Ask The Teacher: Gearing up for Back to School |

With summer quickly becoming a thing of the past, moms all over Southwest Missouri are switching gears from planning camping trips and buying a boat-load of groceries to feed our “starving” kids while at home all summer, to thinking about back-to-school and how to make sure our kids have a successful fall semester.

At our house, we try to start getting in our back-to-school bedtime routine in August, but often find ourselves asking what else we can do to help our children with the transition. We asked our panel of local teachers and education professionals for their top 1-2 tips when it comes to helping students of all ages get back to the grind this fall. This is what we found out!

Teacher 1:

Getting on the “school time zone” can be very helpful. It’s not just about bedtime and morning routines. Over the summer we all get used to just walking to the fridge and grabbing a snack or drink when we feel like it. Those first few days can be brutal when your stomach growls at 10 and lunch isn’t until 11:15. Try to start timing their meals to match with school snack and lunch times so that their bodies have time to adapt back to that structure.

Back to school time can also be a budget buster with school supplies. Come up with a list of things that your kiddos can do to earn that new pair of shoes they have their eye on. It will shorten your to do list and they will be much more likely to take good care of them having put in the effort to earn them.

Teacher 2:

Getting back to the school routine can be very challenging for students and parents alike! Here are some tips to making this transition successful!

Morning Routines: About a week before school starts have your child follow the school morning routine. The routine you will follow throughout the school year can be practiced and perfected this week. Sit down together and make the routine: Example: Get up, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, pack bag, etc.

Evening/Homework Routines: About a week before school starts begin to implement this schedule into your daily routine. Create a evening routine that your child can easily follow. Have fun “practice homework” for them to complete during the homework time. Incorporate snack time, play time and homework time.

Sleep Schedule: We all know during the summer months we stay up later and sleep in longer. Begin to adjust the sleep schedule 2 weeks before the beginning of the school year. Begin waking your child up a little earlier each morning until you’re back on your school morning schedule.

Teacher 3:

If you want your students to have a positive experience with school, you must be a role model and speak positively about school. You should always be honest, but always emphasize how much your child will learn while at school and how great it will be to be with kids their own age as well as to see friends. Negative comments will lead to negative attitudes.

Early bedtimes beginning in August is always a good idea, as well as eating a breakfast at the same time as breakfast during the school year.

Encourage your children to do something academic…. Effort leads to success. Praise your kids for trying, or completing a review of spelling words, math facts, or completing a chapter or finishing a book.

If you’re like us, you are probably constantly on the hunt looking for ways to improve your child’s education and help them reach their full potential. Our anonymous panel of teachers have some great advice. If you have a question for the teachers, email us and we’ll send it to them. Then look for your answer here. Email to: info(at)SouthwestMissouriMoms.com

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