We recently came across a couple of stressful accounts from paras of their first day back from school:
I’m a paraeducator for children. Today was our first day. I am praying for patience. Not with the kids. The kids are great. My stress levels are so high after this morning, that I have a horrible headache, and my shoulder is killing me from being tensed for so long. (from Lord, it’s Monday)
And this one…
So, today was the first day back to work. It should come as no surprise to anyone who works for any big company/school/corporation, that no one knows where my job is going to be yet. I’ve been told not to worry, I have a job, they just don’t know where yet. (from Irene’s Weblog)
We thought it might be nice to provide you with a little bit of back to school inspiration from around the web:
I Believe in Me, Do You Believe in Me?
First off, this video from a young man names Dalton Sherman titled “I Believe in Me, Do You Believe in Me?” is our most popular post on the site that we have ever posted. If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely a must-see as you start the school year.
Back to School Facts
This Fact Sheet from the Census Bureau has all kinds of interesting back-to-school facts. Did you know that:
- Among K-12 students, 87% of students with a parent or other household member attended a general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year.
- 10.9 million school-age children who speak a language other than English at home.
More Resources
- Back-to-School Guide for Beginning Teachers from the National Education Association (activities, lesson planning, humhttp://www.educationworld.com/back_to_school/index.shtmlor and behavior management tools)
- Back to School page from Education World (lots of ice breakers and ideas on preparation. Also see their article Back-to-School Guide For Beginning Teachers
(And Not-So-New Teachers Too)! - Top 12 Ways to Start the School Year Off Right (Things like inspire your parents and connect with students’ parents)
What do you do to lower the stress of a new school year? What do you spend most of your time doing the first few days of school?