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2020-2021 School Planning Considerations

May 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Summer and Fall School Planning

Undoubtedly summer 2020 is going to look and feel different than any of us imagined. Accepting this new reality will continue to take tremendous mental and emotional resources for most of us in order to find balance, reframe with optimism, and plan accordingly. To cope with and manage the uncertainty, we need to focus our school planning — and life planning — in stages that feel reasonably manageable. For each family, it’s a unique discussion, requiring curated recommendations, which we can help to organize for you.

Families are at various stages of thinking and planning. Some families are well in the groove with distance learning, while other families feel like they’re just trying to hobble to the school year finish line. Some families are surely not returning to NYC this fall, while others still aren’t sure. Many families are actively thinking about Plans A, B, and C for the summer months while also thinking ahead to the next school year.

A huge variable impacting the next couple months is the status of summer day camps and sleepaway camps. At the high school and college level, many programs have already been canceled or moved online. Therefore, we’re actively helping our upper students to get situated with online alternatives, including courses, programs, independent study (e.g. virtual science labs and computer programming), and possible volunteer or internship opportunities. The summer camp situation for our preschool, elementary, middle, and high school students is one we’re closely monitoring. Notably, the American Camping Association is expected to share additional guidelines next week. We’re feeling more hopeful for well resourced sleepaway camps than day camps, but at best it’s likely to be a shorter camp season with many new protocols in place.

Like families, schools, too, are in contingency planning mode. Ready to pivot in any number of ways, schools are contemplating a variety of options depending on evolving circumstances. School leadership is wrestling with these questions and others: Will school resume normally in September? Might students return in half groups with alternate timing? Might younger students return before older students? Will some students return but not others, thus creating a need for hybrid instruction both remotely and in-person? How do we maintain rigor and expectations? How do we maintain community? How do we manage enrollment?

We’re closely following all of these developments and remain in regular contact with school admissions directors and school leadership in NYC and across the country. Faya and I are scheduled to attend the Enrollment Management Association conference (regional seminar) on May 27th, which will include many of the admissions directors from NYC. We’re also meeting on a weekly basis with boarding schools across the country and regularly attending calls with our association groups. To that end, there are some incredible and creative procedures in place for therapeutic residential programs, for example, which are experiencing a large increase in inquiries and immediate enrollment. Under normal circumstances, these programs would be considered more restrictive school environments, but under the current circumstances, our students in therapeutic wilderness programs and therapeutic boarding schools are arguably having the more typical and less restrictive school experience with in-person teaching, in-person therapy, and peer relations. We’re also regularly in touch with representatives from established and innovative virtual school programs, which are also seeing a large increase in inquiries and enrollment. We’ll continue to stay on top of all developments and trends but don’t expect mainstream day and boarding schools to make firm decisions until later in the summer.

Because there are so many different age groups, academic needs, and schooling pathways, planning discussions need to be carefully differentiated for each family, just like our instruction. As nimble educational consultants and learning specialists, we’re here to help however we can. Think of us as your schooling phone-a-friend — preK through college — with expertise across day schools, boarding schools, and public schools. Whatever question or wonder you have about managing schooling for your children, wherever you may be currently located, we’re here for you.

Below you’ll find more information about: 1) benchmarking your child’s progress this school year, 2) summer enrichment teaching opportunities, 3) standardized testing in this climate, and 4) starting the common application essay.

Benchmarking Student Progress

The sad reality is that most students are taking an academic hit in the short term, but it’s still manageable. Considering that most private schools, for example, only started with distance learning and online learning around March 30th, we’re only just now in week 7, and the first two weeks were expectedly light. Most boarding schools and colleges will have their spring semesters concluded by the end of May, while many independent day schools will conclude their school year within the first 2 weeks of June per typical planning. Understanding that the sudden move to distance learning was head-spinning for everyone, most schools have been compassionate about their grading policies, many parents have appropriately eased pressure and expectations in response to their child’s emotional state (and/or their own), and colleges have indicated that they’ll be very reasonable about how they view this spring semester’s transcript for current juniors. But with a clear understanding that this virus isn’t just going away, and reopening NYC is going to take months (at least), we have to rally with planning as we look ahead to anticipated disruptions this summer and the upcoming school year. Hobbling to the finish line can be good enough for a lot of students this school year, but we need to be as ready as possible as we move into the next school year regarding both academic skills and plans to address continued distance learning.

For September 2020, all classroom teachers and schools are going to need to adjust their typical expectations to some degree because this last quarter of the 2019-2020 school year has been compromised. Our lower school students — and particularly our students in the primary grades — are likely going to be reading, writing, and completing math work below typical benchmarks as a result of missed instruction. Despite a school’s best efforts, pivoting to distance learning and online learning so quickly was a Herculean effort, and there was simply no way to perfectly optimize it for the 4th quarter. Moreover, there’s simply no replacement for in-person instruction and live classroom discourse. Digitals tools provide lots of opportunities and accessibility, but we typically prefer to use them as a complement to in-person instruction, especially with our younger students.

Many parents have inquired about benchmarking and making sense of report cards in this climate. They aren’t sure if their child is meeting grade level expectations or not. It’s surely not a guessing game, and parents don’t really need to wonder. The Common Core State Standards provide an excellent starting point for benchmarking, and while private schools don’t strictly follow these standards, many of them use these standards to guide their own curriculum mapping. For competitive NYC private schools, parents should look at typical grade level standards and reading benchmarks and then skew up a grade level. Keep in mind that standards aren’t “one and done” but rather build over time and across grade levels.

Since the Common Core website can be overwhelming for many parents to navigate, we like this alternative format developed by Jill McEldowney and Cathy Henry at The Curriculum Corner. For Kindergarten through 8th grades, they have created parent-friendly checklists based on CCSS in the form of “I Can…” statements available as both Excel and PDF formats.

We also make use of the Teachers College Columbia University Reading and Writing Project independent reading level quarterly benchmarking. It’s best not to get hung up on a single exit level for June but rather to think about reading levels in bands of two to three alpha letters. Performance with fiction and nonfiction texts may differ, and writing response work needs to be factored into benchmarking, particularly as students move into grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.

So while benchmarking doesn’t need to be a guessing game, it’s also not simple and quick. Ideally a portfolio of work from the entire school year is available to help guide benchmarking in addition to a variety of data points, including classroom work, homework, projects, grade level achievement testing (e.g. CTP testing), and informal classroom assessments (e.g. running records and spelling inventories). As for typing skills, typing.com offers typing speed guidelines for grades K-5.

Summer Enrichment Teaching

Because this 4th quarter of the school year has been compromised, and because many camp and summer programs are likely to be canceled or moved online, there’s an opportunity to use the summer season as an extended school year term, thus helping to avoid the summer slide. But summer learning can and should look different from academic year learning. Kids need to feel like they’re getting a break. They need to feel like the instructional time is something different. Summer learning, without school parameters in place, allows for more targeted instruction as well as project-based, interdisciplinary learning. The summer is a good time to close gaps, build expertise, or expand a passion. Ideally, the learning goals are driven by each student, which we can help to scaffold depending on age. With the help of creative and nimble educators — and the mindset that learning happens all the time and everywhere — the sky’s the limit with summer planning, and we welcome any special requests.

Moreover, as the weather improves, our faculty remains available for distance learning, but we could also consider some in-person instruction. For families who may be able to host outdoor or backyard sessions — either 1:1 or small groups of friends or siblings — we have a number of teachers who would be open to commuting and instructing or leading activities with social distancing and safety procedures in place. We’d need your help to organize the group, but it can be done with planning.

Here are some ideas from our teachers:

Physics Lab at Home combines the rigor of an in-person lab while using the constraints imposed by remote learning to foster creativity and stimulate critical thinking. Students perform experiments at home with whatever materials they have at hand. They make measurements with both simple instruments they may have and with their cellphones. Students explore mechanics, electromagnetism, optics and thermodynamics in one-on-one sessions designed to illustrate a simple, profound truth: the world around us is governed by the laws of science.

Book Groups for a few friends who haven’t been able to see each other in person. A group of cousins or other family members who usually gather during the summer at the family vacation house might also want to “meet” to discuss a high-interest book of their choosing. Mixed age groups can discuss a book that focuses on topics relevant to all or that might illuminate different perspectives. A group of students from the same school can read their assigned summer book together. Our teachers can help groups choose books, come to the meeting with ideas to share, and engage in a friendly, dynamic conversation. This can be a one-time activity or a group may choose to meet a few times over the summer.

Journal Writing Circles for teens interested in using writing to explore feelings and ideas that might be difficult to talk about or that might normally be shared with friends in more normal times. Budding writers and all students would be encouraged to write informally without worrying about judgment or “correctness,” rather focusing on recalling memories, capturing fleeting thoughts or ideas and expressing themselves through writing. Prompts would be provided either between meetings or at the beginning of the sessions to help students write about a range of experiences. Sharing would be optional.

Family History Interviews of older relatives with stories to tell! With more time on their hands, students can prepare generative questions to elicit grandparents or other family members’ stories. Working with a supportive teacher, individual students or a small group of students can prepare questions, practice interviewing, read profiles written in different formats and eventually write their own pieces that capture the experiences of their favorite relatives. Photos can be used to enhance the final stories, creating high-quality photo-journalistic pieces.

Comedy writing is a fun and creative way for kids to learn the conventions of writing and producing content while expressing themselves. My Learning Springboard is offering lessons from TV writing/screenwriting to improv comedy to expository writing and more to keep students’ writing skills sharp in a fun, relaxed setting where they can write pieces that are true to their experiences and personalities. Looking for portfolio pieces to include in art school applications? Our team of teachers have won screenwriting competitions, been nominated for Sports Emmys and more, and they are happy to help hone your student’s voice as a writer and content creator.

Super-Hero stories is a collaborative course in which students explore the traits and challenges of their favorite superheroes, including Thor, Moana, the Incredibles, and Studio Ghibli’s Chihiro. We will watch video clips and read stories to better understand how superheroes are created (their “origin stories”) and how they change over time. We will also discuss villains and whether so-called “evil” characters such as the Joker, Syndrome, and Disney’s Evil Stepmothers are born “bad” or become this way due to misfortune. Students will get a chance to present their own favorite superheroes from books and film. Then, inspired by the wide world of superheroes, students will get a chance to start thinking of their “superpowers” and how they might use their own special traits to deal with challenges and difficulties. Then, they will create their own unique superhero characters and send them off on missions and adventures. Their superhero stories will be workshopped and we will develop them using imaginative writing prompts. At the end of the course, students are invited to dress up as their characters and share their special superhero stories.

Real-Life Math and Writing Connections for elementary and middle school students means searching for ways to take fundamental skills that the students need to practice, and repackaging them into activities that target the students’ interests. For example, when practicing mean, median, range, and mode, we might analyze statistics from a student’s favorite sports team. To facilitate teaching writing skills, we pick articles on topics that are interesting to the student. Music, movies, and sports can all provide opportunities for practicing skills. We’re able to push our students to read higher level discussions of the topics that interest them and are intrinsically motivating.

Standardized Test Preparation

The summer season is also an excellent time to get a jump start on standardized test preparation at every level from lower school through college. Given the pandemic, there has been speculation that private schools might go test optional. We continue to regularly check school websites and talk with directors, and so far we’ve only noted an official policy change at Poly Prep. While more schools might take this position, we expect that the majority of students will still choose to submit ISEE or SSAT scores if possible. A solid to strong performance on a standardized measure provides advantageous data for schools to review as part of the process, particularly when the spring term was so unusual. And truly the ISEE or SSAT is just a vehicle for middle or high school readiness. Going through the process closes any gaps and advances reading, writing, and math skills. We typically see huge growth for our students between now and December. What’s less clear is the specialized high school test (SHSAT) for NYC public schools. That test is typically administered in October, and it’s been a controversial test for years that was recently redesigned. We carefully monitor any SHSAT developments.

At the college level, there’s also speculation that more schools will ease their testing requirements and become test optional. That may happen, but notably about 75% of applicants to test optional colleges still choose to submit test scores, and those scores tend to skew higher because they’re voluntarily submitted. It’s fairly unchartered territory for NYC at the middle and high school level, but it’s well in effect at the college level, and we haven’t seen it curb behavior among our families. We expect that families who can manage at-home testing procedures will proceed with test preparation programs and official testing in the months to come. All of the major publishers — The College Board, ACT, SSAT, and ERB — have either already made at-home testing available or have these procedures planned to launch in August. This includes every major test we support, including SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, APs, SAT subject tests, and graduate level exams.

For now, it seems the only age groups that are surely saved from standardized testing are our rising kindergartners and first graders. ERB has officially phased out use of the AABL, and they are not planning to resurrect the ECAA. Schools will each have to create their own assessment protocols as things stand right now.

The Common Application Essay

Each year, the Common Application itself “resets” in early August, so we advise rising seniors to wait until then to fill out its typable forms; similarly, colleges tend to post their individual supplemental essay prompts in August or early September. But the Common Application has already released its essay prompts for the upcoming application cycle, making spring and summer an ideal time to begin the writing process—particularly this year. At a time when everyone’s plans have been upended, starting the Common Application essay injects a bit of normalcy. It allows students some control while challenging themselves creatively, with no pressing deadlines. It is one of the concrete steps that they can take in shaping their future, an opportunity to reflect on where they’ve been—such as a nook on a living-room floor, a treacherous rock wall, or a thumping concert arena—where they are, and where they will go.

By Brad Hoffman, Faya Hoffman, and Laurie Gross
My Learning Springboard Leadership Team

How to Avoid the Summer Slide

May 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

Summer is fast approaching and many parents have already planned activities and camps for their children, or they’re in the process of planning or recalibrating given the pandemic. We know that summer is the ultimate freedom, the time for exploration and play, the time to finally unwind from the busy school year. So how do you maintain your child’s academic skills while enjoying the freedom and playfulness of summer vacation? A critical part of summer planning relates to academics and keeping students’ skills not only intact, but also progressing. Each year, we observe that some of our own students slide back several weeks or months when summer vacation does not include any academic practice. While many students can recover fairly quickly during the fall, this summer slide is an unnecessary setback that can negatively impact a student’s confidence and make going back to school more difficult.

When you stop and think about it, the contrast between the structure of the school year and the liberation of summer is profound. During the school year, students are asked to sustain attention for long periods of time, to read critically, to write reflectively, to problem solve, and to synthesize information. The summer is typically the yin to the school year yang.

But a balance can be achieved to keep those learning muscles strong while still allowing for some rest and recovery. We view learning as a marathon, not a sprint, and the current school year schedule makes that tricky. With proper planning and collaboration, parents can help their children to maintain a successful position without creating a household battle.

So how do you do it? Each situation, each learner’s response to instruction, and each teacher is unique. For summer success, especially this year, we encourage parents to develop a strategic plan in partnership with their school, child, and, possibly, private tutor. From camp to virtual field trips to kitchen-lab science, there are tremendous enrichment and experiential learning opportunities available.

During the summer, students also need to practice sustaining attention, synthesizing information, and problem-solving in more structured ways to avoid cognitive atrophy and allow for a fairly seamless transition back to school. Here are 5 tips for planning summer learning. The most important thing is to set yourself up for success. Choose from the suggestions below, commit to a schedule and hold strong. Follow your child’s lead, but insist on a minimum of 15 minutes for each activity to maintain stamina. But most importantly, have fun!

1) Talk to your child’s teacher by early June. Prepare a friendly email or request a brief conference asking for recommendations of skills or concepts to work on during the summer. You might refer back to report card comments to confirm if certain skills were mastered. Also, confirm if there is any required schoolwork for the summer. Many schools ask students to read a certain number of books, to write book reports, or to complete math practice work over the summer. Book lists or summer packets may be available.

2) Talk with your kids about their learning goals. Once you’ve gathered more information from the school, share it with your children and talk with them about their summer interests. Review your family calendar and share the options for summer activities. Make your kids part of the process.

3) Read daily. It takes discipline, but all students need to read daily for a minimum of 20 minutes. Students also need to be engaged in conversations about the text. It is incredibly complex to develop proficiency with summarizing, identifying the main idea, determining an author’s message, or explaining the theme. Students need tremendous practice and modeling. For independent reading, should have “just right” books at an appropriately challenging reading level. Many families have the most success when this reading time is scheduled first thing in the morning or as an afternoon “siesta” period.

4) Practice writing and typing (even drawing helps). There are lots of ways to practice writing over the summer that are meaningful and fun. Our students often like to keep journals for writing friendly letters to their parents, family members, or tutors about their reading, and they love getting a written response in return. Students also like to write stories and publish their own books. A great site to use is www.blurb.com, and summer journaling with a tutor can be managed locally or from a distance via online collaborative tools. Typing is also a real-life skill that every student should master at an early age. Software is available to help students develop proficient typing skills.

5) Practice math. Set aside at least 3-4 times a week for math practice. Math practice should include problem-solving, mastering basic facts, and building number sense. Workbooks, games, and websites are readily available in addition to customized private programs and math camps. IXL.com has practice activities for every grade level aligned with state standards.

We wish everyone a wonderful and well-deserved summer vacation and a smooth transition back to school in the fall.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Online Learning: Supporting Preschool Students

April 14, 2020 Leave a Comment

Supporting Preschool Students

Are you and your preschooler having difficulty adjusting to distance learning? Believe me, you are not alone. This isn’t easy, in fact sometimes it’s completely overwhelming. For parents, assisting with online learning feels like a third job and our kids are confused by their new daily routine. The transition to virtual classrooms has been difficult for all ages. That being said, distance learning presents a unique set of challenges for supporting preschool students which leave most of us wondering — is this even worth it?

In preschool, our primary curriculum is based on social/emotional growth. Of course, we also teach pre-reading skills, handwriting, early math and science concepts but the primary goal is to teach children how to learn and function as part of a group. For this, continuing interaction with classmates and teachers is necessary. Given that Rule #1 in early childhood education is to limit screen time, it is no wonder we are all so confused now that screens are the only way to maintain this connection. Yes, Zoom sessions are far from ideal, but they are the best tool we have at the moment. Based on my decade and a half of working with children ages 3-7, I’d like to share a number of helpful hints to make this experience easier and more beneficial. But first, let me share one thought very specific to how we are teaching at the moment and supporting preschool students.

You know that camera in the middle of the laptop? The one we are all looking at all the time now — that shows every facial expression, every flaw — forget about it! Nobody is judging you as a parent (or your child) based on what we see on Zoom. Seriously. They roll on the ground, that’s fine. They run off to look at something else, it happens. In a physical classroom, there are up to four adults whose job is simply to educate your children, anticipate difficult situations and be their guide in every moment. At home, you may have three other students on three other devices, or you may be on a conference call, or you may simply be using the time to disengage for five minutes. Your teachers know this. Let your child be who they are, and you can be who you need to be. If you can engage in the lesson, wonderful. If not, don’t worry. We aren’t judging you just as we hope you aren’t judging us. We’re in this together supporting our preschool students – and we all have to give ourselves a break!

Remember, your preschooler needs two simple things to thrive: predictability and consistency. What stinks right now is that we have neither, so it is up to us to create a framework for our kids. Your teachers provide the foundation through live sessions, videos and assignments. So now you have the daunting task of filling in the other 10-12 waking hours of your child’s day. There is a lot of advice out there — I’m a teacher and even I find it overwhelming. So, here are my real-life suggestions for supporting preschool students:

Set up a schedule.

Simple right? I know it takes a little time, but it is worth it! Make it fun, involve your child if you can, and do yourself and your kid a favor — don’t put times on it. Rather make it a pictorial sequence with words. For example: free play, ZOOM, snack, then scooter time, puzzles…you get the idea. If you are looking for an activity, have your child draw the pictures (if not, figure out whatever is easiest for you). There is a reason that most early childhood classrooms have a pictorial schedule hanging on the wall. Your child has no actual concept of time, but the schedule gives a sense of order and autonomy. Without your help, your child knows what to expect and how the day will look. What’s more, and this is the added benefit, it allows you to keep the day on course for both of you.

Do what works for you, your kid and your family.

Some of the parents I speak to want more ZOOM, all day zoom. Others say, it’s too much, they can’t do all of this with their child. They have calls to make, work to do, other things they need to take care of. It is ok, take care of what you need to take care of. Nothing, I mean it, nothing is going to happen to your child if they miss a Zoom class with their teacher in Pre-K. You have the ability to take Zoom off the schedule for the day. Also, you have the ability to do the following: throw in the towel for an afternoon, serve breakfast for dinner and let them watch Trolls Two on repeat. It will be fine. As long as it isn’t all day every day.

Make the most of Zoom sessions, when you can.

It is a reasonable expectation that your child can sit in on the zoom sessions with an adult somewhere nearby. Ideally, within earshot in case they need you, but you don’t need to be on top of them. This has dual benefits — you get a bit of a break and your child has a bit of independence. This autonomy is actually the reason that social emotional learning can continue virtually. Teaching on Zoom is much different than having four teachers physically in the room making sure your child doesn’t call out or has time at a specific drawing, puzzle or word station. This very fact makes Zoom excellent for building frustration tolerance and problem solving skills as a way of supporting preschool students. Waiting for a turn to speak on Zoom can feel like an eternity, especially when your child has gotten used to A LOT of one-on-one adult attention. However, children learn quickly that if they wait patiently, they will get a chance to speak. If a child needs help with something on zoom, the teacher cannot physically help so our goal is for our kids to try to problem- solve on their own, before going to a parent. Again, this takes time, but each week should become a little easier as students adjust to the new rules.

Get some help.

You are not alone – even though it sometimes feels like we all are. You and your child’s teacher are partners in this. If something isn’t working for your child, reach out. Don’t be shy about (kindly) asking the teacher for suggestions to make the day easier. There are tons of resources online for independent work your child can do with minimal guidance. Get together with other parents to have virtual playdates through zoom or FaceTime. Give it a theme — share stuffed animals, have a dance party, chat over snack. My kids actually like building with Legos next to each other – they build in silence, occasionally having side conversations and they love it! This can be done successfully in pairs or in small groups (don’t try to get everyone together at once). Keep it simple and keep it short – if it’s a hit, you can always do it again. If it’s not, whoops — try something different next time!

Bring in someone to help.

Some teachers, myself included, are available for 1:1 private tutoring via Zoom or Google Meets. Some children just refuse to do work with their parents. If you are concerned that your child will not be ready for school in the fall or simply feel that you need someone else to step in to supplement your child’s daily learning, we are here.

Remember none of this is normal, we are all struggling and your kiddo might be as well (this also might be the best vacation ever). Make the best choices for your family, feel free to take a break when you need one. There will be no judgment. Supporting preschool students is something we are all figuring out together, and we will.

Written by Jackie Kristel, an Early Childhood Specialist with My Learning Springboard. With more than fifteen years of experience working with students, Jackie is currently a head teacher at one of the most respected private nursery schools in New York City.

To schedule private sessions with Jackie or other faculty members, please contact us to discuss your family’s needs.

Common Application Essay Coaching

April 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

“When I was still small enough to fit in the sun-drenched space between the armoire and the couch, I sat cross-legged and spun the world.”

“There I was, hanging from the precipice, muscles trembling, fingers aching, sweat dripping onto my spotter twenty feet below.”

“On one hot night in a dark room at the heart of Boston, I became friends with 19,580 people in one single moment.”

What things do these sentences have in common? They all feel like the beginning of a story. They all are specific enough that readers start picturing a scene. They all make us want to keep reading.

And they could all serve as the opening line of a Common Application essay.

As with other parts of the college application process, the prospect of writing the Common Application essay can be fraught with misconceptions: applicants worry that they will need to compose a formulaic piece under enormous pressure. It’s true that it is a high-stakes essay, with a hard and fast deadline, that tends to ascribe to a few broad conventions. But writing it doesn’t have to be so stressful. And as demonstrated by the lines above — from essays published by Hamilton, Johns Hopkins, and Tufts, respectively, as exemplars from admitted students — Common Application writers can produce essays that are vivid, memorable, and a pleasure to read.

We find that the factor that determines whether writers have a positive experience in creating their Common Application essays—and whether writers ultimately are happy with the piece they submit—is time. Applicants need time to get to know the genre, whose pieces tend to mix narrative and reflection. Applicants need time to try out a few different ideas and to compose several drafts, understanding that repeatedly revisiting the piece is a part of the writing process. In a departure from the text-based and research-based essays that dominate high school writing, the Common App essay asks students to draw upon their own lives for material. Applicants need time to generate ideas and to consider how their experiences and passions can help them share a bit of themselves with readers.

Each year, the Common Application itself “resets” in early August, so we advise rising seniors to wait until then to fill out its typable forms; similarly, colleges tend to post their individual supplemental essay prompts in August or early September. But the Common Application has already released its essay prompts for the upcoming application cycle, making spring an ideal time to begin the writing process—particularly this year. In a season when everyone’s plans have been upended, starting the Common Application essay injects a bit of normalcy. It allows students some control while challenging themselves creatively, with no pressing deadlines. It is one of the concrete steps that they can take in shaping their future, an opportunity to reflect on where they’ve been—such as a nook on a living-room floor, a treacherous rock wall, or a thumping concert arena—where they are, and where they will go.

If you’re ready to get started with your common application essay work, we can help to support your process with writing coaching and supplemental college counseling. Please contact us to further discuss your planning.

By Elizabeth Walters, MFA and Private Tutor, and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and CEP

Online Learning: Anxiety Management

April 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

As the coronavirus pandemic continues and we all settle into new routines, chances are that you and your family are experiencing some stress and anxiety around the state of the world and the uncertainty that comes with it. This situation can be especially challenging if your child is already dealing with high levels of anxiety and/or a diagnosed anxiety disorder. Plus, it can be tough to help kids stay calm when you’re not feeling so calm yourself!

But while online learning and guiding children’s education at home are certainly unfamiliar hurdles for many families, the good news is that they can also be great vehicles for practicing anxiety management. There are lots of helpful tools out there for helping manage children’s anxiety, but it can be hard to find ways to actually practice them in day-to-day life. By making the most of your child’s new at-home school day, you can build anxiety management into daily routines and help your child develop healthy habits that will be help them keep their cool for years to come.

Set Daily Intentions

Studies show that children tend to benefit when they have clear—and high!—expectations to live up to. That doesn’t mean that you need to hold your child to an unrealistically high standard, but it does mean that they should know what’s expected of them each and every day. This is especially true now, when the lack of commitments outside the home can make kids feel like the days are all the same and the stakes are low. In turn, that sense of not knowing what to expect can exacerbate kids’ anxiety.

Accordingly, one helpful anxiety management technique is to start each school day with a predictable ritual that makes it clear what the rest of the day will hold. This should include a few key components:

A quick review of what the day’s schedule will look like. What will your child do first? When will they take a break? What time is lunch?
A rundown of the tasks that will be completed. This might be a concrete goal (finish chapter 3, for instance) or a set amount of time devoted to a topic (read for 30 minutes).
An assessment of what supplies will be needed, and where your child can find them. Will they need a calculator, markers, or a timer? Work together to gather those supplies now so that your child doesn’t have to waste worry looking for them later.

Then, it’s also helpful to include a “bonus” in your child’s morning ritual, so that they—and you!—remember that the day can be as much about fun as anything else. Be creative here—what does your child enjoy and find exciting? This could be reading a bit of a favorite book, spending time playing with a pet, or checking on the plants growing on your terrace. Any quick activity that brings calm and focus to your child’s morning is a great way to start off the school day on the right foot.

Make the Most of Breaks

Having enough time to just breathe is a huge part of effective anxiety management. If your child feels pressured to focus and achieve every minute of the day, they’re likely to have higher levels of anxiety—especially now, when they might be scared about the pandemic and having difficulty processing their feelings.

That’s why it’s essential to take plenty of breaks during the remote school day. Depending on your child’s age and personality, you might schedule short breaks in between subjects, have one longer break in the middle of the day, or try a 50/50 model—for instance, 30 minutes of work followed by 30 minutes of play. Experiment with different break structures and see which one works best for your child. You can even use different structures on different days to break up the week; maybe one structure is for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while another is for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Beyond just taking breaks, it’s also important to build anxiety management tools into your child’s breaks as much as you can. They might just want to reach for an iPad game—and sometimes, that’s completely okay! But you’ll also want to encourage them to use more focused stress-busting activities when you can. For example, this might include:

Having a quick dance party to a favorite song—music and physical activity can both help relieve anxiety!
Taking a walk outside or even just sitting by a window for some fresh air and sunshine.
Spending a bit of time on a creative project, whether that’s playing with clay for a few minutes or coloring in a drawing page.
“Meeting up” with a friend for a FaceTime snack break. Kids need to keep in touch with their loved ones just as much as you do!

By being purposeful about breaks and what your child does with them, you’ll make anxiety management a regular touchpoint throughout the day.

Celebrate Small Wins

During these unprecedented days of remote learning, it can be hard to know whether you and your family are “doing it right.” But rest assured—there’s no one right way to handle this situation! It’s important to emphasize this point to your children, whether they’re used to getting straight As or struggling with the new requirements of online learning. Just by getting through the days during this uncertain time, kids and families alike are reaching a meaningful goal that deserves to be celebrated, and marking achievements (even ones that might seem small) is another great way to practice anxiety management.

To do this, try closing out your child’s school day with a rundown of what went well that day. These might be academic milestones, like a good grade on an online quiz, but it’s also helpful to guide your child in celebrating other kinds of success. For instance, did your child demonstrate any of these positive behaviors today?

Sticking with a challenging task
Helping out around the house
Caring for a pet or sibling
Coming up with a creative idea
Being quiet or focused when asked

Any chance you have to compliment your child and focus on how they’re succeeding is a chance to support anxiety management, so make this a daily habit to round out the school day on a positive note.

It’s an overwhelming time for most of us, and anxiety management is really critical. If there are any ways our team can help to support your family with online learning, school planning, or parent coaching, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

By Hannah Sheldon-Dean, MSW and Private Tutor, Brad Hoffman, MS.Ed. and CEP, and Faya Hoffman, M.A. and CEP