By Leland Pulley
The question What to Do with a New School Year affects three groups of people. Each group is affected by choices dealing with school and education.
1. Children and Adolescents – For them September marks the annual ritual of starting another school year. Some school choices are available. Most students will attend a public or private school. Some will begin home school. Hopefully, the school your student is attending is satisfactory to both of you. The shopping has been done for school supplies and clothing. Every student should be ready to get involved and have a successful academic year.
Where does all this leave parents? Some are happy their kids have a place to go five days a week. The school is safe and even has free or subsidized meals in some cases. What more could you ask for! This means more time for parents to do things they want without the kids being around. In contrast, the summer had more day-care expenses and required more involvement by parents in the lives of their kids. Yes, schools could be viewed as both centers of education as well as places to take care of kids from nine to three, Monday through Friday. Many schools offer after school activities of various types to give the students something to do, and thus allow parents more hours before picking up their students or having them arrive home from school.
Fortunately, most parents view schools in a more positive way than described above. They want their students to do well academically and are willing to help them meet this goal. They will pay for their student(s) to attend a better school. They will help each student with homework. They will hire a tutor to help the student. They will serve as volunteers in the schools of their kids. This is most effective when parent are volunteers in the classroom itself.
Even though the school year is beginning, it is important for parents not to forget informal schooling. They should supplement the formal education associated with school, with training and informal education in the home. This includes such things as teaching responsibility, developing good eating habits, and learning appropriate manners. Parents can also provide learning experiences to their kids via private lessons for various activities; helping them to participate in community and church activities; and exposing them to various cultural experiences in their society.
Usually, mothers are more involved in the schooling of kids than dads. This may be expected at younger ages. But as kids get older, dads should get more involved. This is especially true for boys. If mom has to work as well as dad, there is no reason dad cannot help with homework or attend a school activity as well as mom. I speak as a father of both boys and girls, who attended public schools in many states and had some homeschooling too. I did a lot of educational activities with my kids, as well as my wife. Often it is helpful for husband and wife to take a team approach. For example, I was stronger academically in math and science than my wife so I would take more of the lead in these subjects as the kids got into middle and high school. My wife is more creative and took the lead in art, music, and fictional writing. As a nurse she handled all the health and biology classes.
Another consideration is to be a supporter for schools, rather than a critic. Get involved. Actually, go to your student=s school and witness the environment there. Talk with the teachers of your students and other school personnel. Understand why specific rules and regulations exist. Donate time to help school activities take place. Be a supporter financially by helping schools to get the funding and supplies they need to operate. Serve on committees. Voice your opinion at school board meetings or even run for a school board seat.
2. Young Adult Choices – After high school graduation, there are several young adult choices. Your child may choose to go into the military for two or four years. He or she may want to attend a junior college for two years and then get a job. Others will transfer to a four-year university. For some college degrees, it may be best to go from high school directly into a four-year university. Depending on your home location, a two-year or four-year college may be located in your community. This will permit students to live at home longer and save thus reduce the cost of college. Another consideration is to work part-time while going to school. This provides another way to save money. Also, job experience will help the student decide what he or she really wants to study and what career they eventually want to follow. Young adults should carefully consider all the options. If they are wise, they will consult with their parents and other more experienced adults while making their choices. The costs for all the options above can vary a lot. How will your young adult pay for college or job training after high school? Make him or her pay for a lot of the bills. Also, advise them to beware of taking out large student loans for college and later finding out that the degree did not pay for itself as intended.
3. Parents and Other Adults – Last but not least, September should be a month for parents and other adults to look at their own education and job skills. The job market is very dynamic today. Many adults change jobs and even careers during adulthood. One choice is to get more formal education. Do you need to finish a college degree begun several years ago? Take 1-2 classes at a time and eventually you will meet your goal. My wife did this successfully after being a full-time mother several years. Some people will seek a master=s degree. Many can get their employer to help pay the costs, especially when the classes are related directly to the job. This will help adults to be more valuable in a changing job market. Some adults must change jobs or careers, or they simply want to work in different areas. There are plenty of flexible programs available today that allow them to continue working while pursuing educational goals too. Some of these programs require more classroom attendance than others and some allow for more online work. Costs vary with the school and program. Another choice is to develop more or better job skills for employment or to run a business. This can be done in several ways. The important thing here is that you the individual must take charge and set your own goals. Remember, over the many years of adulthood, all efforts to improve your situation will be very worthwhile. So, be optimistic and not discouraged.
In summary, as you and your family start another school year, look at what it can offer for everyone. Make a commitment to help both your kids and yourself. There may be some things that were started last year or before then, and are still not completed. Maybe some things need to be improved. Perhaps some new goals need to be set. In any case, select some specific things to do this year. Decide who will do what and then work toward success for everyone.
Key Words – children and adolescents, school choices, day-care, parents, informal schooling, teachers, young adult choices, military, college, work part-time, student loans, parents and other adults
Return to Articles page to read more articles.
If you have any comments or feedback on this article, use the Contact Us page.