Transitions can be hard and September is full of them.
From starting at a new school or grade to adjusting to a new teacher, building new friendships to reframing old ones–September is a time of great change and opportunity that can feel exciting and discomforting, fun and scary. After three relatively disruptive school years, this September is also a time when we are transitioning towards more rigor and engagement while still nurturing and encouraging our students.
We often see that when someone is transitioning to something new, there can be a tendency to hold on even tighter to the past before finally moving forward. What we have known can seem so much easier than what is unknown, and this applies even if your transition was going from a Sparhawk 5th grader to a Sparhawk 6th grader. Adding the layer of unpredictable times and anxiety levels can certainly increase.
Difficulty with transitions manifests differently for students and is often varied depending on the age of the child. Our younger students may be challenged to come to attention or may behaviorally act out. Oftentimes our younger students will self-soothe with distracting behaviors that can impact theirs and others learning processes. Our older students may retreat from others, stop doing school work or extracurricular activities, or see an increase in anxiety, seeing every change or gentle push to move forward as threatening. Some of you may have already heard things like:
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I am getting sooooo much homework!
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The teacher is sooooo strict!
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My friend seems really different this year.
So what can we all do to support our students as we help them grow, attain greater academic and social success, and allow themselves the opportunity to trust the changes around them?
The Child Mind Institute has some concrete advice on how to help.
Child Mind Institute: How We Can Help Kids with Transitions
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Create routines.
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Preview what is to come and countdown with reminders.
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Give it a soundtrack (think “clean up, clean up everybody do your share” or classical music always playing during a free write time in an English class)
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Utilize visual cues.
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Get their attention. Particularly important for our students prone to distraction. Eye contact, a specific word or phrase, a light tapping on the desk or whatever has been agreed upon with a student ahead of time.
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Use rewards, but carefully. A reward can be something as simple as engaging in reflection with the child about their accomplishments or something larger such as working towards an opportunity after attaining manageable and reachable goals.
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Implement appropriate consequences. Consequences are not one-size-fits-all and should be adapted to the situation and frequency of behavior. Consequences are not the same as punishment.
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Authentically praise when a child successfully transitions in a situation that has been challenging. “Thank you for your hard work maintaining focus during that project. You must feel proud of yourself for being able to do that.” You can read more on Alfie Kohn’s philosophy on praise here: Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job"
Building trust takes time and requires a consistent belief that the child can be successful. We believe that here at Sparhawk and know that building trust will endow our students with the confidence to try new things and reach their potential. And again, trust takes time and at three weeks into the school year, we are just starting to build or rebuild that trust. So as we begin to gently increase academic expectations, as we begin to encourage stronger social interaction, know that our end goal is to help your child attain more confidence, creative and critical thinking skills, happy friendships, and a sense of pride in all that they accomplish.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
Transition Strategies for Kids
Strategies that Help Students with Transitions
Transitions Resources For Parents, Teachers, and Adminstrators