: Build accommodations into worksheets and offer supplies (like tri-write pencils) that support ALL students without calling attention to anyone in particular.

• Keep a small toolbox on hand to help kids out with individual problems in private. Students will thank you later on if they don’t in the moment. For example, Zip ties can fix a broken belt so their pants don’t fall down. Safety pins solve so many problems. An eyeglass repair kit can fix a frame so a student doesn’t have to feel more self conscious than they probably already do. Don’t forget bandaids galore.

• A Tide pen for when students (or you!) invariably spill something on a shirt. Baby wipes get almost any stain out of carpet/other fabrics. WD-40, duct tape, screwdrivers (Phillips & flathead), basic black sharpie — not for student use, but man do they come in handy in the classroom!

If your child dreads going back to school, or you’re a teacher of such students, perhaps these tips can improve the experience and help set them up for success! 

Chrissy Brady, M.A., is Director of Special Education at Hanna Academy NPS in Sonoma. She has been an Education Specialist for 20 years and has taught all ages including college. Even with this experience, she knows her limitations — Chrissy likes to work with high schoolers best; Kindergartners eat her alive. Bless the Kindergarten teachers!