I’m an ex-teacher – I dreaded going back to class after the school holidays but it’s not the reason you think
SOME kids dread going back to school, while others love it - but we often forget teachers can also experience the same mix of emotions about that first day too.
The excitement of seeing friends, but also the shock of the early start can create a huge rollercoaster of feelings that can be hard to navigate.
Danielle Baron, 38, previously worked as a primary schoolteacher and assistant head teacher for over 10 years - so she knows all about that 'first day back' feeling.
She says: ";Counting down to the first day back brought a barrage of emotions for me; excitement, nerves, apprehension.
"Everyone’s feelings will vary about going back depending on what they are currently experiencing at school and their expectations."
Here, she shares what teachers dread about the first day back, and the common mistakes parents all make...
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Hit the ground running
After a summer of a (hopefully) more relaxed way of life, getting back into a proper, rigid routine is a shock for everyone.
Danielle says: "The hardest parts of the first day back at school was getting back into the swing of things again, and focusing on what I was actually teaching in terms of the planning.
"As a teacher, on the first day back, I hit the ground running.
"There is work to be done in the holidays, but summer is so long that the routine is lost.
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"It’s the routine of marking books, lesson planning, reports, parents’ evenings, and school trips - all that bleeds into the evenings and weekends that the summer holidays didn’t have."
Mum guilt
While parents are often worried about ensuring they still factor in spending quality time with their kids once back at work and school, teachers often feel the same.
Danielle says: "I remember during my first teaching post after the summer holidays, I felt so much dread about going back because it was an all-woman staff and they were not very nice to me.
"I’d had just a baby and I missed them when going back after the summer, so there’s also that other part of our life that comes into play - mum guilt.
"These thoughts can start happening two weeks before you have to go back, when you should be thinking more relaxing thoughts.
"Sometimes it’s hard to switch off and very easy to get stressed about school when you aren’t even at school. "
First impressions
It's also imperative that teachers build a relationship with their new class from the get-go, and first impressions really matter - so there's a fair amount of pressure.
Danielle says: "If you have a new class, it is about building up that bond with the children while still missing your last class and trying to remember everyone’s names.
"For the first few days, each child was ‘Sweetie’ until I picked up their name."
Back to school with a bang
As a parent herself, Danielle is also very aware of the common errors parents make when approaching term time too.
Danielle says: "One mistake I used to make as a parent myself was booking my holiday too close to starting back at school.
"So we would land back home the day before school started.
"This gave us a lot of stress with rushing around trying to prepare for school, which always takes longer than planned!
"Summer is so long that as a parent I’d forget what my children wore for uniform, let alone where the uniform actually was in the house.
"It’s important to organise as much as possible, but to start organising means to accept the end of the summer holidays is nigh, can be daunting or celebratory depending on what kind of summer you have had with your children."
Help is at hand
If you are worried, remember it's OK to ask for help.
Danielle says: "Parents can remember that usually they don’t need to wait until the first day of school to ask for help.
"Schools will still be accessible via email or another form of communication to address any concerns parents may have.
"The typical (but sometimes toxic!) parent year group WhatsApp could be helpful too, if you have any questions about uniform, work, starting time.
"If your child is anxious about starting a new year or having a new teacher or even a new school, it is helpful to rehearse the scenario of the first day back.
"Giving them ‘what-if’ questions can help them think of strategies to problem solve.
"For example, ‘What if you don’t have anyone to play with at playtime? What can you do?’"
Learning curve
Over the summer holidays, Danielle believes parents can also go one of two detrimental ways for their children.
She says: "They can completely abandon any form of learning, which means that their child is going to forget a lot of what they learned before the summer holidays and will regress.
"Children need a lot of recapping and repetition to ensure that their learning takes an exponential route.
"Or, other parents seem to worry and they put a lot of academic pressure on their children during the summer holidays, when this is also the time that children need a break.
"A little bit every day is the key to success. But, of course it needs to be personalised, based on a child’s character and needs."
Growing pains
Of course, how you approach the first day back is also dependent on your little ones' ages.
Danielle says: "When children are young, it is easier for parents to help them get organised for school.
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"However as children get older and vie for independence, most parents do not seem to feel they have much control over how a child prepares to go back to school, especially during the hormonal teenage years where every little task may become a major battle.
"With older children, you may need to take your child’s lead on how you can help them settle into a new year."
