Happy New (school) Year

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, today is big. Teachers are holding their breath as the final tweaks are made to class lists, hoping that all of the planning has led to the best possible class dynamics and a calm classroom. Parents are holding their hearts as their little people march off (or, in some cases, are lovingly coaxed away by supportive teachers and school staff), hoping with every cell in their bodies that their children have been matched with the right teachers and the right friendship groups.

As I sit in my work room, typing away, planning my week and making sure I’ve ticked all the boxes, my heart feels a little heavy too. I LOVE teaching, and this is the first time in many, many years that I am not hitting the ground running with support plans — hoping I’ve done everything in my power to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of the children I know I’ll be supporting. I have to remind myself why I am doing what I am doing, and so I want to share a little about what is happening in so many schools today.

Firstly, everyone should know this: all teachers, everywhere, genuinely want the best for your children. Sometimes that can be hard to remember when you feel alone on the journey with a child who is experiencing difficulties at school. The reality is that schools are incredibly complex places. In some settings, one teacher may have as many as 15 Personalised Learning and Support Plans to prepare. This reflects the number of students with additional needs — children who may be in Out of Home Care, who may have a diagnosis requiring specific adjustments, or who may have no diagnosis at all. In many cases, these plans are not a legal requirement, but teachers create them because they know it is the best way to acknowledge and plan for the individual needs students bring into their classrooms.

Although it feels like an enormous break for both teachers and students, teachers have spent the last few weeks preparing for the year ahead. The volume of administrative tasks required at the start of a school year is overwhelming — mandatory training, class profiles, plans, name tags, behaviour management systems, researching conditions they may not have encountered before but suspect they will, seating plans, parent communication systems, team communication systems… and even reflecting on how they might manage their own work–life balance better than they did last year.

Public school teachers then returned last Tuesday for four days of intensive planning with colleagues and whole-school teams. There was more discussion around class lists, assigning roles (who will lead sport? dance? excursions?), PROGRAMMING, completing school-identified professional learning, setting up classrooms, gathering as much information as possible about students, and trying to find a sense of calm in the chaos.

This is why I chose to take a different path. It is incredibly difficult to meet the needs of every student in your class when there are so many competing demands. By stepping outside the square, I am able to slow down and look at one student at a time. I can listen to the hopes and dreams parents have for their child, truly get to know what will help that child reach their full potential — both socially and academically — and support them accordingly. I understand what is realistic within classrooms and school systems, and I can complement school life with workshops, tutoring, and family plans when anything is getting in the way of a safe and calm school experience.

No two children have the same school experience, yet we live in a society that expects them all to enter education and do the same thing — learn at the same rate, follow the same rules — while simultaneously claiming to meet the needs of every child from every background. Teachers are trying. They are trying so hard. If you send your child to school feeling worried that they are being lost in the crowd, please don’t be afraid to seek support.

If you don’t have access to someone who does what I do — advocating for students and supporting families and teachers throughout the education journey — your next points of contact after the classroom teacher are usually the Stage Assistant Principal, followed by the Learning Support Team. When you work within the system, it’s easy to forget that families don’t always understand their options or the processes involved. It is okay to ask for clarity. It is okay to ask for reassurance.

And finally, it is so easy to become bitter and frustrated when you feel the system is working against your child. It is completely normal to want to protect and defend your child when you feel they are not being seen or understood — especially if your own schooling experience was less than ideal. But here’s the thing: you will make so much more progress when you see yourself and the school as part of the same team, working toward the best outcomes for your child. This is where I do my best work — bringing the team together.

If you are reading this, you are doing an amazing job. You are doing your best. Parenting and teaching are two of the hardest — and most important — jobs in the world. I’ve done both, and I know this to be true.

Keep going.

Find your people.

Ask your questions.

Do you need support to smooth out your child's education journey? Book your free initial consultation with me, Chelle, today to find out how Learn by Heart can help you and your family.

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