Do These 5 Things NOW to CRUSH the 2021-22 School Year

The 2021-22 school year will require more adjustments from students, parents, and teachers.  Right now, it seems like most kids will return to in-person learning, though the Delta and other variants of the coronavirus promise to keep us on our toes.  As a former classroom teacher turned online tutor, test prep coach, and college consultant, here are my top five tips for using the month of August to ease the back-to-school transition.

Spend More Time Away from Each Other – Bit by Bit

“No problem!” you might be thinking.  After 17 months cooped up with our family members, most of us are itching for a change of scenery – and a change of cast of characters!  Many children, however, anticipate leaving the cocoon in which they’ve spent the last year-and-a-half with dread.  (The New York Times also published five of their own tips on just this issue here.)  As an online tutor, I recommend weaning your children from the security of home slowly.  Start with an hour at the park, then progress to two hours with friends, and so forth.  Let your child know that you can be reached in case of emergency.  But give them the trust and confidence to know that everything will be okay during your absence.

Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

Get To Bed Earlier – Bit by Bit

“Weaning” also works well for resuming a school sleep schedule.  If your child’s going to bed at 2am, push their bedtime back by 15 minutes each night. You can have them in bed at 10pm in a month! Clearly, enforcement’s the tricky part.  But as a devotee of the Huberman Lab podcast (check out January 2021 episodes on sleep, in particular) and an online tutor who’s keenly aware of the difference between a well-rested and a sleep-deprived student, I can attest that there’s no arrow more important than consistent, deep sleep in your child’s learning quiver.

Review Math (with an online tutor or own your own)

For those of you who know me – a Ph.D. in History, a Harvard A.B. in Art History, speaker of four languages – this next tip may be unexpected.  However, as an online tutor for math and a coach for tests like the SAT and ACT, I’ve grown increasingly worried about our children’s lack of numeracy during the past decade.  One former 16-year-old student who had attended excellent New York City and New England independent and boarding schools calculated six times seven on her fingers – and came up with 41(!).  Many students struggle with math during “normal” years.   And the year we just experienced was anything but a normal school year!  So I strongly recommend reviewing the past two years’ worth of math before your child heads into algebra, geometry, or any other math class this fall.  (You can read my Top 10 Math Skills here.)

Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash

Rising Juniors: SAT

By now, most parents realize that the majority of colleges waived former SAT / ACT requirements in the wake of COVID-19.  However, in his newsletter Next, bestselling author Jeff Selingo indicated that students who applied to selective colleges with SAT or ACT scores were twice as likely to be admitted to those schools as those who did not.  (If that statistic doesn’t convince you that prepping for the SAT or ACT might be a good idea, read my piece on the potential intellectual and emotional benefits of taking the tests.)  

August is a fantastic time for rising high school juniors to begin prepping for the SAT or ACT, either with an online tutor or test prep coach or on their own.  The content review will help with Tip #3 above, and with focused effort from now till then, your child could still be ready for the September 11 ACT or the August 28 or October 2 SAT.  Wouldn’t it be great to go through the all-important junior year without the weight of that test hanging over your head?  

Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash

Rising Seniors: College Essay

Just ask a rising senior that question, and you’ll probably get a resounding “HECK, YEAH!”  As I’ve written before, the summer before senior year is the perfect moment to start writing the dreaded college essay.  With junior year's stresses in the rearview mirror and the challenge of senior year classes still a month or two away, August presents a perfect pause when your child can find peace amidst the academic chaos, reflect on their high school years, and craft a meaningful, effective piece on how they want to spend the next four.  Having the main essay done by September or October 1 also will free up the early fall for supplemental essays – just in time for early app deadlines of November 1. 

Read more about Crimson Coaching’s college counseling services and past student success stories here, contact me directly to ask a question, or set up a complimentary consultation to discuss your family’s needs for the 2021-22 school year.  I’m looking forward to connecting with you!

Best wishes for a fruitful August,

xoxo Dr. P.