Following Expectations
Expectations for behavior, and following or adhering to limits is a very individual skill for children depending on their personalities and the influences they have had from their families. There is no right or wrong here. Whatever is working for your family is great. That said, I do have a but to go with that statement. Your child will need to be able to adapt to classroom behavior and expectations for both the class and the school. Happily, most children have no problem meeting these expectations. The first few weeks are sometimes hard as they learn where they fit in to this new environment, but they almost always find their place to fit in and do a beautiful job of living up to the expectations.
Some conversations you may want to have with your child before they come to school can include: 1.) Remember that we have different voice levels and ideas of ways to sit and walk in class and out on the playground. 2.) Behavior at home will be different in some ways than at home. Children will need to learn how to wait their turn, not interrupt, sit still for periods of time and work as a group rather than as an individual. 3.) Teachers will expect children to move along with activities and transitions. There is always so much to do in a day and never enough time to get it all done.
That all said, please remember we know this is your childs first time in an elementary school setting. We do not expect them to be able to rise up to every occasion beginning on the very first day. Kindergarten has a huge learning curve for little ones. I am always amazed at how much they have grown in just the first month.
Ideas for you to try at home: Show your child different ways you will expect them to act at school and how they differ from home, a restaurant, the park, a store, etc… Take them to your local Libraries children’s program. They can practice sitting, listening and sharing with other kids while listening to great stories. Talk to your child about the behaviors they are likely to be expected to use at school (especially sharing, asking for help from an adult, the difference between tattling and getting help when you have a problem. ( I always tell my kids they need to come to me or another adult at the school immediately if someone is hurting them with either their body or their words). And finally make sure your child knows that there is an open line of communication between yourself and the teacher. That way, students are not surprised when they find out you know they did not meet the expectations at school that day, but it also means that you and the teacher are a team working together for their best education.
I love beginning a part of a families team in education, and so will your childs teacher.