Back to school time can be full of highs and lows for students, teachers, parents and administrators.  And how the school year begins often sets out how the year will progress.  Getting started off on the right foot not only makes for a smooth beginning, but sets everyone up for a successful year.  One of the best things that students, teachers, parents and administrators can do to start the year off right is to build strong connections with each other.  Whether it's between peers or parents and teachers, looking out for each other is a surefire strategy for a successful year.

Classmates will nearly spend more time with each other over the next nine months than they will with their families.  There are a lot of emotions and feelings that can make it tricky for students to navigate finding friends and allies rather than making rivals and competitors.  Research conducted at University of California, Berkeley found that “that positive peer relationships can explain up to 40% of adolescents’ academic achievement.”  They also found that students that have more friends feel less lonely and then are more likely to engage in classroom learning.  The study also found that true peer friendships help children to be more resilient, even in poor family situations at home.

As students begin pouring back into classrooms this year, encourage them to reach and be an even better friend this year, to expand their friend circle and reach out to those that might not have friends.  Teach them that true friendship means looking out for each other, helping each other and supporting each other.  Help them do more than simply play together, but to be a friend that builds their friends up.

After their peers, students will spend more time with their teachers than any other adult.  A teacher's influence goes far beyond the ABC’s and 123’s and having a positive relationship with their students will make it a better year for everyone.  Building that strong connection between students and teachers happens as teachers reach out to know students individually, set clear goals and expectations, and show trust in their students.  In turn, students that respect their teachers, are taught to follow their rules and instructions and share that mutual trust will thrive both socially and academically.  

As parents are their students' greatest advocates, the connection between parents and teachers should also be strong.  It can be easy for parents to become disconnected from what is happening inside the classroom, whether it's because the curriculum is being more and more advanced or because students just aren’t sharing what’s going on at school.  Keeping a strong connection between parents and teachers will help parents stay in the know and give their students all the support they need.  

To build a strong connection between parents and teachers, the Early Learning Network encourages focus on the three C’s- communication, consistency, and collaboration.  Good communication requires clear and open, two-way talking that begins early in the school year and is the foundation to a strong connection.  Consistency between home and school is vital to strong connections and will help students see parents and teachers as a team working to help them excel in school.  Finally, collaborating together, pooling each other’s knowledge and experience to strategize the best learning for their student will help establish a strong connection that will in turn make for a successful school year.

Strong connections between teachers, administrators, coaches, PTO members, fans and the community as a whole will help students to thrive academically, mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.  Investing time and energy into strong connections is sure to pay off, beginning with this school and beyond.