My first impressions of school are a little hazy—they’re comprised of a photo staged by my mom with new sneakers on while I stood on the front stoop, a new backpack (we called them knapsacks), and meeting my neighbors at the bus stop. As a middle school teacher, I had a very different impression of the first day which was often preceded by a week or two of “teacher-dreams” – that period of time in the summer when I had vivid nightmares about the first day. If you’ve ever stepped in front of a classroom maybe you’ve had similar dreams. It’s where the desks were still stacked in the corner of a room, the copies weren’t made, and I was still dressed in shorts and a t-shirt instead of proper teacher attire.

Now I work in a different space (a much quieter one) where I have the privilege to work with teachers, professors, principals, superintendents, curriculum designers, and every edu-pation in-between. It’s a great place to be, and as a dad, I wanted to ask my boys (2^nd and 4^th graders) about their impressions of school as they head into a new school year. It’s a new perspective, but one that may be worth exploring.

When I asked what they were excited about, the fourth grader responded with glee, “P.E.!” After I pressed him a bit on what else he was excited about, he talked a lot about his friends.

“I’m excited I’ll know some friends in my class, but I’m glad—how do I put this in a nice way? I’m glad some kids aren’t in my class. Sometimes one kid put pressure on others to be mean to some of us last year, and I think Ms. Kotter {not her real name} split those kids up on purpose.”

He may be right. I could tell as he was talking about a few specific events that happened and I know very well about the social pressures and the impact on how he perceived and achieved in school. I could tell he was glad to have a fresh start, which is relieving as a parent and an educator.

Meanwhile, the second grader has the same teacher this year as he did last year since he’s in a multi-age class for 1^st and 2^nd grade. The apprehension of first days isn’t there quite as much this go-around, and he was excited to go back.

“Well, we had a lot of camps and trips this summer and every week was different, so I’m glad to see my friends every day at school again. I’m also excited to see Mrs. Burbank {fictitious} since she just got married and has a new name.

When asked what they may be nervous about going into the new school year, there wasn’t much to report. The fourth grader focused on his teacher who is new to our elementary school. “I hope she’s not nervous and is ready for her new school. I’m not really nervous because I know where I’m going and what the routine is, but she doesn’t yet.” Meanwhile, the second grader was more concerned with the new 1^st graders coming into ‘his’ class. “I just hope that the new first graders aren’t jerks.” Can I argue with that? I don’t think any of us want to spend a year of school (or work) with people we don’t like to be around.

All reports after day one indicate a great day. According to both boys, routines were established, friendships were re-kindled, and yes, both teachers made minor flubs that were funny yet harmless. The newlywed teacher referred to herself using her maiden name by mere force of habit and the new teacher to the school called the ‘multipurpose room’ the cafeteria. If those are the worst things to report from the first day, I can live with it.

I found it interesting that their experiences are wedded to the social aspect of the school. We know the tie-ins to feeling safe and happy at school and how it can impact achievement. We’ve all read the research and my wife and I do our best to put the emphasis on strong academics and hard work. But after talking to the boys in these brief conversations, I will probably take a different angle on approaching the academic side of school. It seems clear to me that the window to success at school relies heavily on an empathetic, social, and emotional angle. But maybe that's just my kids. Stay tuned.