How to Help Students (and Ourselves!) Navigate Back to School Transitions
Summary
Back-to-school transitions don’t have to feel like chaos. The same executive function tools that help students succeed in class also work for any big life shift.
Four strategies make the biggest difference: gather tools early, think through routines, model self-advocacy, and reframe fear into action.
These strategies work for both students and educators, creating readiness, reducing anxiety, and building confidence from day one.
The Anti-Boring Study Skills Toolkit offers step-by-step ways to bring these to life in coaching, tutoring, or classroom settings.
This Post Will Resonate Most With
Academic coaches, tutors, and teachers gearing up to help students navigate the start of a new school year
Educators looking for concrete, anxiety-reducing strategies that build readiness and confidence
Back-to-school season can be overwhelming…
…but it doesn’t have to feel like a scramble. The same tools that help students thrive academically can also make any life transition smoother.
I’m sharing four practical strategies from the Anti-Boring Study Skills Toolkit that will help you and your students start the year with less stress and more confidence. We’ll look at getting tools in place before you need them, thinking through routines, modeling self-advocacy, and reframing fear into action—core skills that make both school and life transitions feel more manageable.
These ideas build on an older video from my YouTube channel (posted above). You’re welcome to watch the video, read the blog, or both—the video shares the original story that inspired these strategies, while this updated post adds fresh examples and insights for this year.
🧰 Help Students Gather the Right Tools Before They Need Them
You know that feeling when you’re about to start a big project and realize you’re missing something important—like a working pen or the password to your email? Students feel that too. One of the best gifts we can give them (and ourselves) is the security of having tools ready before the moment they’re needed.
For students, this might mean:
Setting up a physical study space that’s clear, well-lit, and stocked with essentials
Organizing digital tools like bookmarks, note-taking apps, or study calendars
Identifying strategies and habits to rely on when challenges arise
For educators, this might mean:
Creating a well-organized syllabus or digital dashboard for tracking assignments
Encouraging students to name the methods and resources they’ll lean on in tough moments
When both students and educators take time to gather the right tools early, they start the year from a place of readiness rather than reaction.
⏱ Think Through Routines in Detail
The first week of school can feel like stepping onto a fast-moving treadmill. Students may know what they have to do, but without predictable routines, everything feels like guesswork.
For students, this might mean:
Mapping out their day to include study time, breaks, meals, and self-care
Creating a predictable study routine with built-in review and planning time
Setting consistent bedtime and morning routines to support emotional energy
For educators, this might mean:
Structuring sessions with a familiar rhythm—check-in, main task, reflection
Scheduling regular times for one-on-one coaching or student check-ins
A routine isn’t about rigidity—it’s about giving students a stable framework so they can adapt with confidence when life throws them curveballs.
🗣 Model & Teach Self-Advocacy
Many students know they should ask for help but fear it will make them seem less capable. That’s why normalizing self-advocacy early is so powerful.
For students, this could mean:
Asking teachers for clarification when an assignment isn’t clear
Letting a coach or tutor know when they feel overwhelmed
Seeking peer study support before deadlines loom
For educators, this might mean:
Sharing personal stories of times when asking for help made a difference
Creating low-stakes opportunities for students to practice speaking up
When students see us model self-advocacy, they understand it’s a sign of strength, not weakness.
🌱 Reframe Fear & Dread
At the start of a new school year, it’s common to hear a student whisper, “I’m terrified I’m going to mess up this year.” That fear isn’t just in their head—it’s in their body, too. Tight shoulders, a racing heart, and a restless mind are signs that their nervous system is gearing up for uncertainty.
For students, reframing might mean:
Naming what they’re feeling and linking it to a physical sensation
Using self-compassion and positive self-talk to interrupt spirals
Breaking big tasks into smaller, doable steps to build momentum
For educators, this could mean:
Sharing the messy middle of your own reframing process, not just the polished success
Teaching a bit about the science of the nervous system so students can normalize their responses
When students understand their fear is a biological response—and that they can shift it into action—they gain both confidence and emotional regulation skills.
🧠 Modeling the Mindset
One of the most powerful ways to teach students how to navigate transitions is to model what it looks like ourselves. When we prepare our tools, think through routines, ask for help, and reframe our own fears, we’re showing students that these aren’t just “school skills”—they’re life skills.
Before you introduce these strategies, take a moment to reflect on your own habits:
Where do I already prepare well in advance, and where do I tend to scramble?
Which of my routines make me feel grounded, and which ones drain my energy?
How comfortable am I asking for help—and what example does that set for my students?
How do I personally respond to fear or uncertainty?
When you share your answers (even the imperfect ones), you give students permission to explore their own. And when you guide them with empowering questions, you help them take ownership of these skills for themselves.
Ready to Put These Strategies Into Action?
If you’re reading this before August 26, 2025, you have a unique opportunity to join me live for two Anti-Boring Learning Lab masterclasses that will show you exactly how to use these strategies with your students:
Beyond Planners: Productivity Tools for Neurodiverse Learners
📅 Saturday, August 23, 2025. Find out more and sign up.Beyond Checklists: A Student Habit Tracker for Coaches
📅 Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Find out more and sign up.
Better value tip: If you want both, it’s actually a better deal to join the Anti-Boring Learning Lab for a quarter—you’ll get both masterclasses plus access to our full library of modules, recordings, and live workshops. Join the Anti-Boring Learning Lab.
If you’re reading this after August 26, 2025, both trainings will be available as part of the Lab’s module library, along with all the other resources and replays.