In Australia School starts soon. After a long holiday, you might think “I do not want to go back to schoolâ€. This is a normal thought and feeling. We like to get used to what seems normal, usual and expected. School holidays present to us with a time when we get to do some fun things. Like going to the skate park, going to the beach, going to the movies, or just watching TV. But things can give us a false sense of security because life is not like that. Life is not easy. Life is difficult. How can an eagle ever learn to fly if the mother or father eagle never pushes the child out of the nest? The baby eagle will return to the nest; however, it is by doing things that are difficult, it is by doing things that challenge us, and it is doing things where we struggle and where we grow. The question is not, can I avoid the challenge, but rather, how will I respond to the challenge?
As you start a new school year you will experience things that will challenge you. You might get a teacher you do not like. You might be put into a class you are not familiar with. You might find that your friend might hurt you. You might discover things do not work the way you expected. The nature of “this life†is “changeâ€. We must learn how to be flexible to some of these changes. Last week I took my child to baseball training. The coach did not turn up because he was sick. I decided to become the coach instead of just being the parent and going home. He lined up to bat, whilst I stood near the pitching mound and started pitching balls. Because these balls were not great. To wide. Sometimes these balls were thrown directly at him. I would scream “Look outâ€. He would have to adapt and be flexible by twisting his body quickly to avoid being hit in the head or shoulders. He did well to avoid the bad pitches. But sometimes, there were good pitches, and incredibly, He would hit the ball sometimes them out of the diamond. They were amazing balls to see. At school and in life we need to learn to bend to avoid the bad pitches, like when things do not go our way. We learn to be flexible by seeing how others do it, but also, by stepping back and reflecting on the situations. By being flexible we are more able to enter more fully into life.
In high school, we have lots and lots of subjects with lots and lots of assignments and assessments. For the first 5 or 6 weeks we might fall into the illusion that everything is easy and I am okay. Then by about week 5, 6 or 7 assessments start flying in. One on top of the other. We might feel like a swimmer draining or not able to swim. But if we knew this at the start and started swimming training early, when race day came or when the assessments are due, we are more able to swim and not drain. We are more able to do the assignment. But when we learn to swim, we always have a coach. When we learn to swim we always have other people to help us to improve. It is critical that in school we realise there are lots of people who can help us. Even though we may not want to, we need to put our hand up and ask questions. Both at school and at home. Like a swimmer learning freestyle, we need to be the ones putting our hands forward. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke. Kick. Kick. Kick. This takes planning. This takes forward thinking. Come to think of it exercise like swimming, or baseball, or the skate park can really make us feel good so that when we are sitting behind a desk inside doing study our brains have been fed with lots of oxygen and a workout. Are you going to be proactive and start now? Are you going to put your hand up early?
But despite all of this, we might be stressed out, we might feel like things are not going our way. We might feel overwhelmed. At times like things, it is hard to think straight. At times like this it is hard to listen to those closest to us, like parents. We might think and feel that we are alone. But before these emotional moments come about, it is good to talk to our loved ones about “when have they felt emotionally overwhelmed?†or “when have things fallen apart?†and then further question “how did you cope with these emotional moments†or “What tools or strategies did you use?â€. It helps to visualise and prepare ahead of time. We may not remember these tools or strategies when things fall apart or when we feel overwhelmed. But like a kid with training wheels learning to ride a bike. We can get better at it.
Good luck as school starts. I hope with your newfound training wheels for your bike, your swimming and a plan to put your hand up early for help with swimming lessons, the flexibility to miss those curve balls when are thrown at you, and a realisation that the baby eagle learns to fly by leaving the nest - you will find schoolwork a little bit better.
Questions for further reflection and discussion
How can you prepare for the transition or change from holiday freedom to the structure of school life?
In what ways can you develop resilience when facing academic and social challenges in the new school year?
What strategies can teachers and parents employ to support students who may feel overwhelmed by the demands of schoolwork and expectations?
As you listen to these songs, reflect on these questions
Song - Katy Perry - Roar
Song - Avril Lavigne - Keep Holding On
Discuss
Final Prayer
Loving Guide of our Journeys,
As the seasons shift and the school doors open, we ask for Your guiding hand on the shoulders of us embarking on our educational paths. May we find strength in the stories shared, drawing courage from the understanding that, like the eaglet, we are meant to soar.
Bless us with resilience as we face the challenges and changes inherent in growth. May we approach each new class, each unexpected turn, with a spirit of flexibility and determination. When moments of doubt or difficulty cloud our vision, remind us that we are not alone, and that the power to overcome and adapt is woven into our very being.
Instill in us a proactive nature, eager to extend our hand for help when needed. In times of stress or when we find ourselves adrift in the sea of assignments, may we remember to breathe, focus, and swim with the current of wisdom that flows from both within and from those who offer our support.
As we step into this new chapter, may we carry the lessons of past experiences like a lantern, illuminating our path to success and personal fulfillment.
(Audio Available)
