5 Back to School Tips from a Headmaster

Welcome to Back to School season! Some of you have been in school now for a few weeks, while others might have just started after Labor Day. Either way, calendars are filling with fall activities and you are finding yourself back in the grind. Families in Alexandria and the D.C. metro area are a uniquely driven bunch. You’re so passionate about setting your children up for success, that you’re willing to make any sacrifices for them to position them for better opportunities, better training, and the most joyful childhoods you can create. What a truly special thing to know about our city! 

As you’re preparing for fall, I have a few suggestions as you consider shaping this year to be a great success for your child: 

1. Build and nurture a relationship with your child’s teacher. This is by far the most direct and straightforward path to helping your child in the classroom. A good teacher will welcome relationship with parents simply because it helps them understand their student more fully. Ask to speak on the phone or meet in person rather than just communicating through apps and email, ask questions about their observations during the day, send in little notes to share a homework victory or give them a heads up when Bobby didn’t sleep well. This sort of collaboration is formative for your children, informs you, and informs the teacher too. Teachers are emotional creatures who overwhelmingly work in education because they love children and want to help strengthen society and have a legacy. It fuels them to know if parents are rooting for them and want to work together. It’s not a burden but a blessing, so don’t feel guilty for asking to speak with them. 
   

2. You don’t have to do everything. Swim team, chess tournaments, cotillion, soccer, piano, languages, gymnastics, art classes, theater, etc. I know this really goes against the Alexandria grain in some ways, especially when we have access to so many extraordinary programs and opportunities for children, but you really don’t have to do everything. I can’t say that it would be easy for me to limit those options in my own home, but I can share how frequently I observe children with dark circles under their eyes and children who deal with significant anxiety as they try to juggle homework and extra-curriculars, often with little down time. Unscheduled evenings or afternoons create space for reading, playing outside, and getting creative. Rather than harming their development, most educators I know would argue that creating margin in a child’s week helps them thrive. How would your life change right now if each child in your family had just two extra-curriculars? 

3. Keep a consistent routine. Nothing helps develop mental order and strengthen the executive functioning of children more than a consistent routine. This helps strengthen regular sleep and adequate nutrition as well as homework completion. This helps children develop discipline and creates peace and security for them. Keeping routine may be a simple matter, but I know not an easy one. 

4. Remember that you are your child’s best teacher. You are! You are the first teacher your child ever had and the one that knows him/her better than anybody. Listen to your instincts and stick to your values. How can you not marvel at their complexity, strengths, quirks, sense of humor, and growth? You play a huge role in shaping your child, and I’d bet anything that they are what most children I know are: great. Hilarious, interesting, lovable, endearing! So great in fact, that it’s okay when they make mistakes or you do. With love and care, anything can be worked through. You ARE doing your best for children, so reject the lies you hear that whisper otherwise, and rest if you can in the knowledge that your loving presence is the most powerful way to ensure that your children will thrive, now and in the future. 

5. Start thinking about next school year now! Do you have a rising JK or Kindergartner? Or maybe you have a gut feeling that your current school isn’t the right fit. School entrance is competitive in Alexandria, with many schools in the position of waiting lists. Start planning to visit school Open Houses now, and make a point of attending in person so you can meet staff and see classrooms in action. If you find a school that’s a great fit for your family, apply early and be sure to let their admissions team know that theirs is the school you want to be at. We’d definitely love to meet you at Alexandria Classical Christian Academy (ACCA) if you think your child might thrive with us. Our first Open House is Friday, October 18th and you can register here. 

I would love to hear from you on what school/education topics might be of interest to you. There’s so much we can talk about! Let me know here what areas you’d like to read about.

SEE ALSO: Meet Katherine Kramer: Founder and Headmaster of ACCA