What Educators Wish Parents Knew About Going Back to School

It is difficult to believe that summer is coming to an end, and that Labor Day has passed and kids are going back to school. Most parents feel a combination of both grief and relief about this transition. There is grief that summer is coming to an end, and with it the joy of watching children play carefree. At the same time, though, there is also a sense of relief that kids are going back to structure since by mid August they are typically getting bored. Of course, in every season, there is also the complicated passage of time and wanting to freeze moments while kids just keep growing up.

Let’s consider the back to school transition from the perspective of educators, though. They share a sense of conflict as well: not wanting to give up summer but also excitement about getting back to their passion of teaching. Since I am surrounded by educators: a wife who is a retired school counselor, a daughter who is an administrator, and a son-in-law who is a High School teacher, I asked them what they wished parents would think about as they sent their children back to school this fall.

Obviously, I got a variety of feedback and ideas, but in the end as educators they directed me toward some great resources. Rather than reinvent the wheel and try to summarize all the advice they gave me, here are some great resources as you prepare to send your children back to school:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/what-teachers-want-parents-know

https://www.mother.ly/life/9-things-every-teacher-wishes-parents-knew?rebelltitem=9#rebelltitem9

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/201102/what-teachers-wish-parents-knew

As always, if you run into difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact one of our family therapists here at Samaritan.