By Kristen Keene

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University professor Michelle Stevens is a counselor educator in the university’s College of Education and a former school-based mental health counselor.

With Midstate children and youth quickly approaching a return to the classroom for a new school year, Stevens stopped by WKRN-TV News 2 studios for their “MTSU on 2” segment to offer parents insights on how they can get their kids ready for school and help them be successful all while navigating the anxiety that comes with the start of a new school year. 

Having been a school-based mental health counselor and now a counselor educator, Stevens shared her professional advice with viewers during her recent appearance from the studios of WKRN, the ABC affiliate in Nashville.

“As a parent myself, I know how stressful going back to school can be for families. The anticipation of the start of a new school year can bring a little anxiousness to kids,” said Stevens, who currently serves as director of MTSU’s Center for Fairness, Justice, and Equity and professor in the Womack Department of Educational Leadership.

“There is often uncertainty about starting a new routine, a new school, or a having new teacher. Parents can help their students get ready for the new school year and make sure they get off to a good start,” added Stevens.

Stevens had these suggestions for parents for before school starts:

• Get back on track with your child’s sleep schedule and doing that well before the first day of school.
• Do your back-to-school shopping early, check school lists and reuse things that you may have from last year.
• Get organized and create a daily routine.
• Talk through your student’s schedule, maybe even visit the school and walk the schedule for your students in upper grades.
• Meeting with your student’s teacher or even their school counselor is also a good idea as this can reduce some of the anxiety associated with the start of the new school year.

You can watch the segment, part of the station’s Local on 2 programming, with program co-host and producer Laura Schweizer below.

Stevens said there are things parents can also do to help ease their child’s anxiety and stress.

• Identity the feelings they’re experiencing. Maybe they’re afraid, or nervous. What do those feelings look like. Discuss how even we as adults have those feelings, especially when we’re getting ready for something new. So, talking about where we experience those feelings in our bodies and what we can do with those feelings normalizes them for our kiddos.
• Practice coping skills to deal with some of the emotions associated with back-to-school stress is something else parents and caretakers can do. Some coping skills like naming our feelings, discussing them with a trusted adult is a good idea. There’s also breathing exercises like square breathing that can be helpful.
• Read books that talk about coping with feelings is another thing parents can do.

For older students, some of those strategies are actually the same, they just look different. So, identify feelings, practice emotional regulation strategies, and even journaling are good coping mechanisms.

Stevens stresses communication with your child’s teacher and/or counselor is important for parents, especially if there’s a personal event going on at home like a new sibling, a sick pet, etc.

By talking to your child’s teachers and school counselors, you help them become familiar with your students. It also gives them a heads-up about any concerns you may have and how best to serve your students by providing them with any extra supports they may have.

Open communication can also be helpful to you, as you will be aware of the expectations of the teacher or school counselor, and the types of support they actually offer.

Stevens also spoke about a great resource at MTSU, the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. This training facility is run by the professional counseling program in the College of Education and is located in the heart of the Murfreesboro community. Center students, who are in the final year of their counseling program of study, provide low-cost services for children and their families in a state-of-the-art children’s room in the center. 

For more information on the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, visit https://ccps.mtsu.edu/.

To learn more about the programs offered in the MTSU College of Education, including how you can become a Difference Maker in your community as a teacher, counselor, librarian, or school leader, visithttps://education.mtsu.edu.

— Kristen Keene (Kristen.Keene@mtsu.edu)