Didaskaleinophobia is a fear of going to school and is thought to affect between 2% and 5% of school-age children. While it’s a pretty uncommon condition, there’s no doubt that those three little words back to school – carry so many different meanings and varying emotions! The chance to see friends again, the excitement of new classes and activities, sharing tales of long summer holidays, new faces to welcome, lesson planning and marking, having to set an early alarm… we all have mixed feelings about that first day back.
Try starting each day with a welcome song. This can be great to settle everyone down and get them into the right frame of mind for the day ahead. The right song could become something of a class anthem!
You can use ‘signal’ songs to change the mood for different parts of a lesson, or to focus everyone after playtime or inject some energy on a Friday afternoon!
Keep up that energy in topic work by putting on a classroom musical: The Victorians, 1066, The Vikings… your kids will love the singing and acting and will be learning facts without even realizing it!
Try to make music a part of each day – singing together has been shown to have so many advantages from improving reading skills and self-esteem to enhancing social bonds and encouraging good behaviour. Keep it up for a year and just imagine the benefits you could see!
Of course, organisation is the key to making sure your first day back is a stroll in the park and not a walk on the wild side, so check out our Song Calendar website where you’ll find loads of great song ideas for all the important days and events throughout your school year.
Finally, if there are times when things seem to be getting on top of you, spare a thought for Durga Kami, the 68-year-old Nepalese grandfather who, after poverty prevented him from finishing school when he was young, has decided to return to complete his education! According to the BBC, Kami said he wanted to study until his death, adding that he hoped it would encourage others to ignore the obstacle of age – definitely not didaskaleinophobic!!
