3 Quick Tips for Back-to-School Success
Your kids are going to have upset stomachs as the school year begins. So let’s be proactive and give teachers practical tools to help your child succeed this year. DO NOT hand over 40 pages of psychological testing to the teacher! Instead, create a one-page sheet with three sections called, “Dylan’s Story.”
The following is just one excerpt from the Celebrate ADHD program. It’s filled with dozens and dozens of insights and strategies to help ALL kids be successful, regardless of age or label. And you get it for less than half price now.
Section 1 at the top: What are Dylan’s passions and interests? What does he love doing? What excites and motivates him? Put pictures there. Describe what you see in him. Does he love a sports team, dinosaurs, Star Wars, collecting rocks? Is he fascinated by history, great at chess, an amazing inventor? Show pictures of that Lego rocket ship he built. You are giving the teacher ways to immediately connect with your child. When she asks who his favorite Star Wars character is, it will relieve his anxiety. She can assign him special projects on dinosaurs.
Section 2: What are your child’s strengths and great character attributes?
Dylan asks lots of questions, is curious, and is great at adding numbers in his head. He likes to help adults and does best when he’s given very specific directions. He has a great imagination and loves creating stories. I admire Dylan because he has a tenacious spirit—we adopted him and even though he battles irritating eczema and allergies every day, he doesn’t complain. (This makes it your child more than a student or number–he’s a child).
Section 3: What are your child’s struggles? What has helped in the past?
List three specific struggles your child will have in class, along with specific, concrete strategies you and past teachers have used with success.
- “Dylan struggles with anxiety, but when teachers give him very specific jobs to do right after lunch, it calms him and he loves to help.”
- “Dylan is a slow processor. Last year, Mrs. Henderson allowed him to sit on the floor or under his desk to complete writing assignments. He was much more successful that way.”
- “Dylan learns best when fidgeting with his hands so I made these sensory strips you can tape under his desk. It will help him focus better and give him something positive to do with his busy hands.”
You aren’t just dumping problems on the teacher—you are equipping her with ways to help. Also the teacher know all the ways you are helping Dylan with tutoring, occupational therapy, etc. The teacher will know you’re engaged and invested, not just expecting her to work miracles.
Throughout the school year, you can refer to your Dylan Cheat Sheetwhen asking, “Have you tried this?” Update the sheet with new strategies you’ve learned.
Know what else this does? It is a very practical, constructive way to create success for your kids. It is nearly impossible to rebuild a child’s confidence once it has been destroyed or once he has internalized failure (“I’m stupid, I’m a bad kid.”). You have an opportunity at the beginning of this school year to prevent the battles, tears and wounded souls. This school year can be different.