adjusting to a new school essay

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How to Adjust to a New School

Last Updated: February 8, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Paige Bowen, MA, EdM . Paige Bowen is a Physical Education Teacher at Oconee County Primary School in Watkinsville, Georgia. Paige has over 20 years of physical education teaching experience. She was awarded the Oconee County Primary School Teacher of the Year for 2002-2003. She received a B.S.Ed. in Health and Physical Education from the University of Georgia in 1996 and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education in 2003 from the same institution. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 113,421 times.

School is a child's base, where they learn to succeed. Adjusting to a new school can be nerve-wracking and scary. When you go to a new school, you might worry that you don’t know anyone or that you won’t fit in. You worry that you might get lost, or if the teachers are strict. As you get into your schoolwork and after-school activities, you’ll find that you’re making friends and life is getting easier. Knowing about your school, preparing for the first day and knowing how to make friends can make this transition a lot easier.

Getting to Know the School

• The school handbook might also have some interesting facts about the school, which can help you get acquainted with its history, the students and the teachers.

Preparing for the First Day

• If you're wearing a school uniform, make sure to get it early and make sure it fits well. Wearing well-fitting clothes will help you feel better about starting a new school.

• Remember that if you have moved to a new town, your parents are also going through a transition and needing to adjust to a new job or to make new friends. You can ask them about their day too, and maybe even give them some pointers on adjusting to a new situation. [5] X Research source

Doing Your Best at School

• If you are in high school, meet with a school counselor to make sure you are on track with prerequisites and graduation requirements.

• Examples include: getting a good score on a test, saying hello to someone new, scoring a goal in PE, and so on.

Making Friends

• Rehearse your conversation by practicing with your parent, sibling or even your pet.
• You can also think of other ways to start up a conversation, such as complimenting someone on their clothes or noticing a cool new notebook.

• Another goal is to try saying hello to 3 new people every day.

Paige Bowen, MA, EdM

Our Expert Agrees: Use encouraging, friendly conversation starters to make new friends. For example, you could say, "I really like your shirt," or "You were really good at playing basketball in gym today!"

Community Q&A

• Siblings can be helpful when you are adjusting to a new school. Talk with your siblings about how they are adjusting and problems that they may be having. Even waving at your sibling when you see them during school can help you remember that you are not alone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you have been homeschooled and you are entering a new school for the first time, check out the wikiHow article, “How to Go from Home School to High School.” Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Be patient and positive. It can take some time to adjust to a new school. If it’s still difficult after 6 weeks, talk with your parents or make an appointment with the school counselor. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.txu.com/residential/move-center/moving-tips/part-3-helping-child-adapt-to-new-school.aspx
• ↑ http://www.greatschools.org/back-to-school/preparation/25-adjusting-to-new-school.gs
• ↑ http://www.greatschools.org/back-to-school/preparation/25-adjusting-to-new-school.gs?page=all
• ↑ http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/families/talk_to_parents.html
• ↑ https://www.kidshealth.org/en/teens/shy-tips.html
• ↑ http://www.education.com/magazine/article/10-ways-child-adjust-school/
• ↑ http://www.girlslife.com/post/2011/07/19/Starting-a-new-school-after-a-summer-move.aspx
• ↑ http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2013/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-a-new-school

About This Article

To adjust to your new school, start by learning as much as possible about it! Take a tour before you start so you know where major rooms, like the cafeteria, are. As you're walking around, make sure to introduce yourself to any teachers you see, since it’ll be nice to see familiar faces on your first day. Once school starts, get to your first class early to introduce yourself to the other kids. If you're nervous, practicing some introductions before school, like “Hey, I’m Lauren, what’s your name?”, can help give you the confidence to speak up in class. For some ways to find the group of friends that's right for you, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Smoothly Transition into a New High School

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You’ve left all your friends at your old high school, and now you’re dreading being the stereotypical “new kid” you see in the movies. It’s tough to change high schools, and many students are afraid of the academic and/or social toll that changing schools can take.

But never fear! We’ll rescue you from that motion-picture fate with some detailed do’s and don’t’s on transitioning to a new high school.

• DO visit the school before your first day attending, especially if your school offers an open house for courses and clubs. Most schools offer some kind of open house for or newcomers to get the scoop on the school’s academic and extracurricular offerings . If this is the case with your future school, be sure to attend this event! You not only can you learn important information about the school’s opportunities, but you can also find out a lot about the school’s atmosphere and environment. If your particular school does not offer an open house, then ask your parents if you can make a short stop or trip at the school to get an idea of its size, its environment, the state of its facilities, and anything else that might be important to you.
• DO conduct extensive research on the school through the school’s website or faculty before you attend for the first time. Check out the school’s grading policies, activities, and deadlines (for programs, curricula, etc.) before you move. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many students fail to be thorough enough and end up missing important opportunities or deadlines. When you’re researching your school, check if there is a place for info about new-student resources or time-sensitive programs. If you’ve got that covered, you may choose to begin looking at school-specific scholarships , competitions, or special programs that you may wish to apply to or sign up for in the future.
• DO start looking into clubs and extracurriculars right away. Get your hands on a club listing as early as possible to dig out the clubs that will be of most interest to you. Once you’ve sifted through the school’s clubs and found a few that interest you*, create a schedule of call-out meetings/information sessions. Attend all the clubs you found yourself drawn to, and make sure to introduce yourself to others. At this point, it’s okay if your list of call-out meetings or information sessions is very extensive—attend them with the knowledge that you’re not making a commitment to anything just yet. The purpose of attending these first club meetings is simply to meet students and staff, gain a sense of the extracurricular environment at your school, and see what activities you may find yourself enjoying.

*Also make note of clubs at your old school that aren’t offered at your new school. Once you’ve settled into your new environment, you can kickstart similar activities to fulfill your interests and expand your horizons with peers.

The DON’T’S:

• DON’T overload yourself with too many activities or life changes! Moving to a new location and/or new school is a huge transition for many people, and you may not realize just how much this could affect your life; after all, most people don’t have prior knowledge of how “different” or how stressful it may be to move. Therefore, we caution against introducing too many changes in to your life right away. For example, most students would be overwhelmed if they decided to take on a new job, take a full schedule of AP classes, and get into a relationship while balancing the stress of moving. It is important to recognize the focus at hand should be to adjust to the school, at least in the first couple of months. Spend these first few months building up your social life and adjusting to your new academic system. Balance is key . Which brings us into the next point…
• DON’T build up your academics at the cost of your social life, or vice versa! Many students make the mistake of setting out to achieve the highest grades at their new school, of being the new top student at their school. It is true that your grades are very important, but make sure that you spend a good deal of your time interacting with other students and ensuring that you’ll have some healthy relationships and networks with others (outside of class, clubs provide a great opportunity to meet others). A social network will offer you the support and the fun you need during high school. Building relationships can be difficult as a new student, so it’s important to take these opportunities to meet others. Likewise, don’t make social life the only thing that matters to you during your first few months. Your grades, whether you like it or not, are still there . While colleges may take a move into consideration when it comes to grades, try not to let them fall. Try to determine from the get-go which of your classes are the most difficult. Organize your study habits, determine which classes will require the most work, and find out whether you may need to get additional help in some areas or change classes. Which, again, brings us to our final point…
• DON’T hesitate to reach out to teachers and other students. Reach out to your counselor early on; you’ll likely be working with your counselor even before you move to the school and begin attending, and they’ll be writing a recommendation letter on your behalf. It’s also important that you reach out to your teachers , since these are the people who will be helping you with your schoolwork and will be writing your recommendation letters as well. Let’s not forget your peers—reaching out to your peers will allow you to understand and adjust to your new school more quickly. It’s your peers who will know the ins and outs of life as a student, so they offer a perspective unique to those of teachers and counselors. You’ll also be able to set up study groups and learn from your peers, so your relationship with them is very crucial. And let’s not forget, you certainly want to have some good friends with whom you can wind down and have fun on the weekends (or at least we hope)!
• DON’T dwell on what you’ve left behind at your old school. Doing so will only make adjusting to your new school more difficult. At the same time, remember to not be harsh on yourself—allow yourself to adjust to your new situation and recognize the positive changes that you’re experiencing. Remember that you’re strengthening yourself for future life changes. You’re coming across new opportunities and experiences that you wouldn’t have had if you’d stayed at your old high school. You’re already growing in your maturity by organizing yourself and finding out how to manage changes and start nearly from scratch.

High school’s a tough time, but moving does not have to complicate it further. We hope that the above guide will help you decide some important steps to take before, during, and after your move. With all these tips in mind, you’ll be on the right track for a healthy life change and for a successful school year to come.

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Easing the Shift: How to Adapt to a New School Environment

Adapting to a new school environment can be challenging for children, but with the right strategies and support, they can navigate this transition with ease. Acknowledging their feelings and empathizing with them is crucial in building trust and understanding. By slowing down and staggering the introduction of big changes, the adjustment process becomes more manageable. Creating routines and normalcy can help reduce anxiety and improve preparation. Encouraging healthy habits such as good nutrition, sleep, and playtime contributes to children’s emotional and mental well-being.

Key Takeaways:

• By acknowledging children’s feelings and empathizing with them, trust and understanding can be built.
• Creating routines and normalcy contributes to reducing anxiety and improving preparation.
• Encouraging healthy habits such as good nutrition, sleep, and playtime promotes children’s well-being.
• Explaining the reasons behind changes and making them fun can aid in adaptability to new classroom routines.
• Including introverted students and keeping an eye on social dynamics fosters the formation of new friendships.

Acknowledging and Empathizing: Building Trust and Understanding

Building trust and understanding is crucial when helping children adapt to a new school environment . Transitioning to a new school can be overwhelming for children, and they often experience a range of emotions such as anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Acknowledging their feelings and empathizing with them is the first step towards building a strong foundation for a successful adjustment.

One effective strategy is to slow down and stagger the introduction of big changes. Instead of overwhelming children with multiple changes at once, it’s important to take small steps and gradually introduce new routines, rules, and expectations. This approach allows children to adjust at their own pace and reduces the likelihood of them feeling overwhelmed. By taking the time to explain the reasons behind the changes, children will feel more secure and understand the purpose of the adjustments.

Creating routines and promoting a sense of normalcy can greatly help children adapt to a new school environment . Establishing daily routines for waking up, getting ready for school, homework, and bedtime can provide a sense of stability and predictability. Additionally, encouraging healthy habits such as nutritious meals, regular sleep patterns, and dedicated playtime can contribute to children’s overall emotional and mental well-being.

Strategies to Support Transitioning Children:

• Answering questions and encouraging open communication to prevent anxiety from bottling up
• Making new classroom routines fun and exciting, explaining the reasons behind the changes
• Ensuring students meet their new teachers before rotational changes begin
• Establishing routines to ensure students have necessary supplies for each classroom
• Keeping an eye on social dynamics and including introverted students in social activities

Transitioning to a new school year and school can also be challenging for children. To ease this transition, it’s beneficial to engage in activities that welcome new students and address their worries. Wearing name tags, participating in get-to-know-you activities, exploring the new classroom, and facilitating new friendships through meet-and-greets or icebreaker games can help students feel more comfortable in their new environment.

During the transition process, it’s important for both parents and children to acknowledge and address any stress they may be experiencing. Open communication with teachers, fellow parents, and scheduling playdates with classmates can provide additional support. By prioritizing sleep and encouraging hobbies, children can find a sense of stability and familiarity outside of the school environment.

It’s crucial for parents and caregivers to maintain a positive attitude throughout the adjustment process. Involving the child in decision-making and giving them a sense of control over the situation can boost their confidence and reduce anxiety. Creating routines, actively engaging with the school community, scheduling extracurricular activities, and staying connected with the previous school can all contribute to a smoother transition.

Creating Routines and Promoting Healthy Habits

Establishing routines and encouraging healthy habits can greatly benefit students in adapting to their new school environment. By providing structure and predictability, routines help children feel secure and confident. This can be achieved through consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, regular meal schedules, and designated study or homework periods. Incorporating physical activity and playtime into their daily routine can also help reduce stress and promote overall well-being.

Along with routines, promoting healthy habits is essential for a smooth transition. Good nutrition is crucial for children’s physical and mental development. Encourage wholesome meals and snacks that provide the right balance of nutrients to support their growing bodies and cognitive functions. Additionally, emphasize the importance of regular exercise and outdoor play to enhance their energy levels and concentration.

Creating an environment that supports healthy habits can involve the entire family. Parents can lead by example and involve children in meal planning and preparation. This not only promotes healthy eating but also fosters independence and decision-making skills. Regular family discussions about the benefits of maintaining a balanced lifestyle can further reinforce the importance of these habits.

Practical Tips for Establishing Routines and Promoting Healthy Habits:

• Create a visual schedule or checklist for children to follow, including daily tasks, homework, and extracurricular activities.
• Set aside dedicated time for physical activity and play to ensure children remain active and engaged.
• Plan and involve children in meal planning and preparation to encourage healthy eating habits.
• Ensure children have a consistent sleep schedule, with recommended hours of sleep for their age group.
• Provide a quiet and organized study area where children can focus on their schoolwork.

By prioritizing routines and healthy habits, parents and educators can create a supportive environment that helps children adapt to their new school setting. These practices not only aid in the transition process but also lay the foundation for lifelong skills in self-discipline and self-care.

Navigating New Classroom Routines and Friendships

Adjusting to new classroom routines and building new friendships are important aspects of adapting to a new school environment. It’s crucial to make these transitions smooth and enjoyable for children, as they directly impact their overall well-being and academic performance. Here are some helpful practices, principles, and lessons that can assist students in navigating these changes:

• Making routines fun and exciting: Introducing new classroom routines in a fun and engaging way can make them more appealing to students. By incorporating games and interactive activities, teachers can create a positive atmosphere that encourages adaptability and enthusiasm. This approach helps children see routine changes as opportunities for growth and exploration rather than something to be anxious about.
• Explaining the reasons behind the changes: Providing clear explanations for new classroom routines helps students understand the purpose behind them. When children comprehend the benefits of these changes, such as improved organization or increased collaboration, they are more likely to embrace them with enthusiasm. This understanding fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment, allowing students to feel more comfortable and confident in their new environment.
• Including introverted students: It’s essential to consider the needs of introverted students when forming new friendships. While extroverted children may naturally gravitate towards social interactions, introverts may require additional support and encouragement. Teachers can create inclusive classroom environments by providing opportunities for one-on-one interactions or small group activities that facilitate meaningful connections between introverted students and their peers.
• Establishing routines for classroom transitions: As students switch classrooms for different subjects, it’s important to establish consistent routines to ensure a smooth transition. Preparing students in advance by introducing them to their new teachers, letting them tour the classroom, and ensuring they have all the necessary supplies can help alleviate anxiety and create a sense of familiarity in a new setting.

By implementing these practices, principles, and lessons, educators can help students adapt to new classroom routines and form meaningful friendships in their new school environment. Encouraging a positive and supportive atmosphere promotes a sense of belonging and sets the stage for a successful and enjoyable academic journey.

Transitioning to a New School Year and School

Transitioning to a new school year or a new school requires a thoughtful approach and proactive strategies to help students thrive. It’s important to create a warm and welcoming environment to ease their adjustment process. One effective strategy is to provide activities that welcome new students and address their worries. By doing so, you can help alleviate their fears and set them up for success.

Wearing name tags and engaging in get-to-know-you activities can be a great way to facilitate introductions and help students form connections with their peers. Exploring the new classroom together and participating in meet-and-greets or icebreaker games can also be beneficial in fostering new friendships. These activities not only create a sense of belonging but also help students feel more at ease in their new school environment.

In addition to social integration, it’s essential to support students academically during this transition. Providing extra guidance and resources to help them navigate new classroom routines and expectations can make a significant difference. For instance, having students meet their new teachers before rotations begin and establishing routines for ensuring they have necessary supplies can help ease their anxieties and set clear expectations.

Transitioning to a new school year or school can be overwhelming for both students and parents. It’s crucial to provide a supportive and understanding environment during this time. Allowing time for the child and parent to experience and acknowledge stress, maintaining open communication with the child’s teachers, talking to fellow parents, planning playdates, and touring the school can all contribute to a smoother transition.

Moreover, discussing school activities at home, prioritizing adequate sleep, and encouraging hobbies can help students maintain a balanced lifestyle and cope with the changes effectively. By involving the child in decision-making and allowing them to have control over the situation, you can foster a sense of ownership and empowerment.

Remember, transitioning to a new school environment takes time. It’s essential to have realistic expectations and be understanding of the child’s adjustment process. Patience and support are key as they navigate their new surroundings. By creating routines, involving oneself in the new school, maintaining open communication, and scheduling extracurricular activities, students can not only adapt but also thrive in their new school environment.

In conclusion, transitioning to a new school year or a new school can be challenging, but with the right strategies and support, students can thrive. By creating a warm and welcoming environment, addressing worries, promoting social integration, supporting students academically, and maintaining open communication, we can optimize the school environment and ensure a successful transition for all students.

Adapting to a new school environment may take time, but with the right strategies and support, children can successfully navigate this transition and thrive in their new academic setting.

One of the key factors in helping children adjust to a new school environment is acknowledging their feelings and empathizing with them. By understanding their emotions, we can build trust and foster a sense of understanding that will aid in their adaptation process.

Another important aspect is the establishment of routines and the promotion of healthy habits. Creating a sense of normalcy can reduce anxiety and improve preparation for the new school environment. Encouraging good nutrition, sufficient sleep, and regular playtime can contribute to children’s emotional and mental well-being, providing them with the foundation they need to thrive.

When it comes to navigating new classroom routines and forming friendships, taking a gradual approach can be beneficial. Making changes fun and exciting, explaining the reasons behind the changes, and including introverted students can foster adaptability and facilitate the formation of new relationships.

Transitioning to a new school year and school can also be made smoother by implementing various strategies. Activities to welcome new students, addressing worries, communicating with teachers and parents, prioritizing sleep and hobbies, and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the adjustment process are all key to a successful transition.

Remember, patience, communication, and support are vital in helping children adapt to a new school environment. By providing a nurturing and understanding environment, we can guide them through this transition and set them up for success in their new academic journey.

What strategies can help children adapt to a new school environment?

Acknowledging their feelings, empathizing with them, and gradually introducing changes can all help ease the transition. Creating routines, promoting healthy habits, and communicating openly are also beneficial.

How can I help my child adjust to new classroom routines?

Making the changes fun and exciting, changing one thing at a time, and explaining the reasons behind the changes can aid in adaptability. Meeting new teachers before rotations begin and establishing routines for necessary supplies can also assist.

What should I do to support my child in forming new friendships?

Keeping an eye on cliques, including introverted students, and encouraging inclusive behavior can facilitate the formation of new friendships. Engaging in get-to-know-you activities and facilitating meet-and-greets can also be beneficial.

How can I help my child transition to a new school year?

Wearing name tags, exploring the new classroom, and engaging in get-to-know-you activities can help ease the transition. Providing activities to welcome new students and addressing their worries can also contribute to a smooth adjustment process.

What can I do to support my child in transitioning to a new school?

Allowing time for stress acknowledgment, talking to teachers, starting the transition process early, scheduled playdates, and discussing school at home can all be helpful. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude, involve the child in decision-making, and prioritize their control over the situation.

How can I help my child maintain stability during a school transition?

Keeping in touch with the previous school, ensuring quality time at home, involving oneself in the new school, talking to the school staff, and scheduling extracurricular activities can all provide a sense of stability and support.

How long does it take for a child to feel comfortable in a new school environment?

It’s essential to have realistic expectations and be understanding of the child’s adjustment process, as it takes time for them to feel comfortable in their new environment.

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How to Help Your Child Transition to a New School

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• How Changing Schools Impacts Kids
• How Long It Takes to Adjust
• Tips for Making the Transition

Like most other transitions, moving can be tough on kids—especially if they are moving to a new community. Meeting new people, switching schools, and making new friends can be stressful. It can even cause anxiety and depressive symptoms if kids are not supported throughout the process.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help ease the transition from your child's old school to their new school. Whether you are preparing to move soon or getting settled in your new community now, we share what you need to know about this transition process below. You will learn how your child may be impacted and how long the transition will take as well as tips on how to make the process a smooth one.

How Does Changing Schools Affect a Child?

Most kids who are supported throughout a move usually do pretty well when transitioning to a new school. But for those who move a lot or who are particularly introverted, they may be more prone to challenges.

In fact, research has found that kids who move frequently are at an increased risk of poor academic achievement, behavior problems, grade retention, and even high school drop-out. They also are at risk for social problems and psychological difficulties including less social competence and low self-esteem .

Angie Frencho, MEd

Just as change can be difficult for adults, children experience similar emotions—anxiety, fear, and stress.

"Just as change can be difficult for adults, children experience similar emotions—anxiety, fear, and stress," says Angie Frencho, MEd, a teacher and gifted intervention specialist. "Keep open communication. Talk about and validate feelings. Try to encourage new friendships in the neighborhood, through extracurriculars, or [in worship communities]."

Because children thrive on predictability and routine, a move can make them feel disoriented and disconnected. The things that made them feel safe and secure—like a familiar bedroom and play space, as well as a familiar school building and friends—are no longer part of their surroundings. Getting used to these changes and adjusting to their new home, community, and school will take time.

"They have to start over in the sense of finding new friends and identifying teachers and staff they deem as approachable or safe," says Sandra Calzadilla, LMHC , a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in child development and parenting. As a parent, Calzadilla also has recent personal experience transitioning her own children to new schools. "They also can feel anxious, or fearful. Children tend to feel safer when they know what to expect and the unknown can be quite anxiety-provoking—some children may develop somatic symptoms like nausea or insomnia ."

As kids adjust to their new school and new surroundings, it is also not uncommon to see them retreating or even acting out. Changing schools also can disrupt their learning experience, says Frencho. Not only are they confronted with different curricula and different expectations in new schools, but schools also can differ in their climate and instructional environments.

"With academics, changing schools can be tricky," says Frencho. "Because there is no set statewide or nationwide calendar for when standards are taught throughout the school year, changing schools could potentially create holes in your child’s academic background. Additionally, if you change from public to private or vice versa or from one state to another, there could potentially be an entirely different adopted curriculum, which could create more significant gaps in their learning journey. Be aware and ready to help support those learning gaps."

How Long Will the Adjustment Take?

While every child is different, some kids can feel comfortable in a new school within a few weeks while others may take several months to adjust. The adjustment period will depend largely on your child's personality and temperament as well as the support that they receive.

"You should see improvement usually within a month for elementary school children and it may take one to two months for adolescents, as they can be more self-conscious or fearful of rejection," says Calzadilla.

If your child is struggling to adjust, talk to them and see what may be hindering them. Ask what they like and do not like about their new school, suggests Calzadilla. Then, see if you can help them focus on the positive or brainstorm ways to address the negative.

It is also important to acknowledge and validate their feelings—including their feelings of missing their old school and old friends. Help them do a reality check on fears like "no one likes me" and acknowledge how difficult it can be to make new friends, Calzadilla says.

"Talk to the teachers and guidance counselors to determine if any additional supports can be put in place to assist your child," she adds. "Maintain previous friendships whenever possible that way the child does not feel completely disconnected from friends."

Tips for Helping Your Kid Transition

It is important to be patient and understanding when helping your child adjust. Change is tough no matter the age, and it takes time. Some kids may appear to adjust quickly and develop friendships, while others will take longer. Support your child as best you can and look for ways to make the transition easier. Here are some tips for helping your child transition to a new school.

Explain Why You Are Moving

When making a move, it is important to explain to your child why it is happening. Whether you are moving because you changed jobs, divorced, or want to be in a different school district, your kids need to know the real reason for the switch.

"Be honest," says Frencho. "Children deserve honesty." 

Even if they do not fully understand the reasons, it is important to give them an age-appropriate explanation. Also, try to be as positive as possible about the move. Kids have an uncanny ability to pick up on the perceptions of the adults in their lives, so focus on the positive while acknowledging how challenging it can be to move.

"If the move created change in your life as well, be honest and share how you are dealing with the changes too," suggests Frencho. "Children love to know that adults often experience the same fears and concerns that they do."

Give Them Closure

Saying goodbye is hard, but it is even harder to leave without saying goodbye to all the things you know and love. Plan a time when your child can say goodbye to their school, their friends, and their teachers. Just because they will be in a new school doesn't mean that the old one will matter less.

"Give them time to say their goodbyes and gain closure," suggests Frencho.

You also may want to give them space to talk about their feelings about leaving and any concerns they have about moving forward. And, if possible, make plans to stay in touch with their classmates. For instance, arrange a reunion playdate, or if you are far away, plan to video call to catch up.

Knowing they will see their friends again in some way can help your child feel more settled as they move on. While it won't alleviate their fears or concerns, allowing them to maintain connection and experience closure can help signal the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.

Support Their Learning

Changing schools can create some gaps in your child's learning. Before the move, be sure to discuss what your child is expected to know and what they will be learning. And if necessary, consider hiring a tutor or other academic assistance.

Sandra Calzadilla, LMHC

Meeting their new teacher ahead of time can also help provide them some reassurance on their first days and weeks in a new school.

"Meeting their new teacher ahead of time can also help provide them some reassurance on their first days and weeks in a new school," says Calzadilla.

It also can help to get a sneak peek at the new school. Ask the guidance counselor or principal if they can give you and your child a tour. Knowing the lay of the land—like where the cafeteria is or where to find the bathrooms—can help alleviate some of their concerns before the first day.

"Taking a tour of the school prior to starting the new school helps kids feel less disoriented," says Calzadilla. "Show them where the office is and who they can ask for if they need assistance. [It also helps to] let them know exactly what they can expect when it is drop-off and pick-up time."

Keep in mind that your child also may be more inhibited when they start a new school and can be more quiet or shy, Calzadilla adds. Be patient, understanding, and supportive. Frequently check in with them. Allow them to work through their feelings and emotions and do what you can to alleviate their stress and anxiety.

"Changing schools can impact their learning especially if they are feeling anxious," Calzadilla says. "This can make it harder to pay attention and they may miss directions or seem distracted because their emotions are negatively engaged at the moment."

Set Small Goals Together

Once they are settled in their new school, set goals together, says Frencho. Help them brainstorm what their ideal scenario might look like and then break that down into small, manageable—and achievable—goals. For instance, they might want to set a goal to say hi to at least one new person a day or invite someone over to play or study.

They also might want to try something new or ask more questions in class. The key is to not remain stagnant in their new environment but instead push themselves a little each day to give the new school and the new people a chance.

"Setting small goals together with them [helps them] trudge through the discomfort, make friends, and ask questions," Frencho adds. "Lead with kindness and encourage your child to do the same."

Get Involved in the Community

Look for community events and opportunities to help your child make new friends and connections. Enroll them in classes, sports, or other activities they are interested in that will help them meet people with similar interests.

"Connecting with kids in their neighborhood is great," says Calzadilla. "This way friends are not just limited to school and this can help them feel more connected to their new community. Structured events outside of school can also give children the opportunity to make additional friends and connections that are not limited to school and can be based on mutual interests."

A Word From Verywell

Whether your child is starting a new school now or will be starting soon, it is never too early or too late to help them make the transition. Change is hard whether you are an adult or a child, so work through the challenges together. Be supportive, patient, and understanding and eventually you both will be acclimated to your new community and school.

If you find that your child is not adjusting well or seems to be experiencing more challenges than you expected, reach out for support. Talk to your child's pediatrician, the school counselor, or mental health professional. They can help you come up with a plan that helps your child manage their stress and anxiety while adapting to their new environment.

Morris T, Manley D, Northstone K, Sabel CE. How do moving and other major life events impact mental health? A longitudinal analysis of UK children . Health & Place . 2017;46:257-266. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.06.004

Herbers JE, Reynolds AJ, Chen CC. School mobility and developmental outcomes in young adulthood .  Dev Psychopathol . 2013;25(2):501-515. doi:10.1017/S0954579412001204

By Sherri Gordon Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. 

Helping Students Transition to a New School: Dealing with Change

Change isn’t easy. This is especially true for children, who may have known the same school, classroom, and friends their entire life so far. Whether it’s a small change in routine or adjusting to a new school, there are endless ways you can help as a teacher. We’re breaking down the details of helping students transition to a new school, school year, or classroom routine.

5 Tips for Helping Students Deal with Change

Your students will deal with change throughout their educational career and beyond. Helping them build the skills they need to thrive in new situations is key to their success throughout their life. Here are our five tips for helping students manage change.

• 1. Acknowledge their feelings.

Children have far less life experience, so even tiny changes can seem daunting to them. By recognizing that it’s a difficult and stressful time for them , you can build a relationship of trust and understanding. One of your best tools in helping students transition to a new school or situation is being able to empathize and level with them, especially if they aren’t happy about the change.

• 2. Slow down.

Just as you may need help managing your workload when stressed, consider what work is essential and what can wait until the child has adjusted. Staggering the introduction of big changes can also help children adapt more calmly, rather than having several big changes to adjust to at once.

• 3. Create routine and normalcy.

Routines help children know what to expect, reducing anxiety and improving their ability to prepare. Build as many simple routines during times of change (like the first week of school) to help students adjust more quickly.

• 4. Encourage healthy habits.

Sleep, good nutrition, and playtime are all key factors in childrens’ emotional and mental health. Emphasize the importance of these healthy habits to parents to ensure your students are being set up for success at home. Especially during a big change like adjusting to a new school, establishing and maintaining good habits like these can make a big difference in your students’ ability to adjust.

• 5. Answer questions and encourage communication.

Oftentimes, students going through change will shut down and allow their anxiety to bottle up. Encourage questions with an anonymous question box and remind students that there is no such thing as a stupid question. You can also roleplay scenarios where you are a new student and have students help you figure out where the bathroom is, how cleanup procedures work, etc. to review information and take the pressure off of your new students.

Adapting to New Classroom Routines

Building classroom routines can help your students know what to expect, keep them focused while switching tasks, and provide a sense of structure for the day. Maybe the class is now reading independently instead of in small groups. Perhaps part of the class is changing classrooms for a math lesson. Regardless of the change, some students may struggle to adapt, especially if too many things change at once.

When adding a new routine to your day, here are a few tips to help students adjust more quickly:

• Make it fun and exciting. Use a song, rhyme, or call-and-response to keep students engaged and energized. Just like when helping students transition to a new school, creating a distraction can keep students from dwelling on the change too much.
• Change one thing at a time. It’s impossible to overhaul your classroom management strategy overnight, so start with one routine and build from there. This will also help the changes stay manageable for you as a teacher.
• Explain why. Many students are unsettled by change because they worry something is wrong or that they are in trouble. Reassure students that there is nothing to be worried about, and explain as much as you can about why the new routine is starting.
• Changing Classrooms

Subject rotation and departmentalizing used to be reserved for high school but now many middle and elementary school students switch between classrooms during the day for their lessons. Whenever possible, have the teachers rotate rather than the students. But, if your grade chooses to mix classes for lessons, set your students up for success by making the transitions as smooth as possible for them.

Have them meet their other new teachers before the rotations begin so they know what to expect. Practice lining up and walking to the other classrooms to prevent traffic jams and wasted time. And create a routine to ensure your students have the supplies they need before they leave your classroom.

• Building New Social Circles

Changes in friendships and social circles can also cause issues in the classroom. Whether your lunchtime schedule changes or you start to mix classes for certain lessons, your students will have to adapt to seeing new faces and making new friends.

Much like when helping students transition to a new school, it’s helpful to keep an eye on cliques as well as any introverted students who may need an extra nudge to make new friends. Considering the social landscape of your classroom when forming small groups for projects and activities can prevent the social circles of your classroom from becoming an issue.

Adjusting to a New School Year

The new school year is one of the biggest changes students face. Check out these tips to help your students adjust to the people and places each new year brings.

• Meeting New Teachers

Just as you are eager to get to know your new class of students, they are excited to get to know you. Wear a name tag and have your name displayed at the front of the class for the first few weeks. If you have a long or tricky name, review how to say it, and consider giving students a “nickname” to use, like Mr. B or Mrs. M.

In addition to your name, your students will want to learn more about you. Consider starting off the year with a fun get-to-know-you activity like Truth or Lie or Read, Write, and Run . When helping students transition to a new school year or class, building their rapport and trust in you quickly is one of your best tools.

• Exploring a New Classroom

A new classroom can also be a big adjustment for students. Schedule time during the first few days of school to take students on a tour or even plan a scavenger hunt to get them exploring on their own. Add signage to different areas of the classroom to separate them, help students know what each space is for, and communicate the behavior expected in each space.

You should also spend time getting your students set up with their desks. This will be their home base all year, and so helping them create an area that helps them feel good and do their best work will go a long way. Check that every student has the supplies they need for the year, and assist them with organizing their desk so they’ll know where everything is. While too many decorations can be a distraction, allowing students to decorate a name tag or desk number can also help them feel at home at their new desk.

• Finding New Friendships

As classes change each school year, students who have been in the same class year after year will form close-knit groups. But you may also have students who know very few people in their class. For this reason, it’s important to take time for your students to acclimate to their new peers.

Here are a few ways to help your students build new friendships:

• Host a meet-and-greet or open house before school starts if your school allows it
• Start the year off with an icebreaker game to help students identify commonalities with their classmates
• Have students interview their “neighbors” and share something they learned with the class
• Consider pairing off, grouping, or seating students in ways that break up cliques and include students who may not have social circles in the class yet

Transitioning to a New School

One of the biggest changes children face is transitioning to a new school. Whether it’s the jump from elementary to middle school or a move across the country, it’s likely to cause anxiety among your students. Here are some of our favorite activities to welcome new students as well as tips on easing their worries and setting them up for success.

• New School, Same District

Starting middle or high school is often very exciting for students, but it can also be a time of anxiety, especially for those who thrive on routine and familiarity. A bigger building, hundreds of new students, and dozens of new routines and classrooms can be a lot to adjust to. No matter the move, preparation is key in helping students transition to a new school.

Check out these ideas for making the move to middle or high school a little easier:

• Before the first day of school, hold a schoolwide open house for students and their parents to meet their teachers and explore their new school. Bonus points for planning an activity in your classroom that gets students talking and interacting.
• At the end of the school year, before your students make the change to their new school, have them write letters with questions to students in the grade above. Then work with a teacher in the grade above to pair your students with theirs and get answers to all their questions. Have the students include pictures so your students will know at least one friendly face on their first day.
• Complete the same letter-writing exercise but have students write anonymous letters to their new teacher with their worries and curiosities about their new school. If you’ve been following the #IWishMyTeacherKnew social media initiative , you know that students are ready and willing to share a lot about themselves when they are given the chance to do so in a safe environment.
• Host a panel discussion for your class. Work with a teacher in the new school to organize a discussion in person or over video where students can ask questions and have them answered by a selected group of older students. Having these students share their experiences, embarrassing stories, and tips can lessen students’ anxiety around their new school.

• Moving to a New School District

Moving can be very scary for children. They’ll be faced with a new home, school, and social scene. And many of them may be upset to leave their old home behind. Helping students transition to a new school is a true team effort between parents and teachers. Here are our top tips on how to make a new student feel welcome:

• Pair your new student with a student mentor. Choose students in your class who have demonstrated kindness, responsibility, and empathy. These students can help their new classmates both socially and academically by introducing them to the class and helping them with the new routines of the school.
• Host a welcome lunch. Choose three or four students from your class to join you and the new student for lunch in the classroom. Select students with similar interests or others who have also moved schools and are now thriving in their new town. Having a small gathering like this can help students get a sense of the school and have any questions answered without having to disrupt the whole class. And, don’t be afraid to excuse yourself to your desk partway through so your students can get to know one another on their own as well.
• Pay attention to personality. Spend some time with your new student to get to know how he or she would like to be treated as a new arrival. While some may love to be the star of the show, many simply want to fly under the radar and adjust to their new school without everyone watching.

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How to Adapt to a New School

How to Not Be Scared of a New School

New surroundings, unfamiliar faces and different learning standards make the transition to a new school stressful for many students. Not only are they faced with unknowns, they may still feel sad about leaving their old schools. Getting used to a new school takes time, but coping strategies can ease the transition.

Knowing what to expect makes the transition a little easier on everyone. Most school districts have websites with general information about individual schools, educational philosophies, schedules and activities. The school calendar provides details about upcoming events, such as an open house, that might help with the transition. If you know the names of the teachers, you might even find pictures or biographies to learn a little before you meet them. The method of transportation to school is another research topic. If walking is an option, check out a map to find the best route from home to school.

The first day at any new school often is met with nervousness and sometimes confusion. Contact the school and schedule a low-pressure trip to the building before the first day so the campus looks familiar when classes start. The trip provides a chance to find lockers, classrooms and key spots, such as the cafeteria. If the teacher is available, a meeting is a possibility. The visit may ease some fears about starting at an unknown school.

Get Involved

Involvement in the community even before the first day of school can help with the move. You meet new people who may also attend the school or have children at the school. Those familiar faces make the school less intimidating in the beginning. Once classes start, the school offers other ways to get involved, such as joining extracurricular activities or student organizations. Parent involvement at the school through volunteering and staying informed on school events helps the entire family transition to the new learning community.

Establish a Routine

A new school often means a new routine, including morning preparation, getting to school and after-school activities. Settling into a routine gives the family a sense of familiarity. With all of the changes, a daily schedule gives children some stability. The routine should include a bedtime early enough to allow for plenty of sleep. Being rested makes it easier to handle the challenges of a new school. When still adjusting to the school, allow for yourself plenty of time in the mornings. Rushing to get to school on time adds to the stress of being in a new situation.

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Based in the Midwest, Shelley Frost has been writing parenting and education articles since 2007. Her experience comes from teaching, tutoring and managing educational after school programs. Frost worked in insurance and software testing before becoming a writer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a reading endorsement.

Helping Your Child Adjust to a New School

As parents we try to structure our child’s life in such a way as to remove instability, provide predictable routines, and minimize emotionally difficult changes. However, now matter how hard we try, change does occur and sometimes it is impactful.

One of these changes that happens in every child’s life is moving to a new school. Whether your family is experiencing a job change that requires relocating to a new school district or your child is making the leap from elementary school to middle school, it’s almost certain at some point your child will change schools.

The first days and weeks of a new school can be exciting, but they can also be filled with uncertainty and anxiety. The following tips and strategies will help your child quickly adapt to her new school.

Stay positive

There is nothing that will help your child maintain a positive attitude toward their new school than your positive attitude. If you’re concerned about the transition, and you let it show, your child will be concerned too.

It’s okay to discuss your child’s fears and expectations, but reassure them they’re going to have a great year. Sometimes it’s helpful to let your child know that every other child is going through the same thing they are.

Let them know you’re in it together.

Nothing is more reassuring to a child, especially a younger child, than knowing that you’re going to be with them every step of the way. No, you’re not going to sit with them in class, but you’ll be there for them before school, after school and will even be available during school, if needed.

Volunteering at your child’s school or in their classroom can be an effective way of helping a struggling child adjust to their new school environment. If your child is older, help them select their classes and keep an open line of daily communication.

Making sure you’re physically and emotionally available for your older child will help them make a smooth transition to their new school.

Get your child involved.

Getting your child involved in school activities is a great way to ease their fears and help them quickly adjust to their new school. While you don’t want to force them into anything, you want to encourage participation in classes and activities that will foster new friendships and help them feel a part of the new school community – and less like an outsider.

Older students who participate in school activities, clubs, or sports tend to feel more connected and perform better academically. Getting involved in extracurricular activities outside the classroom can help a child feel more connected inside the classroom.

Get some sleep

More and more studies confirm what many parents have known for years, getting a good night’s sleep is necessary to have healthy, well adjusted kids. Getting enough sleep prior to a new school year is also important – especially if your child is relocating to a new school.

To make her transition easier, we recommend starting your child’s new school-year sleep routine several weeks before school starts. This will help ensure that her transition to a new school doesn’t include transitioning to a new sleeping schedule at the same time.

Go through their first day ahead of time.

Why wait until the first day of school to figure everything out? The unknown is what scares students the most about their first day of school – especially for those who are attending a new school. Sometime before the first day of school take your child on a trial run.

Walk them to their bus stop. If they’re going to walk to school each day, walk to the school with them using the route you’ve decided on. If your child will be going to school with friends, invite them to come along on your trial run.

Take your child to her school ahead of time and help her find her classroom. Make sure to attend the back-to-school night so she can meet her teacher and locate her classroom.

Show her where her bus pickup is at and help her identify which bus is hers. Taking your child on a trial run of their first day will help make her first day of school less daunting.

Send your child to school prepared.

Most schools will let parents know ahead of time what supplies and materials are required for students. Arriving at school with the appropriate supplies and materials keeps children from feeling like the odd man out. This is particularly true of younger students who are sensitive to feeling different or left out.

It’s also important to make sure lunch time arrangements have been made. If your child eats lunch at school, make sure they have money for lunch. If they take lunch to school, prepare a good lunch the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning.

Don’t get rushed.

The morning of the first day of school can often end up being a mad house – especially if you have more than one kid to get ready. In order to avoid the morning rush, get everything ready the night before. Make sure supplies are organized and in backpacks, lunches are made, clothes are laid out, and your child has her plan in place for her first day of school. Planning the night before will allow your child to get plenty of sleep, get out the door on time and not feel any additional anxiety.

Eat healthy.

Parents often overlook the importance of a healthy diet for children, especially when they’re going to school. A twinkie now and then is a welcome treat, but healthy snacks and a healthy lunch should be the norm. It’s also important that children eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Children who skip breakfast don’t have the energy or ability to focus and often have a hard time paying attention in class.

Take your child to school the first day.

Even if your child has an assigned bus, it may be helpful to take her to school the first day so you can introduce her to her new teacher and help her find her way around. Taking your child to school the first day, especially if they are in elementary school AND attending a new school, is a wise idea.

Similar Posts:

• Preschool – Everything You Need to Know
• Guide on College and University Admissions
• Guide on Extracurricular Activities for High School Students

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Articles & Advice > Student Life > Blog

Accepting and Adapting to a New Normal for School

Unfortunately, pandemic life is the "new normal" and not an excuse to blow off your homework anymore. Here's how you can adapt for a better school experience.

by Anna Mayzenberg CollegeXpress Student Writer, University of Houston

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023

Originally Posted: Sep 11, 2020

It's difficult to set standards in the midst of a pandemic. Before this all began, we had deadlines, and they were either met or they weren't. When the pandemic began, for some high school teachers and college professors, sticking to deadlines was still a hard and fast rule. But other teachers offered some leniency to students, knowing everyone was having a difficult time. This system worked reasonably well for those students who felt unmotivated due to COVID-19. However, just like everything else, getting back on track will require some tinkering since this has become our new normal. Let’s explore why it’s important to adapt to the new normal and how you can be active in your communication with your teachers and professors for a better educational experience than you may have had last spring.

The extenuating circumstances excuse

Instead of a small percentage of students with extenuating circumstances seeking leniency, we're all living in one massive extenuating circumstance right now: COVID-19. That was a valid excuse for every student for not completing an assignment or being prepared for a test (and for many students, it was genuine). This global health crisis has led to a myriad of problems, ranging from mental and physical health to bad Wi-Fi connections to having a place to stay. Students stressed in ways they had never imagined, and nothing about our current situation can be considered stable. However, many of us have a tendency to make excuses for ourselves, to others or in our own minds, about our ability to pull ourselves together to learn.

For instance, my family’s been relatively stable during the pandemic; we've had many lively debates on anything from washing the dishes to police brutality, and my anxiety about the pandemic flares up often—but overall, I'm doing okay. I know many students are in similar situations. But we’ve all had an adjustment period to this lifestyle, and hopefully we've found our way to a better place mentally and physically at this point. The point is: the pandemic should no longer be your main excuse for not getting your work done—even if it validly is for someone else.

Getting your motivation back

None of this is meant to undermine the value of mental health and taking care of yourself. This is not to condemn those relaxing and enjoying themselves over the summer. It’s simply to say that it's time to buck up for the upcoming semester. While this major challenge has come upon us, the world hasn’t stopped turning. The educations we’re privileged enough to receive and the important work we’re doing, whether it be at a job or in raising our voices for what we believe in, never lost importance. Now that we've had our time to settle in and process the situation, it's time to learn to push ourselves in this "new normal" environment. We need to take care of our health, now more than ever, but not at the cost of all productivity—and not at the cost of our goals and aspirations.

Related: How to Fight Procrastination and Find Your Motivation

How students and teachers can work together

When it comes to a new normal in education, this means more effort from students and more patience from professors...and vice versa. We all know students ultimately need to listen to their teachers, but teachers who are receptive and understanding will listen to your needs if you’re still trying to give your best—even if your best is a little rusty.

Students accommodating teachers

Professors and teachers are changing their curriculums and finding new modes of teaching for the sake of providing us with a quality education. The good ones aren't there to make you miserable or just give you busy work; many teachers have the lofty goal of discussion and engagement in mind when students come to the classroom. As students, we need to be meeting them halfway. If before that meant showing up to class, now it might mean turning on your camera, asking questions, and meeting deadlines if at all possible. It may feel like more work, but it makes all the difference in terms of building a relationship with your professor s and teachers, not to mention making for a good class. That's the kind of standard we need to set for ourselves, because we still deserve a good education. Although we may not be in an optimal situation, we can still grow as individuals and rise to what we're capable of. 

Teachers accommodating students

Similarly, professors should be willing to accommodate for students’ concerns. For the classes in which this is possible, they should check in on individual students and try to get to know them and their situation. This allows for a relationship that ensures both sides are clear about expectations and realities. If one student is particularly struggling outside of class, the professor will know how to set a standard for that particular student. This has always been a helpful way to run a classroom, but now it’s imperative. If it's not possible to reach out to every student, teachers should make it clear that everyone is encouraged to reach out with any of their concerns or roadblocks during the semester. Although things won’t be as lenient as back in the spring, it’s likely there will be some patience with an overdue assignment here and there—so step up and email your teacher if you’re struggling. Your honesty will be responded to in kind. Neither students nor professors can expect anything from the other that they're not willing to ask of themselves.

Related: 6 Simple Ways to Impress Your College Professors

Ultimately, starting a new school year in this environment means quite a bit more patience and effort is required from everyone. We have to have sympathy for our peers and our professors, and we have to push ourselves further than what we thought we were capable of. It's going to require a lot of nuance—every difficult situation won't be clear cut, and we'll have to ask questions we aren't used to asking one another. We must take this opportunity to learn and grow the best we can, even if maybe the economy isn't.

If you need more advice or information on the pandemic, visit our COVID-19 student resources page.

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About Anna Mayzenberg

Anna Mayzenberg is a sophomore Management Information Systems major at the University of Houston who has a passion for words, whether in the form of writing, reading, or just talking nonstop.

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Adjusting to My New School Culture

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Being the new person on the block isn’t easy, especially when you came from a place of high seniority and developed a reputation you are proud of.

Much like seniors in a high school who were the big fish in a small pond, going off to college , starting my new position this fall was a little daunting.

Aside from the anxiety filled days and nights that led up to the start of my journey, I entered a new space last week knowing fewer than five people in a staff of over 150.

My old school had only about 50 staff total with less than 700 students in grades 6-12. I learned fast that my new school had almost that amount in just the eleventh grade.

Sitting in the auditorium as the principal kicked off the year positively , I listened eagerly, looking for kernals of information that would better inform how I am to move forward.

There has been a lot to learn to so far. Aside from the names of my colleagues with whom I’m eager to work, administrators, students and support staff who will no doubt be helpful in my development as a teacher center coach at the school.

The first week has not been without bumps. There has been some drama that isn’t worth getting into but not knowing the politics before I walked in certainly put me in a challenging space. Openly, I worked to listen to whomever wanted to share with me, not responding until I had more information.

Many stories emerged and frankly, I wasn’t interested in getting involved in anything that existed before that could taint the possibilities of the future. But it’s hard to walk the line.

Aside from trying to figure out my place with my colleagues, I needed to meet my students.

Initially I was told I’d only teach one class, but now I’m teaching three. Zero period I’ll be working with a group of students who need credit to graduate and I’m exciting about the possibilities. First period is a dual language class of the loveliest 12 freshmen. I co-teach this class with an amazingly knowledgeable and well-respected woman who also helps to run my small learning community. She has been amazing to work with so far and I can tell that the collaboration will really help our students.

My third and final class is reminiscent of my time at my first school. 34 students who tested me. I’m new to the building. They know each other but they don’t know me. I had forgotten how hard it is to walk into a room a stranger without the stellar reputation that makes kids ready to learn immediately.

So that first class didn’t go as I wanted it to.

It’s okay though, I was able to learn from what didn’t work. Day two was different. I made adjustments based on what I learned from them and it went much more smoothly. One thing that has changed significantly is me and the amount that I know now versus what I knew when I stood in my first school. If something doesn’t work, I don’t have to keep doing it AND more importantly, I have tools that I can use to change the way things look and feel.

By the end of my first week, I know some names. I’ve met my kids. I’ve made parent phone calls to make sure students who haven’t shown up yet know where to meet this upcoming week and I’m exhausted but exhilerated.

This week, I’m ready to have a meet and greet in the Teacher Center where I can personally introduce myself to my new colleagues, rewelcome them to the space and invite their thoughts and suggestions to make this year even better. I was reminded that my colleagues don’t know much about me and it is important for them to know who I am so they trust me moving forward. I’m eager to get that started.

Aside from everything that is new, I’m really grateful to the few colleagues who have gone out of their way to really make me feel at home, answering my millions of questions and coming to my rescue when I have that “deer in headlights” kind of look on my face. What an exciting new adventure! I’m keeping my mind open.

For those of you starting new jobs or welcoming new people into your job, what advice can you share?

The opinions expressed in Work in Progress are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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• Coronavirus

Personal Narrative Essay: Adjusting to the New Normal

What next? 

As a high school junior, you expect a lot of experience in your junior year; taking on heavier course loads, deciding on a major, and focusing on your future, whether it be, going to post-secondary school or following your passions, but the one thing I didn’t expect was to go through a pandemic. 

Whether still considering your degree options, being in this year’s Class of 2022, I’m always wondering how to set myself up for success in the “new normal.” There are many unknowns about what may happen with a post-coronavirus world that I may have to adjust to, but one thing is clear—life won’t be what it used to be. But that can’t be an entirely bad thing, considering how you choose to look at it. 

One thing that pushes you through a pandemic is the ability to adapt: a crucial skill I learned more so this year. It was about having an open mindset, working under pressure, adjusting to new and unexpected deadlines, prioritizing, time management, and taking on new responsibilities. Undoubtedly, this year has been rough, but being able to adapt was a pushing force in my life because while necessary, it was my willingness to go against convention and make changes to handle it that was a preparation for not only post-secondary education but life. 

As far as skills go, problem-solving is another beneficial lifelong one and a key one. The world is constantly changing and will continue to change dramatically, and this pandemic is proof of that. There were a lot of unknown factors that came during the pandemic, coupled with uneasiness, but finding alternate communications was a big one that needed solving. Being in zoom calls and having no human interaction was difficult, to say the least, because there was always a need for genuine human connection. **With communication interactions being little to nothing, I had to come to understand more about people’s emotions, and be more aware of, and demonstrate empathy for, others’ emotions and behaviours**. In contrast to regular school, it was a problem to solve from the communication of zoom calls to facetime constantly but it was one that I overcame. This crisis was a great driving force to develop the problem-solving skills that will take me to post-secondary school and through.

It’s an understatement to say that this year has been difficult, but the one thing that affected me above the others was the loneliness in all the “waves” of covid. Getting used to seeing all of your friends every day at nine am and interacting, reacting, and just being in the moment was the one thing I took for granted. Every day, I had to get used to waking up in the same environment and doing the same online lessons repeatedly with the same heavy workload nonstop, and that took a colossal toll on me as a person. I became a person with no emotions, just working and trying to do my best in everything I did and tried to ignore what was happening around my life. I went through a stage of ignorance and pushed every emotion I had to the bottom and locked it, which ended up with me lashing out and doing things to hurt people around me, and that’s when I learned an essential lesson. I learned that when faced with myself and only myself, subconsciously I push everything down and never deal with it. Reflection is a skill that takes time and grasp to understand. I can’t hide away from the problems in my life, all the anxiety, depression, and always wanting to be perfect because in doing so, I only hurt myself more in the long run, not only in post-secondary school but what's to come. With the chaos that can happen in post-secondary school, I was in my little insane way, glad that I had all of that time in the lockdowns with myself to deal with the problems that were happening within me and have time to work through them. 

This year has been challenging and bittersweet. Learning skills and lessons are a part of everyday life and a part of who I am as a person. As a high school senior, I can say that this experience of online school, lockdowns and going through a pandemic has undoubtedly affected my life in many different aspects, from learning lessons to developing skills to take with me in post-secondary school and for the rest of my life. It’s difficult to say what’s going to happen next in a post coronavirus world, and the uneasy feelings are always going to be there, but it will be good to see how these life skills that I learned during that time are going to affect me. Are they going to offer me insight? Help me in a way that could’ve never been reached if it hadn't been for the experiences of a pandemic this year? It’s always a challenge not knowing how this pandemic situation is going to be corrected or at least fixed because we as humans are always curious and never deal well with uncertainty, but I hope that these life skills I have developed or amplified will guide me towards a great path in a post coronavirus world.  

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My journey As a Student Essay

Essay on topic my journey as a student.

Introduction Lines

As a student, my journey so far has been full of challenges, growth, and self-discovery. I have learned a lot about myself, my abilities, and my passions. In this essay, I will reflect on my journey as a student, highlighting the milestones, struggles, and achievements that have shaped my academic life.

Body Paragraphs

My journey as a student started when I was in elementary school. I vividly remember the excitement and nervousness I felt on my first day of school. I was eager to learn and make new friends. As I progressed through the years, I encountered many challenges, such as adjusting to new teachers, making the transition from elementary to middle school, and learning how to manage my time effectively. Despite these challenges, I remained committed to my studies and continued to work hard to achieve good grades.

In high school, I faced a new set of challenges. The workload was more rigorous, and I had to balance academics with extracurricular activities and part-time work. During this time, I also discovered my passion for writing and became an active member of the school newspaper. This experience taught me the value of teamwork, communication, and leadership.

As I entered college, I was both excited and nervous. I knew that college would be a new and challenging experience, but I was determined to succeed. I quickly learned that college required a higher level of dedication, discipline, and self-motivation. I had to learn how to manage my time efficiently, prioritize my tasks, and seek help when needed. Despite the challenges, I thrived in college and became more confident in my abilities. I also discovered new interests and passions, such as studying abroad and volunteering in my community.

Conclusion:

My journey as a student has been a remarkable experience. It has taught me valuable life skills, such as perseverance, time management, and teamwork. I have learned to adapt to new situations and challenges, and to never give up on my dreams. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had and for the people who have supported me along the way. As I continue my academic journey, I am excited to see where it will take me and what new experiences and challenges I will encounter.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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Adjusting to the New Normal

• Posted August 14, 2020
• By Jacqueline Zeller

As the summer winds down, there are still many unknowns about what school will look like in some communities. Schools and parents are working hard to plan for how to best keep children and educators safe while providing quality education to students.

Below are some ideas parents and other primary caregivers may consider to help children adjust to the circumstances of this school year, with its many uncertainties. Many of these ideas are in line with the National Association of School Psychologists and American School Counselor Association’s Reentry Considerations and guidance regarding talking to children about COVID. This piece is meant to be informational in nature and not to provide medical advice or recommendations. These are general considerations, but parents should contact their own providers for individualized advice for their families and children.

• Talk with your child’s school and/or medical or professional provider to consult on what makes the most sense to support your child and family in the transition back to school. Each child is unique, and parents can adapt ideas to the individual needs of their children and family.  
• Provide developmentally appropriate and honest information regarding the beginning of the school year to help students understand what to expect. It is important to leave time for children to ask questions . When adults remain calm in the conversation, while offering information about successfully transitioning back to school, they can help children gain an increased sense of control. It is best not to overly focus on the news or unnecessary details that might cause increased distress to children. In general, with younger children, brief descriptions (with accurate information) are helpful. Children will respond to your emotions. Offer love and reassurance and remind children that adults, including their teachers and parents, are working to keep children safe.
• Listen to children’s questions and concerns . Remember that young children might also communicate through play.
• If children return to in-person school, they will need to be taught new routines regarding physical distancing, hygiene, wearing masks (when required), sharing, etc. It will be important that these new social expectations are taught and reinforced with patience and care. Parents may communicate with the school to understand the new expectations so that they can also have discussions and/or practice at home as needed. For example, parents might practice wearing masks or hand-washing at home. Social stories, books, comic strips, and role-playing that model and educate about the new social routines may also be useful ways to reinforce new school expectations at school and at home.  
• Connecting with the school and reading school communications can also help parents reinforce expectations with common words/phrases in both the home and school settings, when appropriate, so that children are better able to connect concepts. For example, if the phrases “social distancing” or “hygiene” are used in the school setting it might be helpful to use the same words at home when reinforcing expectations regarding the new routines.

"When children have predictable routines, feel cared for, and have a sense of safety, they have a stronger foundation to learn. Making sure that there is a balanced approach to the curriculum that acknowledges the importance of supporting children’s well-being during the start of the school year will be important."

• Connect with your child’s school if you have specific questions or concerns regarding fall plans, mental health, and family support needs, including food and/or housing assistance, etc. If parents notice significant behavioral or mood changes, they can also connect with school and/or community agencies to get referrals, if needed. Parents can connect with school counselors, school psychologists, school adjustment counselors and/or school social workers if they feel a child might benefit from additional supports at school and/or in the community. Some families might choose to reach out to their medical providers for referrals and resources for their needs. Even if these needs aren’t apparent at the beginning of the school year, keep lines of communication open with the school and providers should such needs arise at a later point. Every family and child will have their own needs, and connecting with a professional trained to help can offer more tools and resources.
• If children will be returning to school in-person, prior to the start of school, parents may consider walking or driving by the school if it is safe to do so, and if they feel it would support their child’s comfort with the transition back to school or to starting a new school.  
• If the school provides a way to do so, connect with the new teacher ahead of time to help increase the child’s comfort level. For example, some schools may have a teacher familiar to the child from a previous year introduce the new teacher or offer back-to-school events to meet teachers (even virtually). This way, students can see the teacher is excited to meet them and work with them.
• Parents of children with special needs may want to communicate any additional questions or concerns to school staff regarding available supports in the upcoming school year and how they can help their children with the beginning of the school year.
• Providing a routine is helpful to children. Knowing that the routine might need to change depending on the ongoing health situation, parents can try to plan and give warnings as much as possible if changes occur. Visual reminders of routines can also be helpful with young children.

Given the current situation, focusing on the well-being of the child will be important — especially during the beginning of the school year. The adjustment back to school is always just that — an “adjustment” — and this year brings unprecedented challenges. When children have predictable routines, feel cared for, and have a sense of safety, they have a stronger foundation to learn.  Making sure that there is a balanced approach to the curriculum that acknowledges the importance of supporting children’s well-being during the start of the school year will be important.

Parents are working hard and balancing multiple responsibilities. Parents who remember to be kind and patient with themselves, and to reach out for support when they need it, can more effectively care for their children and model positive coping strategies.

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How to Adjust Quickly to a New School

For most children, adjusting to a new school can be challenging. Exploring a different environment and meeting strangers for the first time can be overwhelming. Also, many kids miss having their friends and classmates around. 

If you have recently moved to a new location, culture shock can be a source of additional complications. As a parent or guardian, there are several steps you can take to make your child’s transition to a new school more stress-free. Below are some helpful tips for you to consider.

Encourage Positivity

Your child will probably feel a lot of uncertainty about attending a new institution as the resumption date approaches. The lack of certainty is primarily due to several factors, which include:

• Fear of not being liked by other students;
• Expectations about meeting new teachers;
• Hoping to love the new setup;
• Missing the previous environment.

All these feelings and more can overwhelm a kid. Your job as a parent in this situation is to encourage positivity. Having reassurance from you can make your child less apprehensive about attending a new school.

Students moving to a different environment may require help with assignments as they adjust. The essay helper is an excellent writing service for learners. Getting expert help may be just what a student needs to set aside some worries and stress.

Involve a Child in Decision-making

If you have more than one school to choose from, your kid should partake in the selection. Also, you can make the process engaging by presenting the pros and cons of each option. Doing this can help your kid have positive expectations about their new learning institution.

Encourage Extracurricular Participation

You should talk about extracurricular activities like music and sports. Encourage a child to select a few activities or clubs they are comfortable with. In most cases, these activities provide a teen with an excellent opportunity to interact and bond with peers. Likewise, many students may ease into learning if they are involved in none academic activities.

Try Out School Routes

Another source of anxiety for a kid attending a new school can be the route to school. As creatures of habit, people may find it challenging to navigate to a location they are not familiar with. Therefore, it may be a good idea to try out school routes with your child before school starts. You can drive to the institution if you are going to drop your kids off every day. Alternatively, you should explore school bus routes if this is the option for your children. In any case, doing this is beneficial even for those trying to adjust to offline education . It takes the edge off and introduces some level of certainty.

Prioritize Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Many parents allow their children to stay up late during the holidays. Doing this is not always a bad idea. However, you will want to switch to an early bedtime schedule once the school season approaches. A child that goes to bed early and sleeps for at least 8 hours will be well-rested and alert in the morning. It will also make the transition into a different environment easier.

Purchase School Supplies

A kid having access to appropriate school supplies will have fewer things to worry about. Hence, you should ensure you get all the needed tools and stationery. Doing this is helpful and makes fitting in easier. On the other hand, it may be a good idea to get your child new shoes and clothes as it can give them something to look forward to before the school year.

Encourage a Healthy Diet

In general, the first meal is always the most crucial. You will want your kid to begin with a healthy meal . In addition, it is beneficial to pack them a healthy snack for later in the day. Also, you should never allow your child to skip breakfast unless there is a valid reason to do so.

Prepare Before Resumption Day

Preparation is essential, especially when enrolling in a school institution. Thus, you should assist your kid in organizing all they need for school at least a day before resumption day. Encourage them to select an outfit and arrange all the supplies they require. When you do this, you make resumption day easier to navigate through.

Adjusting to a new school does not have to be overwhelming. You can make the experience more positive by using the tips presented in this article. Hopefully, this journey will be stress-free and exciting!

About the Author

Diane Sherron is an educationist. She is also a content creator. As such, Diane creates support programs for students and educators.

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Adjusting to a new school is difficult for anyone, and those difficulties are magnified when a person is faced with an alien or hostile culture. In reading these two essays, the difficulties of the two writers fall into several categories. These categories are physical, emotional, educational, economic, and political and the family stresses that result from the new educational process that the child is subjected to. While there may be many more, these stand out as significant in helping or hindering in the assimilation process.

The physical changes that one may undergo are most acutely seen in Zitkala-Sa’s essay. In her writing, she clearly outlines how she was not permitted to wear her traditional clothes or shoes, and that she even went to the extent of hiding to avoid having her hair cut. In her culture, having short hair was the sign of a coward, and she did not was the ignominy that having short hair would have meant. Once she was back on the reservation, she even writes that she “threw away her shoes” and was back in her moccasins.

She desired to shed all the conventions of western life as soon as she could. The emotional tolls are much higher. Ning Yu writes that in order to understand English, he came up with comparatives in Chinese. While they were not as flattering, it was his way of coping emotionally with being forced to hate a culture he had never seen. When his adulterations of the language were discovered, he lived with the stress of wondering if he would be sent to jail for saying unflattering things about Chairman Mao.

The Term Paper on The Role of Culture in Discourse

... that, the perception on having facial hair is also poles apart between these two cultures. Koreans tend to look at facial ... hair slightly in a different way from Westerners. ... persons respectful of and engaged with people from distinctly different cultures. The understanding of diversity and engendering respect for difference ...

The emotional toll also played on his father, who watched his son struggle with a difficult language, and then taught him how to be fully literate in that self-same language. In Zitkala-Sa’s story, we see that she was terribly unhappy with what she was being subjected to. From hiding under a bed to crying in her mother’s arms, she shows quite succinctly how the idea of being assimilated into white society was affecting her. Her mother, while very upset that her daughter was upset, tries to console her by telling her to read the “white man’s papers (202)”. She shows herself to be a bit more pragmatic.

She understands that for her daughter to be successful, she must be subjected to the inhumanity of going to the white man’s schools. The educational tolls are also high. Ning Yu and Zitkala-Sa were both initially resistant to the changes that were thrust upon them. By the end of their stories, they are both at some level embracing the language and the culture that they were being taught. By the end of Ning Yu’s essay, he was earning a living shoveling dung and selling it, and was proud of the “drudgery” that he had performed when he was struggling to read Pride and Prejudice (181).

In Zitkala-Sa’s essay, we find that she wanted to go to the same party as her cousin, even though that cousin was dressed in the clothes of the white man (202).

There existed within these two individuals a need for acceptance within the new language system and society that was being thrust upon them, and the internal struggle that came with that wrought an enormous emotional toll. The economic stresses are also severe. This is most apparent in Ning-Yu’s essay, when he talks about the differences between “black” and “red” Chinese people.

He was a “black” Chinese, and his professor was considered a loyal “red” Chinese. He lived in a poor slum area of his city, and his family had been split apart. His father, who had been a professor, was disgraced for consorting with the British, and was considered a pariah. Zitkala-Sa was not from a wealthy family, but she was still considered a pariah in her own right because she was not a white child, and was being thrust into a white school with a completely different socieo-economic strata that she was not accustomed to.

The Term Paper on Language Acquisition Child Words Months

CONTENT Introduction... 3 Main body 1. Language acquisition... 42.The stages of language acquisition... 52. 1. The pre linguistic stage... 72. 2.Babbling... 72. 3. One-word utterances... 92. 4.Two-word utterances... 102. 5. Telegraphic speech... 132. 6.Language learning during the pre-school period... 163. The critical period... 174. The summary of behaviour's to expect of children with normally ...

The political stresses were also severe. There was a complete and total expectation that these two were the new breed for their society and would lead them to a new era of success. This is most clearly seen in Ning-Yu’s essay. It is very clear that the whole motive for Ning-Yu’s education in English is to assimilate him into a new culture, and as a political maneuver by the regime of Chairman Mao. Finally, the family stresses are immense. Ning-Yu’s father was taken away from him for over a year and a half.

At some level, Ning-Yu’s father may have been proud of his son, but at the same time, he knew that his son was being trained to be alienated from him. Zitkala-Sa’s family struggled with the assimilation of their child into a foreign culture while they watched their own culture slip away. There is no easy answer to these problems. The time that is taken away from these children can never be given back. It takes years to see the damage, if any, that the forcing of language and culture has on a person of foreign birth.

In both of these cases, there appears to be no consideration for the home lives or the individual nature of these children. Instead, they are treated like cattle and are forced into a cultural melange that they do not understand or want to understand. Viewed with the hindsight of history, we must see that children are people, and are also individuals, and should be treated as such. The ultimate goal in assimilating a language or culture should also be in maintaining a pride and a link to their rich cultural past.

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The New School 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

You Have: 

The New School 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 2 essays of 400 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Community

The New School asks applicants to respond to two essay prompts in 400 words or fewer. It’s very possible that if you’re applying to a specific major, you may have to write a third essay! We recommend starting your application in the Common App to see what’s in store. In the meantime, let’s dive into the two essays all students have to write!

In your study or work at The New School, what social issue or system would you make the focus of your efforts to effect change? (400 words)

The New School wants to welcome students to campus who not only want to make their mark, but also feel passionate about making the world a better place. The issue you choose to discuss can really run the gamut. Which social issues are close to your heart and why? Maybe you would love to address reproductive rights and expand healthcare access for people in historically underserved communities. Perhaps you’d like to address systemic racism and discrimination within your area of study. Remember to connect the social issue you’re passionate about to your vision of life at The New School. You should be able to point to specific examples of their offerings that will help you to effect change, whether they be classes, networking opportunities, research, etc.

What specific aspects of The New School’s academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention within your essay to the college, program, and/or campus to which you have applied. ( 400 words)

This is a pretty standard “why” essay that allows students to choose their line of focus: academics or community. Admissions wants to know what has inspired you to apply, so save their time (and yours) by cutting to the chase. Of course, brevity isn’t the same as generality, so make your point with specifics. As with any other “why” essay, take some time to do your research. Scour your program’s website for information about classes, professors, unique opportunities, and notable alumni. What catches your eye? What inspires you? How does it connect to an interest you have? How does The New School’s unique curriculum satisfy your needs in a way no other school could? If the community drew you in, why is that? Have you heard wonderful things from your older brother who attends? Do you dream of studying in New York City? (If so, why is The New School the NYC institution for you, out of all the myriad options in the area?) This is your opportunity to impress admissions with your knowledge of what The New School has to offer, your vision for your future, and why those two things are aligned.

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• Solar Eclipse 2024

What the World Has Learned From Past Eclipses

C louds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything.

The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einstein’s new theory of general relativity.

Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Sun’s light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Sun’s gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it.

Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil.

Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar “prominences,” filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others.

Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers’ strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right.

“Lights All Askew In the Heavens,” the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discovery—as so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe.

To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity.

Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.

On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also can’t accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun.

Albert Einstein’s most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves.

Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse

This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to us—like our Sun. But normally, it’s impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse.

Einstein’s theory gives an equation for how much the Sun’s gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newton’s theory predicts only half that amount of displacement.

Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity , by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einstein’s ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: “The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein,” he wrote , “and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate.”

The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization.

Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomers—or astrologers, really, but the goal was the same—were able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen.

The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planet’s axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky.

As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur.

Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earth’s rotation is slowing—which is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years.

By the middle of the 19 th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules César Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coronium—before learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Sun’s atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind.

And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercury’s strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planet’s path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it.

Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea right—or wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos.

GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earth’s gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise.

This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earth’s atmosphere; the Sun’s atmosphere; the Sun’s magnetic fields; and the Sun’s atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections.

When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse , the Moon’s day — or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely — think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon.

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What Students Are Saying About Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’

Chronic absenteeism has increased in American schools since the Covid-19 pandemic. We asked teenagers what they make of the trend.

By The Learning Network

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

The increases have occurred in districts big and small, and across income and race.

In “​ Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere ,” Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris explain:

The trends suggest that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture of school, in ways that may be long lasting. What was once a deeply ingrained habit — wake up, catch the bus, report to class — is now something far more tenuous. “Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University.

In a related Student Opinion question , we asked teenagers if that explanation resonated with them. Had their relationship to school — and school attendance — changed since the pandemic? And if so, what did they make of this shift?

Many students said, yes, school feels different now. Why? They pointed to remote learning changing their routines, an increase in anxiety and a decrease in motivation, the ease of making up schoolwork online and much more. Read their responses in full below.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation on our writing prompts this week, including students from Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, Pa .; Norwood High School in Norwood, Mass.; and West Salem High School in Salem, Ore.

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

Remote learning made students comfortable with missing school.

I believe that there are two main contributors to missing school too much. The first is online school. Myself included. It was very easy to simply leave the call after taking attendance and the teacher wouldn’t realize. Skipping class was easy and you could still get high grades. Transitioning back to real school, kids still held that true. They knew that they could miss school and still do well because covid taught that to them. The second reason is punishment. When you miss school, nothing happens. Class goes on and you have a little extra homework the next day but that’s it. What is the issue with missing class is a very common thought and it’s true. There is very minimal downside to missing school. When I had surgery, I missed a full week of school and within a day and a half, I was fully caught up again. Missing school has just become all too easy.

— Xavier, Pennsylvania

2020 was when our lives completely changed for the worst. We all had to stay inside and stay separate from each other. It was terrible, not being able to talk to my friends, and seeing the death toll on news constantly rise. However, after a year into the pandemic, I believe students realized the power they now had, including me. Now that I am a highschooler, I am going to admit that sometimes I would just mute my class and do whatever I wanted. School became shorter and easier to pass than ever before. That’s why when we all transitioned back into school, it was weird. We all still wanted to get through class the “easy way,” yet now that we were back, it wasn’t possible. This is why we started increasing our absences. The threat of absence has become weak, students are not as afraid to stay out of school. Furthermore the threat of being infected gave just one more reason to be out of school, for the sake of “preventing others from getting sick,” when in reality you feel fine. That is most likely why the absences in school had an exponential increase.

— Joshua, Pennsylvania

Students feel like expectations are lower than they were before the pandemic.

As a student in high school, I’ve come to realize the horrible state our attendance has been in since the pandemic. The reason can be simplified into one idea: laziness. We are lazy, willing to do only enough to get by, no more, no less. If a student doesn’t need to come to a class to obtain the grade they wish to achieve, then they won’t show up. Classes are not challenging enough to make students feel that they are worth going to. My mom is used to getting texts from me during the school day, begging to be excused from a class where “we’re doing nothing” or, “I already finished the work,” which is true, yet I abuse the opportunity to miss class because I know there will be no greater coincidence, I will still be getting an A. Due to my laziness, I would rather be at home taking a nap than sitting in a class with no greater impact on my life.

— Clara, Salem, Oregon

Since the pandemic, schooling has been focused on getting students caught up to where we’re supposed to be. Consequently, more allowances are made for students who don’t do assignments or don’t even show up. And with the switch to all online because of the pandemic, things have never shifted back. If a student misses a day or even a week, they can easily see what they missed and do it and submit it from home. With this option giving them the exact same grade as it would if they actually went to school, it’s no wonder why students are choosing to stay at home or skipping class. Additionally, the pandemic had heightened anxiety levels in students, specifically social anxiety, making them less likely to show up. The allowances made by the school district for students has created a space for students to be lazy and get away with it. This is fostering a negative impact on student work ethic not only now, but also in the future when this generation will be entering the work force.

— Emma, West Salem High School

The period of school shutdowns got students out of their school routines.

When I think back to virtual learning, my brain automatically goes to how stress free it was. I was in sixth grade when Covid first hit and going through a period of my life where I was extremely anxious at school. I believe that this break is exactly what I needed at the time. However, I do believe that in the long run, this online learning time period got a lot of people into the routine of not having a routine. A lot of people at my school would turn their camera off and fall asleep or go on their phones during online learning. I believe that there were times that I did this as well. I also think that this mindset carried through into the grades where I did not have an online/hybrid option. In eighth and ninth grade, I happened to stay home sick, go into school late, or leave early a lot. I think this is due to me not taking school as seriously due to the grading methods that were being used and how some of my teachers were not grading harshly. Now that I am a sophomore in high school, I think I have finally gotten back into the routine of actual schooling and not staying home sick unless I actually feel extremely sick.

— Madison, Pennsylvania

Before the pandemic and as I was growing up, I was the kind of student that wanted perfect attendance. For some odd reason, it made me feel like a better student if I never missed a day. This included turning my parents down when they offered me to go on trips, even though I was only in fourth grade and the work that I would have missed wouldn’t have made an impact in my academic career. However, after the pandemic school began to feel optional. We felt what it was like to fall out of the routine that going to school was and were never able to fully recover from it. I think that having experienced attending school from your bed, in your pajamas has played a major role in the current trend of students receiving more absences. For me, it made me realize that the “0” next to your number of absences didn’t matter as much as I had once thought. As a now highschooler, the school days are long and every class requires an abundance of work and undivided attention that whenever there is a substitute or not much going on, it is easy to decide to leave school. With senior year approaching, everything’s purpose is college and the fact that colleges aren’t able to see how many absences a student has when they apply, does play a role in the increasing number of absences.

— Ava, Miami Country Day School

Because assignments and other materials are online, students find they can keep up with their classes even if they don’t attend school.

Schools have adjusted rules so much that it makes school feel optional. Don’t want to attend class publicly? Take online classes. Don’t want to take “required” state testing? Opt out. Before, school seemed strict, we didn’t have the option to opt out of tests, we didn’t think of taking online school. Yet now, schools make it so easy to skip because everything is simply online. Our assignments, lectures, and teachers are all online. There are no longer requirements in school. What’s the point of attending if we can graduate without taking state testing or attending advisory — also a requirement, yet I no longer have an advisory because my counselors said I don’t need to take it to graduate. It’s confusing. Students have been enabled for over 4 years now since quarantine started. School doesn’t feel mandatory, it’s optional. I’m currently enrolled into 2 AP classes, so I try my best not to miss school. But it’s inevitable, I get sick, I have family situations or maybe I simply don’t feel like attending school. But I see people skip school like nothing. “I didn’t feel like going” is a constant statement I hear. Not many students have the motivation to attend, and simply don’t go because they have a comfort in their head that they can graduate while missing multiple days of school nearly everyday.

— Olivia, Salem, OR

Current absenteeism rates have significantly impacted my learning experience for the past few years. Since the pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the perception of the value of education and whether or not attendance is an important factor in a student’s academic success. In the years following 2020, I found myself struggling to make it to class everyday due to my new found efficiency of working at home with my computer. I felt that even if I was not in class personally, I would be able to keep up with my work easily as it was all online regardless. Due to this I would go on trips or skip class purely because I was under the impression that I would be able to continue achieving virtually.

— Ruby, RFHS

Before the pandemic, my attendance was stable but after the pandemic, my absences were piling on. It was difficult to get back in the rhythm of in person school when I had already done a whole year online, but now my attendance in school is definitely getting better. On the other hand, students in my school tend to miss school and it is a rare sight to see a full class. Some students go as far as showing up to class once a week and just do the classwork online. After the pandemic, schools went from paperwork to all online, which is a big reason why students miss all the time, knowing that school work can just be done at home. It has definitely affected students’ grades and goals in life, but hopefully in the future, absences can lower back down.

— Emily, Atrisco Heritage Academy High School

Going to school, and finding the motivation to have as good an attendance record as possible, now feels like more of a struggle.

As students, we’ve developed a comfort in staying in bed during school without having to get ourselves ready to go outside. We had the ability to wake up five minutes before “school” started to get on our zoom calls. Now, we must wake up an hour and a half prior, and make breakfast and pack lunch, before driving to school. The process is tenuous as the article states, but because we’ve accustomed to a different lifestyle, it just makes this one seem like so much more work. I, myself have noticed my difference in attendance after COVID-19. I used to be very obsessed with perfect attendance, but I had 11 absences in my sophomore year, right after coming back from online school. Nowadays, I’m more lenient on myself when it comes to taking a mental health day, because the process can be overwhelming. School is very important, so of course I try to always come in, but sometimes it can be hard. I have not noticed this trend in the world, as well as with myself until this article. It’s enlightening to know that this had not only an effect on me, but all over the country. Hopefully the rates of absenteeism will decrease as time goes on, because we are the future.

— Anisha, New Jersey

Before virtual learning, I never made much of a habit of not turning in work or showing up for class. It was so much easier then but since virtual learning, it had become incredibly difficult for me to focus as well as keep up motivation to continue school. It was easy to skip and nobody really said much about it so it easily became a bad habit. That bad habit eventually leaked into normal school as well and it always sounds so much easier to break out of than it actually is.

— Tayy, NRHS

As the average high school class skipper (only sometimes), in my personal experience, missing out on classes hasn’t really been because of mental health concerns, but more of just lasting laziness from the pandemic. I feel as though I was relatively hard working in middle school/elementary but after a few years off with only half effort assignments, I have grown to become more sluggish and reluctant when it comes to more advanced work while in school. And it makes the option of missing out on classes because of my own reluctance a lot more appealing.

— Luke, Bali, Indonesia

My schedule during the week is get up, get ready for school, go to school, go home, do homework, go to sleep and then I repeat that everyday for 5 days. As much as I don’t want to dread going to school, it’s exhausting having the same schedule repeated everyday of the week. While in school, you have assignments assigned nearly everyday. I feel as though school has had a change in its meaning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While in quarantine, we were looking at a screen for the whole day and lacked motivation to get assignments done. When we shifted to in person school again, it didn’t change. I now look at school as a task that I need to complete to shape my future. I need to have all my assignments perfect and turned in on time. The meaning of school has turned into a draining task rather than a place that you look forward to going to.

— Jamisan, Salem, Oregon

Some students face challenges in attending class that may have nothing to do with the pandemic.

I don’t believe that students are skipping because it is so easy to catch up and pass, despite their absences. In fact, I know that a lot of people who skip aren’t passing most of their classes. They do this because their parents don’t hold them accountable, and there is always something deeper going on in that student’s life that makes it that much harder for them to find the motivation to go to class. I don’t think making the classes harder will hold students more accountable, but in fact deter them from going to class at all. If a student is aware that they are failing and doesn’t understand the concept of the class, and the class proceeds to become harder, they are going to quickly become unmotivated to go to class in the first place, feeling out of place compared to the other — passing — students in the class. While I don’t have a solution for this problem, myself, I feel that the problem is much broader than we suspect, and the answer will be a much deeper journey to find.

— Kylie, West Salem HS

Schools can do more to get students back in class.

I attend a French school in London and attendance is closely monitored. Absences have to be justified by your parents or you could get into trouble. I think it’s important to attend school as we did before Covid - because as well as learning the curriculum, it is crucial to socialise with your friends and classmates, which is good for your mental health … I wonder if social media could be a factor? If students did not have access to social media or the internet, would they prefer to be in school with their friends? This increase in absenteeism could affect students’ chances of getting into University when they come to finish school or even their opportunities later in life. Students need to be reminded of this more and more perhaps. School helps you to learn not just about facts but also helps to build your emotional quotient & social intelligence — which are all valuable for life.

— Alexandre 14, London

As a current high school junior, my experiences with skipping have been minimal at best, however, I feel strongly that the reason behind skipping is pretty simple. Students don’t care as much about school and the system encourages it. When faced with the choice of sitting in a class and learning about the Patagorian theorem or hanging out with friends, many students are now choosing the latter. The lack of care or effort being put forth in school doesn’t even affect their grades! This is due to certain classes having minimal grades set at 50%, which is 10% away from a pass. This system is actively encouraging people to put minimal effort into a class just to get a pass and graduate. Removing courses like this would certainly raise the importance of getting the work done. Another solution to this problem would be having attendance as a grade, if your grade depends on you being in classes then most would show up. If you have to show up to class to pass then more students would be inclined to do so. The emphasis is on not bending the knee to people who don’t want to show up to class, not giving them a minimal 50%, we should mark attendance for a passing grade, and letting them fail. If we keep letting students skip with minimal consequences then their attitudes won’t change and thus hinder our students’ growth.

— Henry, Salem, OR

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School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

• College of the Environment
• University of Washington

SEFS Associate Professor, Laura Prugh, pens Guest Essay for New York Times

SEFS Associate Professor, Dr. Laura Prugh, writes that ditching daylight savings, as many are in favor of, would be a mistake.

Prugh writes, “It’s not just that our afternoons and evenings would be shrouded in more darkness, which often comes with higher crime, more vehicle collisions and fewer opportunities to enjoy the outdoors after work or school. There’s another problem with standard time, and it’s gone all but unnoticed until now. Last year, my research team showed that standard time leads to far more vehicles colliding with deer .” We aren’t just talking deer deaths. Human deaths and injuries as well as collision costs are also at stake. “The switch from daylight saving to standard time in autumn causes peak traffic volumes to shift from before sunset to after sunset, leading to a 16% spike in deer-vehicle collisions. By reducing traffic after dark, our model predicts that year-round daylight saving time would prevent 36,550 deer deaths, 33 human deaths, 2,054 human injuries, and US$1.19 billion in collision costs annually.”

Read the article in the New York Times