School Daze

Preparing for School is Different Today

How well I remember all the preparation Mom went through to get us ready for returning to school: getting our uniforms, finding notebooks, pens, pencils, and arranging carpools because there was no public transportation where we lived.  

It’s so different today.  The students in my neighborhood have electric bicycles (at a minimum of $1,000). Their cellphones are charged. Uniforms are absent, and so fashion takes whatever is the mode of the day.  But one thing remains:  school is still the place where minds can be stretched with new ideas. It’s where books open worlds unseen and creativity can blossom if encouraged. 

The Greater Challenge at School Today

As a former teacher, I believe today’s greater challenge is to foster connections and appreciation of differences. I believe that the soft skills of listening, speaking, and expressing empathy are more essential than ever.  I’d have my students silence all phones and literally write only by hand on paper. Research suggests that we retain more information when our brain and hand are moving in sync with the information.  Yes, I’d also be strict. There would also be boundaries, as well as courtesies, expressed to students and parents alike. Such an atmosphere offers security and safety, 

In my last year in the classroom, I was Teacher of the Year for Nassau County.  But what mattered more, years later, was that when my students graduated from high school, they asked me to return as the teacher who had helped them the most. I believe that soft skills, boundaries, and an intention to honor each child still offer rewards today.