As summer fades into fall we all begin to adjust to the climate in which we live by pulling out jackets and long sleeves to protect ourselves from the elements. What adjustments do our children make as they face the reality of heading back to school? Is their forecast for their upcoming school year warm or cold?
According to Search Institute, a Caring School Climate — Developmental Asset No. 5, is the mood or atmosphere of a school. It is directly tied to the way young people feel about going to school and how well they will learn.
Several factors can promote a “warm” forecast but none more so than the interactions your child experiences each and every day. In a typical school day your child may have contact with bus drivers, office staff, a school counselor, teachers, coaches, cooks, custodians, and of course their peers. Each and every interaction shapes the climate of their school and ultimately their feelings on whether this is a safe and encouraging place for them to participate. When these interactions are positive, compassionate, and supportive; students feel safe to be fully engaged in the learning process.
The reality is that a child’s beliefs about school begin long before they walk into a building. Parents and caregivers are critical in helping to shape the attitudes young people have toward school. Valuing education, respect for others, and a strong work ethic are behaviors young people witness in their everyday lives by the adults who matter to them.
As a child makes their first steps into a classroom many parents show their support by attending concerts/events, displaying their child’s artwork on the fridge, and making time to volunteer. This participation validates to the child that the adults in their life value school and learning.
As young people transition to middle and high school, it is not surprising that parent involvement decreases. According to Search Institute, this downward trend is substantial. Fifty percent of sixth-graders report having parent involvement in school as opposed to only 20 percent of 12th-graders. Ironically this drop in involvement occurs at a time, in some respects, that is most challenging for the developing teen.
According to the 2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 83.1 percent of youth between the ages of 12-14 report having parents who talk with them about what they are doing in school. That percentage drops to 80.3 percent for youth between the ages of 15-18.
Although it is unlikely your high school student will want you to volunteer in their classroom, there are many ways to stay engaged in your child’s education. Stay in contact with your child’s teacher via email, attend sporting events, musicals or band concerts, read the same book your child is reading for their English class, and join a school organization like the PTA to stay connected. Parents, caregivers, and adult role models hold the power to shape the foundation of how young people view school and the ability to enforce that view by their actions of support from the first day or pre-school through high school.
Along with school staff and parents, young people greatly contribute to the creation of a Caring School Climate. By helping others feel cared for and supported, by learning the name of other students not in their social circle, by reaching out to students who may feel isolated or lonely, by being tolerant, by sticking up for students who are bullied by others, by respecting school property, by making an effort to get to know their teachers, and getting involved in positive school activities that promote asset building; youth can move a “warm front” into their school.
Young people feel empowered when they take personal responsibility to create the kind of environment where they and their peers can thrive.
Schools, caregivers, and students working together is the solution for creating Caring School Climates. We cannot stop the colder days from coming but with intentional positive interactions at all levels, communities have the power to create places of learning where youth can thrive, and the school climate will always be warm and inviting.
Allison Heidorn is outreach and marketing coordinator for Healthy Aroostook/Drug Free Communities. She can be reached at 207-999-1014.
