5 Ways to Prepare for the New School Year

Summer is coming to an end. Some of you have roughly a month before classes start, and you are trying hard to cram in as much something (or nothing) into what summer you have left. While you don't want to see the summer end, it is definitely coming. Whether you are a highschool senior entering your last year, or you are a parent of a rising 6th grader, there are a few things you should tackle before First Day of School Eve.

1. Re-Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Admit it. Your sleep schedule has not been the greatest over the last couple months. Late nights hanging with friends, watching movies, playing games, or travelling have done a number on your sleep hygiene. No matter how much you want to make the summer last, you know and I know that habits take time to establish. That is why you need to start going to bed and getting up according to the school-year clock. 

In order to perform well (academically, athletically, and behaviorally), teens need between 9 and 9 1/2 hours of sleep EVERY night ("Teenagers and Sleep: How Much Sleep Is Enough?", Johns Hopkins Medicine). Yes, that is more sleep need than what was needed in elementary and middle school. The teen years are the last major developmental (physical and cognitive) push they will go through in their lives. The myth of making up "sleep debt" is especially damaging to teens in that it encourages unhealthy habits that can result dire consequences.

The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2024 report found that only one-in-four students got at least 8 hours of sleep a night - note that is 1 1/2 hours less sleep than the recommended amount. As a former classroom teacher, I can attest to the manifestation of that sleep loss. Signs of sleep deprivation in classroom are disengagement, sleeping (obviously), low grades, lack of self-regulation, depression, aggression, and (not always) substance abuse. The rise in risk taking behaviors goes hand-in-hand with the lack of self-regulation that results from lack of sleep. 

I highly recommend reading "Teenagers and Sleep: How Much Sleep Is Enough?" from Johns Hopkins Medicine for recommendations on how to get back on and maintain a healthy sleep schedule in preparation for the coming school year.

2. Identify Priorities

It is time to re-evaluate priorities. The first month of school brings a plethora of opportunities that, if not managed, can over-run and suffocate EVERYONE. Take the time now to think about what, exactly, you want out of the coming school year. Yes, good grades are part of that list. That means being honest about the amount of time and energy needed to obtain those grades. Family and balance also needs to be on that list. There might be things that you would like to do, but are just not the wisest choice this year. If you are taking five to six AP classes, maybe marching band isn't the greatest idea...but symphonic band can still work. Are you taking a few classes that you KNOW are going to eat up a lot of time and energy? Maybe whittle down the extracurriculars a wee bit so you can do what you do well instead of only being partly engaged.

Think about what you did well last year. How did the choices you made along the way help you succeed? Are there things that you want to do differently? What are some changes you are going to make? 

3. Enter the School/District Dates Into The Family Calendar

The disparity between family/student and school understanding of the required number of instruction days/hours causes a lot of undo friction. As an educator, I vacillate in how I see this argument. If students are independent, high performing, and driven, I can see some leeway. However, if the result is going to be students gaining holes in their understanding of both content and skill sets because they need more guidance? No. Teachers are contract employees. They get paid for the designated time...and that does NOT include nights and weekends. If your student is going to be out, know that is creating more work outside contract hours for your student's teachers...especially if your student requires a lot of guidance and supports. The academic calendar is always available on district websites.

Plan vacations accordingly. While this is an uncomfortable idea, any learning loss that happens due to familial vacation plans or choices are not the school's responsibility. During those absenses, the content was covered and taught. Families need to make sure their students are present. No one else is responsible for teaching the content if families choose not to be there.

4. Finish Any Summer Assignments

There is NOTHING more painful than remembering that there is a summer project or book that must be finished in less than a week. At this moment, you have roughly a month to embrace the work and get it done! Don't put it off any longer. If you need help, reach out and ask for it. 

5. Create Balance

The high school years are a brillant time to learn and instill balance and moderation. Create a single calendar for everything you do: academic and non-academic. In a very real way, school is what work will be in your adult life. Know that there are things that MUST be done in order to fulfill your obligations. But also be mindful that, in order to fulfill those obligations, you must work to create balance in order to maintain relationships and avoid burnout. American mentality screams, "go big or go home." Sadly, that mindset is also responsible failing to create a healthy, successful life. Is it easy to create balance? No. As a matter of fact, it takes a lifetime to perfect it. But it is worth it in the end. 

Works Cited:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors: 2013–2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.

Desilver, Drew. “In the U.S., 180 Days of School Is Most Common, but Length of School Day Varies by State.” The Pew Research Center, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/in-the-u-s-180-days-of-school-is-most-common-but-length-of-school-day-varies-by-state/. Accessed 9 July 2026.

Teenagers and Sleep: How Much Sleep Is Enough? | Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/teenagers-and-sleep-how-much-sleep-is-enough. Accessed 9 July 2026.

Willis, Judy. “Successful Teens Know How to Prioritize | Psychology Today.” Psychology Today, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/radical-teaching/202305/successful-teens-know-how-to-prioritize. Accessed 9 July 2026.

Transition Words & Phrases

The Connection Tying Ideas Together

As readers, we seek direction and connection between ideas or events that writers present to us. As writers, we must provide the connections in order to be understood. That is where transition words and phrases come in. You might have had teachers or professors write in feedback, "Where is your transition?" or "Transition?" on your papers. That, frankly, means that you have jumped from one idea to another without creating that bridge the connects them. Transitional words and phrases create the connection between words, sentences, and paragraphs. 

There are three main types of transitions commonly used in English: continue, contradict, and cause-and-effect. The charts on this page provide both the categories and sub-categories of these useful tools for both writing and reading. 

Works Cited

Meltzer, Erica L. The Complete Guide to Act English. The Critical Reader, 2021.

Transitional Devices - Purdue Owl® - Purdue University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/transitions_and_transitional_devices/transitional_devices.html. Accessed 5 July 2026.

How to Study for AP History Classes

 

It is about this time of the year that I start receiving concerned messages for both parents and students. The first nine weeks have passed, and progress reports have come home. 

Tell me if any of the following comments ring bells for you:

"My student is a straight A student...but..."

"My student is completely lost..."

"My teacher doesn't make any sense..." (uhhh)

"There is always stuff on the tests and quizzes that isn't in the lectures..."

After years of tutoring AP histories (Human Geo, World, US History, European History, and US Gov), I can tell you that the voiced concerns for students struggling with AP "history" are common...and fixable.

How is AP different from other classes?

AP (Advanced Placement) = College Level Course Work

• The content and reasoning expectations are on par with a college level course.

• Studying expectations are the same as a college level course.

• The teacher will assign reading to complement or cover what is or is not covered in the lecture.

• Writing expectations are high and force students to form conclusions supported by evidence. 

• The AP exam in May will cover everything from the entire year. 

• Depending on the university of choice, classes that score a 4 or more may be applied to general subject requirements.

How to study for AP history classes.

Read

• Always read the textbook and any other materials your teacher assigns. 

• It is best to read these materials BEFORE the material will be covered in class. 

• Take notes really good notes AS you read.

• There WILL be material on the exam that your teacher may not cover in lectures. 

• Add material from your reading to your class notes to create solid study materials.

• Write down any questions that come to mind as you read so you can identify what you need help with or clarification of.

Write

• Learn how to take really good lecture notes. 

• Try to make time to re-copy your class notes with the intent of both reviewing and filling in missing information. 

• Writing a brief summary of the day’s lecture in your own words will help you understand the content.

Review

• Read your class notes at the end of every week - this includes the previous weeks’ and months’ content. 

• Use the free version of Quizlet to create both flash cards and map tests for quick review or review on the go. There are ready made decks on the platform. 

• I highly recommend using AMSCO AP books, 5 Steps to a 5 AP Elite Student Editions, and Princeton Review AP Premium Prep to supplement classroom resources for review.

Watch

• Use your College Board AP classroom daily videos. 

• I also recommend Heimler’s History and Mr. Sinn on Youtube for REVIEW. These DO NOT replace the reading you need to do. 

Lastly, DO NOT wait to ask for help if you need help. AP history classes aren't simply teaching content like "traditional" history classes. You are learning new ways to read, analyze, think, and write on top of deeper content dives! You will take these skill sets with you into life. They are worth the work.  

Effective ACT Prep

Fall is hard. While most of us are enjoying the changing foliage and our Pumpkin Spiced everything, high school students in the United States are stressing about the ACT exams coming up on October 28th and December 9th. While there are also exams in late Winter, Spring, and Summer, the October and December tests are the make-or-break tests for scholarships and early admissions for many colleges and universities. With the horryifing increase of college-related costs, it is little wonder my students and their parents are concerned about academic performance. I have worked with students and their families through this grueling season for years now; I see the same self-doubt, panic, and (sometimes) resignation every year. 

Many students will take the ACT more than once. The first time is, more or less, testing the waters and seeing where students' starting points are. The results of this first test are met with either delighted surprise, horror, or indifference (typically by students...not parents). When the potential benefits or consequences start settling in, the stress begins.

What can be done?

ACT Exam preparation is a marathon, not a sprint. An ACT English session the week of the exam will not help. A weekend workshop will not create a big change on its own. There. I said it. 

"You teach these things! They don't help?"

That is not what I said. What I am saying is that "one and done" preparation does not and will not work. On the flip side of that coin is the fact that extremely drawn out preparation without a goal other than an increased score doesn't work either. 

Think about it for a bit. The ACT exam is testing all the academic skill sets students should have developed in their English and math classes during their entire K-12 academic career. The exam tests mathematical analytical thinking; mechanical & rhetorical language application; academic analytical reading (Literary Narrative, Humanities, Natural Sciences, AND Social Sciences); and scientific analytical reading and data analysis. 

The goal is (pardon the cliche) to work smarter...not harder. That first test students take is a goldmine of information about where they are in each of the four disciplines and what needs to be retaught or refreshed. ACT always offers the diagnostic information at the time of registration. While parents do not need to purchase it for every test, it is a wise move for that first exam. Experienced tutors will often ask if students have this diagnostic information. While the data provided by the diagnostic may seem unhelpful to parents as they sift through it trying to see what their students need, experienced, subject-specific tutors will know exactly how to use that information to begin isolating problem areas. 

The most effective approach to ACT exam preparation is actually identifying the skill sets that are weak and reteaching and learning how to apply them. There is a heirarchy of skill set frequency on the exam. When students actually learn how to apply them in order of frequency, students don't simply increase their scores; they become stronger in that subject and develop more confidence. I tell my students to take what they learn in our ACT English or ACT Reading sessions and apply those skills to their written work or academic reading in school. 

One uncomfortable secret about the ACT exam is that it truly does reflect college readiness. It is for that reason that I approach ACT prep for English and Reading as the last opportunity to get students ready for the writing and reading they will need to do during their Freshman year. It isn't just about the exam today. It is about student success tomorrow.

Reading Comprehension - The Ambiguous Name for a Wealth of Skills

"My child's teacher says he needs to work on reading comprehension." 

When parents are told that their students struggle with reading comprehension, the initial response is, "Ok, I will have my child read more." What is not mentioned is that reading comprehension is a sizable collection of skills. Students reading skills are layered and built over time. Think of a puzzle. Every school year, three to five pieces are added to the puzzle. The reading skills are introduced, practiced, and perfected each year to prepare for the following year. There are times when skills are not mastered, and students move on to the next year. It is at this point when issues in reading begin to surface. Many times, parents, students, and teachers may only see a glimmer of a problem the following year. Proficiency begins to lower, but not at an alarming rate.  It is normally two years after the lapse when red flags begin to fly. At that point, students are one to two years behind. Why? All reading skills build on prior learning. Much like a solid building, without a strong foundation, readers will face challenges if their reading comprehension skill sets are weak.

What, exactly, are these skills?

According to Kylene Beers*, the general term, "Reading Comprehension," is an intertwined marriage of five skills: comprehension, vocabulary, word recognition/fluency/automaticity, spelling, and engagement with the text. When students struggle with one of these five areas, all the other pieces of the puzzle are impacted.

What can you, as a parent, do to help your student? What are your child's teachers doing to help? This is the first of a series of seven posts that will help you understand and help your child succeed as a reader. 

Please know that you, like your student's teachers, must be patient and compassionate during this process. Just as your child is a uniquely awesome person in so many different ways, the same is true in regards to the type of learner your student is.  

*Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do. Heinemann, 2003.

Rethinking How We Label Our Students

As secondary teacher, I am constantly confronted with issues facing my emerging readers. At the beginning of the 2018 school year, my students were called either "non-readers" or "reluctant readers"...with a single handful of "avid readers" in the mix. While the argument for choice in reading for obligated texts in the classroom resounds in my head and heart, I had to face the fact that ALL TEXTS were simply obligated texts, even if choice was involved, due to my students' relationships with the act of reading. Such a challenge forced me to think about how we, as teachers (and sometimes parents), label our students and the impacts those labels have on them as learners and people. Such labels also impact how we, as teachers and parents, both interact with and set expectations for our students.

Mentally and emotionally, how does "reluctant reader," "challenged reader," "non-reader," and "struggling reader" influence the choices we make regarding our students? For educators, there are two reactions that happen almost simultaneously when we have students who are introduced to us with any of the above labels. The first reaction centers on understanding the sheer workload and energy that will be required to help that student. For a good, strong educator, a second reaction also takes place; there is a warrior-level challenge that demands victory. That educator has a toolbox full of skills and a willingness to work outside the box. The educator who is able to experience the second response more than likely sees the student as an "emerging reader."

What, exactly, is an "emerging reader?" "Emerging readers" are students who may not have experienced success with reading and have not discovered their "niche" in the vast ocean of pleasure reading. I have had students who, when introduced to graphic novels or creative non-fiction, discovered that they actually love to read. Students would say, with great surprise, "I didn't know there were books like these!" After discovering that they could succeed and find joy within one genre, they were often willing to take the risk of trying "traditional" texts. I had one such student ask me, "Mrs McVay, am I a struggling reader?" With great honesty and compassion, I remember responding, "No, you are an emerging reader." "What is that?" the student asked. "It is simple. You are emerging like a butterfly out of a chrysalis. You are discovering your "thing" as a reader and growing stronger. An emerging reader is someone who will succeed." He did, indeed, succeed that year.

Students who are faced with learning difficulties contend with their own feelings of inadequacy, their parents' feelings of relentlessness/concern/frustration, and their teachers' feelings of pressures to succeed. While parents and teachers strive to keep labels like "reluctant reader," "challenged reader," "non-reader," and "struggling reader" away from their students,  students inevitably latch on to the labels and allow them to define them as both people and learners. Unless we redefine and reform our views of students' relationships and identities with reading, success will be difficult to obtain.

We need to stop seeing our students through the eyes of deficiency. When we see and think of them with "successful" language, we are more apt to take the time to help them achieve because we know that we, too, will achieve. "Emerging" allows our students to grow, become, and discover. That is what we all desire. Not just for them, but for ourselves as well.

Frameworks of Educational Technology

Beauty - the intersection of knowledge, pedagogy, and technology. 

Technology has reshaped the relationship between learning and teaching. Debates concerning this change are irrelevant. The reality is that we, as teachers, have what was once unfathomable at our fingertips. Our students now have tools that can provide immersive experiences that were not possible when we sat in those same desks many, many years ago. It is for these reasons that understanding educational technological frameworks only strengthens teachers’ abilities to effectively meet their students’ educational needs. 

The inter-relationship between content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge is known as TPACK. TPACK can only be fully realized when Dr. Ruben Peuntedura’s SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) is an active component of technological knowledge. In order to choose the correct technology to use within a learning segment, teachers must understand what, how, and why they have decided to implement the technology. For example, does the technology substitute, augment, modify, or redefine the assignment or activity? It is only with this knowledge that teachers can effectively integrate technology into the classroom. 

Teachers do not need to be technological experts. What they must have is an openness to play, learn, and step outside of their previously defined learning cultures. Embracing and redefining these learning spaces opens the doors for them to intellectually and emotionally travel with their students to places and ideas once thought impossible.

 For example, studying a Shakespeare Sonnet can be a moving experience if taught by a teacher who lives and breathes poetry, Shakespeare’s England, and the dynamism of language itself. Integrate the use of TouchPress’ iPad app Shakespeare’s Sonnets into the experience, students have the opportunity to see world renowned Shakespeare actors and scholars perform his sonnets. For many students, the experience of hearing and seeing the sonnets performed will reshape how they define Shakespeare’s approachability. By hearing, seeing, and reading along in the text, students see that even though the words are spelled differently, they sound the same. They also avoid the mistake many new poetry readers make because they are having it modeled for them. While modeling is an essential part of teaching, something has to be said for having David Tennant or Sir Patrick Stewart execute the modeling for the day’s sonnet reading. Think of it as having a guest speaker in your class segment. 

TouchPress’ Shakespeare’s Sonnets, if used to the extent of its functionality, can be considered an augmentation (SAMR). When used by a teacher with solid content knowledge and strong pedagogical knowledge, a TPACK at its finest is formed. It does not act as the center of instruction. Instead, it is a vital component of a balanced, thoughtful, and informed educational technological framework.