Teachers are often just as excited and nervous as the students. Begin your new year with a well organized classroom complete with your own hint of personalization. Decide ahead of time how you will arrange your classroom so you are better able to promote positive relationships. Make a couple of friends in your building to rely on for support. Establish control over your classroom by asserting rules and consequences. Begin assigning homework on the very first day. This helps students transition back to school with less difficulty. Set monthly teaching goals for yourself, and get to know your students' names and one personal thing about each of them during that first week. Make Fridays special for your class by watching an educational movie, giving out rewards or having a bit of downtime.
No matter what age your child is, listen to his fears and anxieties about starting school without making promises about things you have no control over, such as how many friends he will make or whether he likes his teachers. If it's his first year at a new school, ease the transition by going to orientation and doing a tour of the school. Tell positive stories about your own school days. Keep any anxiety and negative feelings you may have about your child's transition out of earshot of the child. Knowing how you feel will not ease his transition or encourage a positive frame of mind.
Establish a ritual and routine before school starts. Allow your child to take along a transitional object. This could be her blanket or stuffed animal, or a key-chain with a picture of her family. Small objects a child can keep in her pocket and touch when she misses you can work wonders in easing the transition to school. Calm your child's fears by encouraging her to raise her hand if she has a question and getting to know the names of her classmates. If time allows, arrange play-dates to help your child establish friendships with kids in her class before school starts.
Starting at a new school and beginning middle or high school can be downright frightening for some kids. Children often fear not being included in a group of friends or being unable to keep up with the increased amount of schoolwork. Hormones also play a big part in how these kids feel about themselves. With their moods changing, sometimes on a daily basis, school can become even more anxiety-provoking. Bullying issues are a source of difficulty at this age, with children wanting help but also wanting to handle conflict on their own. Teachers and parents need to be aware off any extreme changes in a child's attitude or demeanor, as they may be a sign of bullying. Keep the lines of communication open and ask questions about their lives.