August 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 13
Ensuring a trouble-free transition between grades
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
Transitioning from one
grade to the next can be
an exciting time, but it can
also cause a little stress.
Most of these transitions
are normal and natural.
It’s exciting to find out
which teacher you will
have and which friends
are in your class, which
usually outweighs any
nervousness.
If you do have a child
who is unusually anxious,
try finding out as much as
you can about the teach-
ers for that grade level
and take your child to
meet them before the cur-
rent school year is over.
Let them see the class-
rooms and hear about
some of the fun projects
they’ll be doing.
Probably the hardest
transition (for both par-
ents and kids) is going
from elementary to mid-
dle school. New buildings, lockers,
room changes, and an influx of new
students all present unique chal-
lenges and opportunities for nerves
to rear their ugly heads. Add to
that the hormonal changes and so-
cial/emotional growth and you’ve
got the trifecta of stress-causing
situations. One of the toughest
changes is that of increased re-
sponsibility. That Friday folder isn’t
coming home anymore. It’s all on
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the student now. Assign-
ments are coming from a
bunch of different direc-
tions and a student can
very easily begin to feel
overwhelmed and out of
control.
When I taught school,
I thought I should be
able to trust my students
to handle it all. After all,
they were old enough to
babysit. You know, keep
other people alive. Then
I had kids of my own.
Teach your child how
to use a planner. Check it
every night. You can use
it to communicate with
teachers. Your student
should write assign-
ments, test dates, ap-
pointments, and projects
in it. If there isn’t home-
work in a class, write
that down. Show them
how to check items off or
move them to the next
day.
If teachers set up group texts
or apps like BuzzMob, Collaborize
Classroom, or Remind 101, be sure
to sign up and check in regularly.
You will feel way more “in the
know.”
If your students falter a bit with
academics, let them. This will be
the last time they can make mis-
takes without it affecting the rest
of their lives. I’ll let you in on a
little secret – middle school grades
don’t count. What does count is
learning how to get back on track,
coming back from a missed assign-
ment or a failed test, and being
responsible for completing missed
work. Those life skills are valuable
far beyond school.
Strategies
The transition from middle to
high school is tough academically
and socially. Yes, you’ve worked
a locker before, but grades count
now. Classes are harder and par-
ents are hardly part of the school
picture at all anymore. It is much
easier to start with good grades
and keep them up than to have
to fight your way back from a bad
grade. The good news is that there
should be enough students now for
every young person to be able to
find his or her own group. At that
age, not much is more important
than having someone to sit with at
lunch.
At all ages, joining clubs or
activities can help a child or young
adult feel more connected to the
community around them. It builds
self-esteem, promotes friendship,
and helps a student learn some
time management skills.
Overall, the more positive you
act, the easier it will be. Kids feed
off of your anxiousness. Let them
be in charge of whatever is fea-
sible, maybe pick out a couple of
outfits and some school supplies.
Talk about social skills: how to
make friends, how to enter a con-
versation, how to look confident.
Before you know it, they’ll be once
again embarrassed of you in front
of their friends and rushing off to
make fun of you behind your back.
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former middle
school teacher who lives in Pend-
leton with her husband and three
children.