The first day of school can be a joyous and at the same time an emotional moment for parents as they wave their kids goodbye and drop them off the school bus. Whether it’s starting a new school, changing cities, or dealing with difficult social situations, there are no words to describe the first day of school. It can be exciting yet the fear of uncertainty may also kick in. Nonetheless, a new school year is another fresh start for your kids to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and learn new things. As parents, it’s our job to guide them through this transition and make sure they settle in with ease.
We all know that the new school year can be a time of great excitement and anxiety at the same time. A new school year is another fresh start to meet new people, reconnect with friends, and learn new things.
We’ve asked teachers from around the world to share their best memories of their first day of school, as well as some tips for parents to handle back-to-school anxiety.
SEE ALSO: 56 Best Back-to-School Articles for Parents
1. Angela
If you want students to learn STEM, challenge them to use it to change the world.
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Gratitude. Being an educator is not just it job, it is a privilege. Parents are not just sending us their child to hold for a few hours a day; they are sending their hearts to be shaped. No matter what pressures of the day come, no matter what visions and objectives I seek to reach; I must always forget that my number one job is to secure their hearts. If I do that not only on day one; but every day following–I get their minds.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
You Matter. You have influence and a contribution to make to your child’s education. Your voice, your insight, your unique knowledge and respect for your child is not only important it is necessary for us to give your child the best possible learning experience.
See yourself as a partner in the process. See yourself as valuable and necessary. And never, never underestimate your influence-you are your child’s best and most important teacher.
2. Shelly
Are you ready to send learners on Edtech Missions?
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I truly enjoy meeting the new set of minds I will plant learning seeds and inspire each school year. I also get excited about what each learner will teach me about learning and being a better teacher.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Parents should try to find the easiest and most convenient way for them to communicate with the teacher and school. Now, many free web tools allow parents to communicate via text messaging or social media. Parents can keep up to date with school news, scholarships, student opportunities, announcements, homework, and student services via social media. Check if the school has a Facebook page, Instagram account, Twitter handle/hashtag, Virtual Learning Environment, or Remind.com account to keep you continually updated! If not, then encourage the school to update their policies to be a future ready and 21st century school by keeping parents updated via social media and web 2.0 tools. The best schools that serve our digital learners have social media websites and if your school
3. Dan
Great to see the first update by @NickBurt12 from the South Africa tour @DHSBoys https://t.co/n10tVaQc0J
— Dan Roberts (@Danjjroberts) July 24, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
First day at school: The butterflies in my stomach, the mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness whilst wearing slightly tight and uncomfortable shoes as they were brand new.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Top Tips for Parents: Make sure you are organised: Go shopping for everything your child needs at least a week or two before to prevent a wild panic. Have they got all the uniform they need, get it all out together, check it all fits still and is clean and then buy anything else you need to. Have they got all of the equipment they need and other resources like lunch boxes etc.
Homework: Check they have completed all of the work that they may have been given to do and if not complete this to ensure a good start to the new academic year.
Check the date: Make sure you double check the date and time that they start school through the school calendar and the school website, you don’t want to turn up a day early. Some schools have a phased start to school for different year groups so double check this.
Expectations: Sit down and talk to your son or daughter about how they are feeling going back to school or starting a new school for the first time, reassure any anxieties and together set some expectations and aims, what were they pleased about last year? What achievements were they proud of? What areas do they need to improve and how will they reach these aspirations? Help them work this through.
4. Jim
Catching up with various media reports tonight and @RealGeoffBarton deserves as much credit as the students for absolutely nailing it.
— Jim Smith (@thelazyteacher) August 24, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
The sense of anticipation as to who was going to be my Tutor. There were 8 members of Staff stood alongside Mrs Laing our Head of Year. Seemingly a whole range of characters and personalities that I know now to represent the full spectrum of school stereotypes : the hair bun and half-moon glasses of an English teacher; the mullet, moustache and Kappa tracksuit of a PE teacher; the squinting of the Computer Technology teacher who looked like the September sunshine was burning his retinas as he squinted at us all. They were all there.
Who did I get? Mrs Williams. Home Economics (DT Food in modern speak). A kind and warm lady who though was not much taller than the cookers that lined the perimeter of our Tutor base, packed a punch bigger than a bag of chillies if you brought any mud into the room. After scrubbing the floor in week one, we didn’t make the mistake again!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Communication is key with face to face best through to phone calls and then emails. Back the school publicly in front of your children – sort out issues privately away from your children. A united front between home and school is real bedrock upon which to build respect and for both parties to get the best from each other. By talking and supporting the school, you will be amazed and together you can make improvements.
5. Tom
Access for people with mobility impairment matters. Coming to researchED on Sept 9th? DM me for a mobility key for lifts. Pls RT
— Tom Bennett (@tombennett71) August 30, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
My first day at school I was left alone with my new class while my mentor did some admin. Five minutes later a teenaged boy turned up and started dealing drugs at the back of the room, to my astonishment and horror. That wasn’t something we’d been trained for….It taught me that teaching wasn’t just about delivering content, but about being prepared to run the room as well. It was steep learning curve!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Every parent should start every term, every year, knowing how their pupil is doing in every topic, and just as importantly, what the school suggests is the next step to improving. Read their exercise/ books at least once a week to understand not only what they are studying, but what kind of effort they are putting in- and support them to keep trying their hardest! Finally, monitor and ration their online time if you feel they have trouble self-regulating themselves. There are few things that will break concentration, eat into revision time, and generally instruct a young, learning mind than a smartphone with all of its wily temptations.
6. Tamas
“what I am is a people former, I grow relationships.” – @StephenRitz – Growing a Greener World @greenBXmachine – https://t.co/WNYwJFokBz
— Tamas Lorincz (@tamaslorincz) June 18, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
For me New Year’s Eve is nowhere near as exciting as the first day of school. Meeting new students, see all the changes in the old ones, the excitement of getting another chance of being a better teacher, and learn more from my students. I remember how challenging it is to build new relationships, rekindle old ones, and improve ones that didn’t go so well in the previous year. The kids you liked (oh yes, we do like some of our students a little bit more than others) might have left, and the ones who gave you a hard time last year will still be here, and you have a chance to get on with them better this year. That’s what I find most exciting and memorable about the first day of school. It’s a carte blanche for you as a teacher and you can give all your students that blank sheet to write a new story, this year’s story on.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
The most important tip to parents is that they have to remember that school is different from when they used to be at school and they should understand rather than judge their children’s learning. They do the best service for their kids by making an effort to understand why their children are taught the way they are. Another thing I find essential both as a teacher and a parent is to have conversations and not interrogations about school. Ask specific questions kids can answer. If you just ask “How was school today?” you will never get a proper answer. School is a magical mixture of happy and sad and frustrating and invigorating moments, you can’t describe it in one sentence. Having short chats about small events is the way to get them talking and they will share more than you would imagine. Know their friends, the (nick) names of their teachers, what they are studying at the moment. Be interested and excited, they will appreciate it.
7. Mary
Latest school improvement update: https://t.co/rPXVwYKi59
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I will never forget the smell of my first day at school – my woollen uniform and the scent from the polished floors.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Best advice to parents – it’s ok to be sad and your child will be fine. [It’s] The start of a new adventure for you and them.
8. Stephen
Main point of learning from today’s cricket; England are no closer to sorting out positions 2, 3 & 5 than at the start of the summer
— Stephen Tierney (@LeadingLearner) August 25, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
The size of the school and other pupils, they seemed massive.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Help your child develop a simple daily routine around getting ready for school; basic organisation and completing any work that needs doing. Should then leave them plenty of time for other pass times.
9. Tony
Nice to know that *something* is open when it comes to Headteacher Boards, even if not the Minutes.
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I was three-and-a-half years old when I went to school for the first time. I could already read, apparently. I don’t remember anything from the first day of school except walking towards it holding my mother’s hand. Not many column inches there. 🙂
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
My main advice to parents of the return to school season:
10. Mark
#threequestionsEDU with Jules Daulby @JulesDaulby https://t.co/icx52ZawOP
— Mark Anderson (@ICTEvangelist) August 30, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Your first day of school as a teacher will be one to remember. That sense of excitement and nervous apprehension will raise your adrenaline and get your heart racing. It’s the start of an amazing journey and one that will leave your mark on this world forever. You will inspire generations. You will make a difference to so many people. The thing I remember most is walking into the room that I would be teaching in and realising it was real. As my eleven year old tutees filed into my room, their faces pensive and nervous about their first day at the school too, it was pretty scary! We started talking and I ran some ice-breaker activities and before we knew it the bell had gone for break and two hours had gone by. The journey to becoming a teacher is a long one and to finally reach it is a huge achievement. Teaching is one of the best and most rewarding careers there is. It’s really hard work and therefore it’s important to take time for yourself. Most of all though, make sure you enjoy it!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
There is nothing that can truly prepare you for handing over your child to a stranger for their first day at school. You entrust the wellbeing and education of your child to someone you barely know and hope that everything will be alright. And of course it is… teachers are dedicated often selfless individuals and schools are amazing places. Preparing yourself for the start of the new year, one of the things I as a parent try to do, is get my children back into the routine of being in school. During the holidays of course I make sure they still read plenty and engage in lots of other learning such as on trips to the zoo or to historical places with walks and visits to sites of natural beauty. In the holiday however, waking my children up in the morning early relaxes, as does the time they go to bed. In the days running up to the return to school my best tip is to get them back into that good routine of going to bed on time and getting them up early. It’s more difficult the older they get but it’ll definitely help them hit the ground running when they get back into school.
SEE ALSO: 25 New Back to School Tools for Teachers (Infographic)
11. Jill
We CAN learn from teachers we don’t like, tho building positive relationships is clearly important @effortfuleduktr: https://t.co/WPzVI1UT5j
— Jill Berry (@jillberry102) August 29, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
My first day at school is a LONG time ago now, but I remember it vividly. It was a little village school in the place where my father was the local policeman. My mum walked me there, and I proudly carried a tiny satchel she had bought me (which had a biscuit in it for playtime). The teacher told me to hang it up and I hung it in the wrong classroom and was distraught at my mistake!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
The main tip I would always give parents is to do all in their power to work with the school, for the sake of the child at the centre of the relationship. Responsible schools and supportive parents working in concert give each child, at every stage, the best chance of success and happiness.
12. Moheeni
“New groovy forum for teachers run by teachers. Please join!” pic.twitter.com/Vmlbhb4qyd
— Monica Patel (@MoheeniPatel) February 26, 2016
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
The one thing I will never forget is the friendly atmosphere of walking into the staff room on my first day and staff welcoming me, saying hello, asking me how I am and making me feel part of the team even though they didn’t know anything about me. The atmosphere is the room was very calm yet lively full of professionals getting excited to meet their new classes. I still remember the fresh coffee brewing and the students walking down in their uniform which we could point out through the staff room window facing the school playground. It made me feel as if I had more of a presence and felt very natural and comfortable being here. I think I felt content that I found the right job at the time which was going to make a difference to others without feeling out of place.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Don’t be anxious or worried. Children need to be released into the new world of challenging experiences. As a parent it is a scary thing to let go of our little ones but they need this time to have a little fear of change and adapt to new environments. The start of the new academic year is a scary one yet exciting as they start new topics, have fresh planners and organisers and brand new teachers or collaborate with teachers who’ve had a fantastic break over the summer and ready for a brand new and refreshing start. Learn to let go little by little and trust that they are in safe hands and that it’s time for them to learn independently.
SEE ALSO: 5 Back to School Health Tips for Parents
13. Summer
Amazing resources from @ABCSplash. Love this team and their work. #Educhange #AussieEd #Edchat #PSTChat https://t.co/MA0OBMwSdN
— Summer Howarth (@EduSum) August 30, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Meeting my teacher, Mrs Miley. She had a huge welcoming smile and I remember thinking her name should be Mrs Smiley. I just remember feeling welcomed, safe and excited. It set me off on a good footing for the rest of my school days.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Teachers are professionals. Like a doctor, a lawyer or an architect, teachers have worked over many years to hone their craft. Like all valued professionals, they also continue to develop new skills, methods and knowledge bases to adapt to an ever changing world. Treat and value teachers as you would any other professional who plays a role in your family’s life.
14. Richard
Education MUST be about preparing young people for the future. It cannot be a political or philosophical ego fest!
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I will never forget that lunch on my first day was fish fingers. As a young child I really didn’t like fish but I was told I had to eat them. I remember making a bit of a fuss, but got used to the routine and was always given a packed lunch by my mum on fish finger day after that!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Remember that on the whole, you will be far more anxious than your children. I was the Head of a large primary school for many years and remember the trauma in parents’ eyes. A few would call me through the day, to check that things were ok. I couldn’t help but smile, because whilst they were fretting away at home or at work, their children were having a fantastic time with their new friends! On a serious note, it’s really important as a parent to remember that, you learn nothing new by getting something right; you learn from your mistakes and from the realisation that you don’t know something or can’t do something. Make sure that you encourage your child to take risks, don’t just praise them when they get something correct. Learning is a risky business and how they handle failure and mistake making will define their sustained success both at school and beyond.
15. Bill
Education compulsory for *all* to 18 and *all* should be included in new funding award @SFCA_info @AoC_info @ASCL_UK
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I was sent to Boarding School at the age of 7. My parents put me on a train in London for the 180-mile journey to school. My two abiding memories are: waving goodbye through the train window as they stood on the platform, knowing that I would not see them for 3 months; and the patterned (line drawings of vintage cars) curtains in my dormitory that evening!
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Be there for your children, listen to them, join in the whole process, and remember that school is about so much more than classroom learning and tests.
16. Ian
Love that #SLF2017 hashtag is both Scottish Learning Festival AND the Stiff Little Fingers Tour
— Ian Stuart (@IanStuart66) August 31, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Arriving an hour early New Pupils didn’t need to arrive till later.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Ask more than ‘What happened in School today?’ Have a range of questions about how they learned and what they thought about what they learned. Start that early and they will continue.
This one put it in between the article, not in the last, because the answer is very short
17. Tim
This – “My wish is for teachers to remember there is more to student learning than simply pumping the mind with facts and information.” https://t.co/HIKtdZCGAL
— Tim Taylor (@imagineinquiry) August 29, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I’ll never forget the size of everything. I came from a tiny village in the middle of the Cambridgeshire fens and during the summer we moved. When September arrived I climbed on a bus and found myself in a giant hall (the biggest room I’d ever seen) with hundreds of other children. I was utterly bewildered.
What tips would you give parents this back to school seasonhttps://www.edarabia.com/house-driver-agroshipping-dubai-uae/?
18. Jonny
How can we make school sport and PE more inclusive? – live chat | Teacher Network | The Guardian @GuardianTeach http://t.co/Meu7FBDYPs
— Mr J. Dunn (@JdunnPE) April 22, 2015
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
The first days of a new school year are all about settling into everything new. Get to know your new teachers, classmates, timetable, classroom and more. It is important to establish a routine as quickly as possible to ensure success can be achieved from day 1.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Teachers always appreciate a student who is fully prepared for their class and there are a few ways this can be achieved; correct equipment, getting their child into a routine of healthy meals and 8-10 hours of sleep per night as well as support from parents with their child’s studies. Having a positive connection with parents in regards to their child’s education is a vital ingredient to a successful school year.
19. Matt
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I remember being nervous, wearing a school uniform far too big for me (which my mother said I would grow in) but ultimately all the new friends I made.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Give your children all the love and support they need to be confident enough to gain all they can from their school education, experiences and relationships.
20. Rachel
*long shot* has anyone ever taught the Eagle of the Ninth and would be willing to share resources? #classciv TY for considering helping ⭐️
— Rachel Whitfield (@rlj1981) August 17, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Well- we have 5 kids, but they all went happily. I was most proud of my youngest daughter on her first day for standing up to a bully who pushed her friend in the lunch line. I asked what she had done- tell the teacher? She said nope, she shoved them back and told them to back off her friend. This is the advantages of being raised with 4 older brothers, you don’t take any nonsense.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
I am not sure there is any generic advice that will help. Maybe just trust your child and help them to be their best selves,
21. Sheba Q. Khan
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
Greeting and welcoming students at the door and trying to keep calm and always remembering to smile, through every moment of chaos and joy.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
Would advise parents to practice the school days routine a few days in advance. Set the alarm clock early, finish all morning rituals on time and get to the bus stop or car on time, to help children settle smoothly into a proper school routine after a break.
22. Jackson
I was teaching about forgiveness yesterday and it was sad to see so many people holding on to the past..Please let go and be FREE! #forgive
— Jackson (@Actionjackson) August 28, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
LOL! My new uniform and the thought of making new friends. This was the highlight of my first day at school. It was mixed emotions mostly good ones because I love a new start in life and starting school was one of those defining moment that I won’t forget.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
During this back to school season it is important for parent to help their child believe in themselves. Being at school can make or break your confidence, so resilience is crucial in a world where everyone including our children can easily suffer from low self-esteem at the sight of competition.
Here are 3 Tips:
NEVER COMPARE- Don’t compare them to others, this tends to cause them to feel that they’re not good enough. It drains their motivation and makes them feel undervalued.
CELEBRATE SMALL WINS- It may not be much but everything they do matters, that’s why you must celebrate everything they do well in. They are always looking for love and acceptance and what better place to get than from you the parents.
BE GRATEFUL- Children are a gift and although we want them to do well, that desire can often overshadow our gratitude for them. Stop and give thanks for the privilege you have to be a force for good in their life. Parenting is not easy but it’s worth it. Every seed sown will always come back as good fruit. Continue to be loving and the rest will be easy. Thank you for raising a generation of champion I know that one day they will be an asset to this world1
23. Mark
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
My first day at school has etched an indelible memory in my mind. Psychologists might call this flashbulb memory, a memory so emotional that it can be recalled like a frozen snapshot of a moment in time. I remember being pulled around, seeing an angry thin voice swirl its way towards me. My ‘crime’? I dared speak as we had entered the Primary 1 area, I dared break the splendid silence, I dared be….a 5 year old boy who didn’t know where to hang his jacket.
This short recant may have elicited slight ‘awws’ or even ‘gasps’. Looking back, the teacher involved was a nun and she may have felt she was doing the right thing. Setting the appropriate climate of learning based on her values; an unequivocal tone of discipline, compliance and perhaps even obedience. The reality? I was scared, worried and very anxious for months to come. A little smile and helping hand, and I would probably never even remember this story, some 40 years later.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
I am a parent. I am a teacher. Do they live in consonance, always? No. So, my advice to parents as someone who has taught for 27 years, and been a parent for 20 years is this: I do care for your children and I will always try and do the right thing for them. I will pass it through my moral filter and use my values compass as my reference framework for making what I think is the best decisions in their interest. It may not always resonate with yours, but it is not a competition.
We work together, through dialogue to support the beautiful risk that is education. We work together towards a common purpose; education is the passport to choices, a call to the imagination of better tomorrows. It will only ever happen through us, parent and teacher. Not just teacher.
24. Hywel
#teacher #NQT @SLTchat @ukedchat @ITLWorldwide #term #INSET @beingbrilliant @Markfinnis @nataliehscott @realdcameron Using this tomorrow ? https://t.co/eISnshgW1u
— HYWEL ROBERTS (@HYWEL_ROBERTS) September 3, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
I will never forget my older brother holding my hand on the bus to our primary school. I clutched it tight and I didn’t want him to let go. We got to the school gates and he let it go. Tears welled in my eyes but dried quickly when I saw I wasn’t the only child feeling nervous and apprehensive. And then Mrs Christie emerged. The kindly headteacher. And everything seemed okay. She knew my name.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
25. Carol
And, I hope, closing the gender pay gap between them https://t.co/Prem0ZiCy7
— C Webb (@DrCWebbBAPhD) August 29, 2017
What’s the one thing you will never forget about your first day at school?
It was the first time I saw and felt the benefit of inclusion in action. I wanted to play in the Wendy house but one girl didn’t want to let me in. A teacher, the beautiful Miss Fretwell, intervened and I got a chance to enter the magical playhouse and play with the other kids there.
What tips would you give parents this back to school season?
More than ever girls need to be given a voice and encouraged to use it with confidence and in leadership of others. Girls are often the most hard working and high achieving in the classroom and then somehow in the real world they lose out in leadership disproportionately to men. Help girls to get along with others in mixed gendered groups and to express themselves with confidence and friendliness. Don’t let them just be the quiet and hardworking ones. Give them goals to reach higher.
SEE ALSO: 23 Back to School Shopping Hacks
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