Back to School – time for a reframe?

In my calendar, ‘Back to School’ happens in January and April, not September. September is the start of the new school year, the college year, the point in the year when all young people move on and take an exciting new step in their lives.

You know that it is coming, because suddenly the shops are full of smart new school outfits, hefty shoes for the bad weather which will inevitably be on its way, and pads of paper, pens and pencils since at the end of the day, we all still seem to rely on paper to make the sketches and take the notes. As a teacher, I remember that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as the start of term drew near, a feeling shared by many children – although their parents may be heaving a sigh of relief at the thought of a few hours of peace and quiet during the day after the headlong chase to get to school on time.

But September brings a sense of newness and change, of suddenly feeling a year older, more grown-up. Returning to school, peeping into your familiar old classroom – seeing your old teacher – no, life has moved on, and that year of your life is outgrown and no longer fits. But maybe you are not returning to school – instead, you are starting at a completely new school or college – will you fit in, make friends, enjoy the subjects you have chosen to study? The challenge is a big one, and requires those big new shoes (while even your shoes are a minefield – is the colour right? Will someone make fun of them?)

If I have any advice for all the young people who are making that new step forward, it is to aim for the challenge of all the new things round the corner, and enjoy your next step, as there are so many new things about yourself to discover and explore. Crunch the autumn leaves as you walk down the path (in those big new shoes), and be excited for everything that awaits you.

Back to school? No, forward to your next challenge, and please spare a thought for your teachers, who are quietly feeling as nervous as you are!

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