short essay on back to school

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Going Back to School, Essay Example

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Returning to school after a long break is a challenge for every person. For me, it was extremely difficult because it involved changing my daily schedule, traveling, and term work assignment preparation. According to James Clear (web), changing habits takes weeks. Your body needs to get used to the different biorhythm, meal times, bedtime, and energy needs. However, for me, it was the mental adjustment that was harder than the physical changes.

I have researched several sources to make the process of getting used to being back to school easier. James Clear states that there is a 3-step pattern that makes the adjustment easier: reminder, routine, and reward. For people, who are not used to different activities, setting up a routine, and sticking to it is essential. I have done this from day one, when I planned my returning to school. Although I did not know exactly how much time it would take me to complete assignments and research, I had an idea of how long it takes me to wake up in the morning and get ready for classes. Therefore, I created a daily routine, and added to it over time. I set my wake up time, and created a target of when I would need to be in bed. I set my lunch hours, as well as my break times. I allocated half an hour to lunch every day, an hour for an evening meal with my family, and two hours for revision, library work, and assignment. I knew that even if I had no assignments or homework, I could benefit from rehearsing and reviewing the information I learned about in school.

After getting my schedule and timetable from school, I adjusted the routine schedule, so I could allocate more time for studying on days before tests, and create more free leisure time on other days. Weekends were planned out ahead, while I added four hours of studying for every weekend.

I understood from the beginning that getting good grades was important for my future, therefore, I also created a target for every subject studied. It was hard, and the targets needed to be adjusted, based on my interest and preferences. For some subjects, I had to study less, while some assignments proved themselves to be more challenging.

On the top of my schedule, I also had to ensure that I keep time during school, therefore, I marked all the important assignment dates in my Google Calendar and set up reminders 7, 3, and 1 days before it was due. This way I could manage to complete all coursework in time, and avoid last minute studying for tests.

I also created a reward schedule for attaining good grades. I created my own rewards, such as a Chinese dinner, a picnic in the park, or a movie for every single graded assignment. I had a minimum grade target for all coursework and tests, therefore, I remained motivated to do well in school. Keeping up one’s motivation is the greatest challenge of going back to school: when it becomes a routine, many people start forgetting about their goals.

My goal with going back to school was to learn as much as I can, attain good grades and advance my education further. I believe that self-motivation and a strict routine has helped me achieve my goals so far, and I will use the same method in the future.

Works Cited

Clear, James “The 3 R’s of Habit Change: How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick” n.d. Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Growth and Development — Going Back To School

Going Back to School

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Back-to-School Writing Prompts and Activities

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

Writing assignments for the beginning of a new school year often focus on these four areas:.

1. “All About Me” Writing Activities and Assignments: This is a time-honored beginning-of-the-school-year writing tradition. It starts the school year off right when teachers get to know their students. Teachers want to know their students, and students like to be known and understood as real people.

2. Students’ Expectations, Goals, Hopes, and Dreams for the New School Year: Let’s see if the teacher and the students agree on what school is supposed to be like. These assignments allow teachers to learn about their students’ beliefs about to school, learning, and education. These assignments provide valuable insights that will help teachers properly motivate their students.

3. Reflections on Summer Vacation: This is kind of similar to “all about me” writing. It gives students a chance to let go of summer, and allows teachers to have up-to-date knowledge of what their students are interested in.

4. Classroom Routines and Policies: The most effective way to make sure that students understand what is expected of them is to have them write about it. Another important benefit of this kind of writing is that students convince themselves of the benefits of having an excellent classroom-learning environment. When students explain to themselves why routines, rules, and policies are necessary, they become convinced – without feeling convinced against their will .

Most of the writing prompts that follow fall into one of these four categories. See if you can determine which category each writing prompt falls into. The four categories all have a strong purpose behind them, and assigning a writing prompt with purpose leads to better writing.

Also, I want to congratulate you for thinking about student writing so early in the school year! If you are looking for better writing results faster than ever before, be sure to click here . If you are looking for guaranteed writing success when state testing rolls around, be sure to click here . If you want your students to be able to easily organize and compose an essay about any of the essay topics below, then be sure to click here . Wishing you a school year full of writing success!

Back-to-School Cause and Effect Essay

• An important event in my life (or several) and how it affected me – getting to know me.

• What did I do over my summer vacation that has prepared me (or failed to prepare me) for the new school year? Does the way I spend my time outside of school affect my success in school?

• What is necessary for creating an effective and positive learning environment? Certain systems and behaviors create a successful learning environment, and other systems and behaviors lead to wasting time and poor learning. What are the cause and effect relationships for successful learning? What are the cause and effect relationships for poor learning?

• What is the purpose of school? We work hard – but why? Is there a cause and effect relationship between getting a good education and living a happy, successful, and fulfilled life after school?

• What are some habits, behaviors, routines, and systems that will help me have a successful school year?

• Why do I hope I learn more this year than I ever have before – what’s in it for me? Will learning a lot this year really have an effect on my life?

Back-to-School Persuasive Essay

• All work and no play is no way to spend a life. Let’s have fun this school year!

• With high expectations placed upon us, and with so little time spent in the classroom, we can’t afford to waste even a single second of class time.

• I am a responsible, enthusiastic, and disciplined student who can be trusted to do what is expected of me.

• I need and deserve two more weeks of summer vacation.

• Homework does not improve student learning.

• My fellow students, school is important. Don’t waste your time, and please don’t waste the class’s time. It benefits none of us.

• Striving to be the best you can be through learning is exciting, fun, and a very important part of life.

Back-to-School Compare and Contrast Essay

• How I spent my summer vs. how I plan to spend the school year.

• Summer vacation back when I was young vs. summer vacation now that I am old.

• My last day of summer vacation vs. the first day of the new school year.

• The kind of student I used to be vs. the kind of student I plan to be.

• Looking like I’m working hard and doing my best job vs. actually working hard and truly doing my best job.

• The fun and interesting things about school vs. the boring and tedious things about school.

• An ideal classroom learning environment vs. a time-wasting, non-learning classroom environment.

• Education in the modern information age vs. education in olden times.

• Learning through books vs. learning through experience.

Back-to-School Process Essay or How-To Essay

• How to make this the best school year ever.

• How to transition from relaxed-summer-mind-mode to superstar-student-achievement-status.

• How to be a successful student.

• How to improve your work habits, study skills, learning attitude, and grades.

• How to be an excellent school citizen and positive classroom leader.

• After school and morning routines that guarantee I will arrive at school, on time, rested and ready to learn, homework finished, and with a happy, smiling, cheerful face.

• Classroom routines – how to – how to – how to!

Back-to-School Informational Essay

• The history of education.

• All about me – what you need to know to truly understand this strangely wonderful, yet predictably perplexing human being that I simply call “me.”

• The history of my educational career – a work in progress.

• The rules of our classroom made simple and clear.

• What does it mean to learn? And how do you do it?

• What I like about school and learning.

Back-to-School Narrative/ Personal Narrative Essay

• Happy school-time memories.

• How I spent my summer vacation – the real truth.

• My life story – a personal narrative.

• A school year (or teacher) that changed my life.

• An important real-world learning experience for which there was no manual.

• Me and school – a conflict of interests.

• Butterflies in my stomach – the day before the first day of school.

Back-to-School Descriptive Essay

• Describe the feelings, sounds, and sights of a new school year.

• Describe what you see in the classroom right now.

• Describe the qualities of a good teacher and of a good student.

• Describe the attitude, beliefs, and body language of a student who is determined to be successful in school.

Back-to-School Five-Paragraph Essay

• How I spend my time before school, during school, and after school.

• When I struggled in school, what I changed, and the results of that change.

• Three things I love about school.

• Three strategies for getting good grades.

• Three fun things I did over my summer vacation.

• Three things I must do to be successful in school this year.

• Three things about me – that hardly anyone knows.

Back-to-School Story Ideas

• The class with no rules.

• The strangely bizarre case of the kids who loved school and the teacher who taught them.

• One hour recess – twice a day!

• Straight A’s for everyone!

• The class that worked together – and achieved success.

• News Flash: Listening to your Teacher Leads to Better Learning.

• The quiet kids.

• Work hard, play hard, and bake cookies ?

• The science project that changed history.

Welcome back to school and have a great year!

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9 Students Share How They Really Feel About Going Back to School

These students, plus one parent, open up about the wave of emotions that comes with starting a school year unlike any other we've experienced before..

Madeleine Burry

Jessica Fregni

Writer-Editor, One Day

Laura Zingg

Editorial Project Manager, One Day Studio

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep across the country, students, families, and teachers are navigating the new normal of going back to school—while much of the country still shelters in place.

Some students are preparing for a return to remote learning. Others are still unsure of how exactly they will be attending school this year.

We spoke with a few students and their family members from different schools around the country to learn what school will look like for them this fall. They shared their personal experiences with remote learning and how they feel about going back to school in the middle of a pandemic.

Missing Everything About School

‘i just carry on about my day with no specific emotion’.

Syedah Asghar, College Sophomore, Washington, D.C.

Syedah Asghar will begin her second year of college at American University in Washington, D.C., where she studies public relations and strategic communications. After receiving some mixed messages over the summer about the status of her school reopening, Syedah recently learned that her school’s campus will remain closed for the fall semester. She plans to attend remote classes in a few weeks. And like many college students, she is grappling with staying motivated and missing out on the college experience.

College has been a safe space where I’m the most “me.” I would wake up much happier. I had confidence in my routine, and I was surrounded by friends who made me feel excited to start the day. With online learning, I just carry on about my day with no specific emotion.

The hardest part about attending college remotely is maintaining a routine and motivation. For in-person classes, I would get dressed and have to physically be present which put a start to my day. Now, I sometimes turn on my computer as soon as I wake up and not give myself the mental space ahead of time to start my day. On the plus side, with online learning, there is a lot more flexibility in my schedule since I’m able to complete an assignment on my own timeframe. Most of my professors are honoring mental health, and are more understanding of external factors that impact the quality of education now that we're learning remotely.

Being part of the Enduring Ideas Fellowship has kept me busy working 20 hours a week. I’m also trying to get creative by learning how to cook and attempting new recipes. With my friends, we’ve all been checking-in and making sure we’re able to support one another through these mentally-draining times. Only two of my professors have reached out and asked how we’re doing, so there isn’t much support on that end.

While it can be mentally challenging and exhausting, I’m very fortunate to have access to technology and internet connection so I can complete my coursework. And I’m able to stay at home and quarantine if need be.

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‘I'm Hoping That Jose Goes Back, Even Though I Know It's Scary’

Marisol Escobedo & Jose Manrrique, 4th grade, Kansas City, Missouri

Fourth-grade student Jose Manrrique is returning to school at Carver Dual Language in Kansas City, Missouri, in September—virtually, for now. Schools in the Kansas City Public School System will not reopen for in-person instruction until the community’s COVID-19 cases decrease for at least 14 days. While Jose eagerly awaits the day when he can return to the classroom and see his teachers and friends again, his mother, Marisol Escobedo, feels much more conflicted.

Marisol: They're going to be starting online school first, on September 8th. They will do that for a couple of months while the cases keep decreasing, then they will start putting some of the kids back in school. I'm hoping that Jose goes back, even though I know it's scary at the same time for him to go. I'm really worried that he will get sick. I don't want to go through that, it scares me. But I really would like Jose to be able to develop his learning so that he can learn what he's supposed to in school.

I don't really think that Jose learned much from online classes. Even though I know that the teachers do their best to teach them as much as they can, I don't think it's the same for the kids.

Especially the younger ages, I think that it's hard for them to be able to teach them everything on a computer—especially because you have multiple children at the same time in the class. For an older student, like my sister, I know that she did really good because she's older. She's 16 and she already knows what she's doing. But for Jose, it was hard.

I'm hoping that they will make the school safe for students, to try to keep them as healthy as they can. I don't know what that process will be, but I'm hoping that everything that they do, they will plan it well.

Jose: I want to go back in the school building. I'm hoping that I can still play with my friends and also be in the same class with my friends.

Adapting to a New Normal

‘i have to push myself to get things done’.

Haanya Ijaz, 12th Grade, Dublin, Ohio

Haanya Ijaz is a rising senior at Hilliard Davidson, in Dublin, Ohio where she will be attending remote classes in the fall. She’s also taking classes at Ohio State University, which will be solely online. While she finds in-person classes more interesting and also values the face-to-face time with friends, she knows online learning is safer, and also allows her to independently create a schedule that works for her.

Online classes are definitely a lot more organized this fall than before.

I also think I've gained skills with handling procrastination and sticking to a schedule, so I should be more organized this fall. [The hardest part about online learning is] staying interested and motivated. Without sticking to a schedule, I easily fall into a cycle of procrastination and feeling down, so I have to push myself to get things done and stay on top of my responsibilities.

Most of my classes should be done before 4 p.m., leaving me room to work on college apps and extracurriculars in the afternoon along with homework.

I also think I'll have more time for my personal hobbies and interests which have always been something that give me a break outside of academics and keep my mental health in check. I read a lot! I also sketch landscapes, my friends, and characters from my favorite shows. Recently I've gotten back into skateboarding after a one-year-long hiatus, which has been great.

[I feel worried about] college applications and the situation with the state-administered SAT. It's still very gray. [I’m hopeful about my] self-growth and exploration with this extra time at home! I am also looking forward to the remote internship opportunities I will be participating in this fall.

I would obviously love it if COVID-19 did not exist, but within the current parameters of the situation I'm excited for the courses I am taking and the extracurriculars I am involved in. I also have a huge list of books I need to get through, so staying at home is going to be great for that!

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Nothing Feels Normal Anymore

‘I Walked Out of My High School for the Last Time Without Knowing It’

Becoming a Teacher During the Pandemic

‘I’m Feeling Hopeful About My Ability to Sit in on More Online Classes’

Annabel Morley, 12th Grade, Baltimore, Maryland

Annabel Morley is a rising senior at the Baltimore School of Arts. At least the beginning of Annabel’s final year of high school will be spent at home, where she will be learning remotely. Although Annabel worries about how engaging and supportive online learning will be this year, she’s found a silver lining: More time at home means that she has more time for her artistic pursuits which include writing for CHARM , an online literary magazine that amplifies voices of Baltimore youth and spending time with her family.

I’m not really sure yet what my school day will look like, but I know it will be entirely online. I definitely don’t think I would feel very safe going back to school in person unless CDC guidelines were followed really well. Both my parents are at risk and I wouldn’t want to put them, or my friends’ families, at risk.

The hardest part of attending school remotely is definitely not seeing any of my school friends in person and having some difficulty understanding the content. We have a lot less academic support. I’m most worried about understanding what's going on in my classes—especially in math. I hope that we can find a way for online schooling to be more engaging because it was very difficult to understand or stay focused on a class last spring.

Now that school is online, I definitely have more time to work on personal projects and interests. For example, I’ve started crocheting and oil painting, and have made a bunch of clothes. During quarantine, I've mainly been doing lots of crafts and baking, Facetiming, and having safe outdoor hangouts with my friends.

My mom and I are really close so it's been nice to be able to spend more time with her, and with all the Facetiming with my friends, I feel like I’ve been really loved and supported during this time. I’m feeling hopeful about my ability to sit in on more online classes and teach myself artistic and personal skills.

‘Honestly, I Would Prefer Learning in a Virtual Setting’

Amia Roach-Valandra, 12th Grade, Rosebud, South Dakota

Amia Roach-Valandra will begin her senior year of high school this fall on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. She is also an Enduring Ideas fellow, a student-led leadership initiative to reimagine the future of education. Amia's school will be online during the first quarter, with plans to reevaluate whether to open for in-person classes. Like many students and families, Amia is feeling anxious not knowing what lies ahead.

In this new school year, we are faced with challenges that we never had to face before. My high school reached a decision to go online for the first quarter and have a revaluation in nine weeks. As a student I feel in the dark about the decision that is being made, and anxious about it. If the school isn’t prepared yet, how do they expect students to be prepared?

Not having a normal school setting may not allow me to be the best student I can be. I’ll have the safety of my health top of mind instead of learning the curriculum. Honestly, I would prefer learning in a virtual setting, and being able to learn from the comfort of my own home. I know I would be able to stay on top of assignments, although I know some students may not feel the same.

I am also a student-athlete, and I am worried about my school's plan regarding sports. It is definitely a piece of my life that I would want to go back to normal, yet I want to be considerate of my health as well as others. A lot of students depend on sports as a place to escape for a while, and others depend on sports scholarships for college. I am also thinking about those students and how much that will impact them this school year.

‘My Overall Mental and Physical Health Improved Significantly’

Tehle Ross, 10th Grade, Baltimore, Maryland

Tehle Ross is a rising sophomore attending Baltimore City College and a contributor for CHARM , a digital magazine featuring voices of Baltimore youth. She loves studying history and plans to study abroad this year in Italy, a country that has made a remarkable recovery through the pandemic. Her Italian school will be a hybrid of online and in-person at the beginning of the year and Tehle is optimistic about transitioning to all in-person classes.

Attending school remotely has several benefits and shortcomings alike. Each family's living and working situation is different; however, in my personal experience, I noticed that my overall mental and physical health improved significantly when doing school online. I was less stressed because I was able to space out my work as I desired, and I also was able to complete every assignment from the comfort of my own home. Attending school remotely stunted my academic progress, though, I believe, for I am a more focused student when instruction takes place in the classroom with my peers.

The hardest part of attending school remotely was the social isolation from my classmates and teachers. At school, you always feel like you have a community around you, and it is tough to not feel that same sense of community when learning online at home. Additionally, it takes an innate sense of motivation to get assignments done in a timely manner when you are doing work online.

Quarantine has been tough for us all, but I cope and stay busy by doing what makes me happy. I have developed a passion for baking, and I have also been an avid reader and writer. Having game nights with my family and watching movies together lifts my spirits.

My community has been supporting me during this time by checking up on me and staying in touch virtually. Supporting others during this time means prioritizing their safety.

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Worries and Hopes About the Next Chapter

‘this pandemic is serious, but people have stopped taking it seriously’.

Shubhan Bhat, 11th Grade, Baltimore, Maryland

Shubhan Bhat will also begin 11th grade this fall at The Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He enjoys poetry, writing for CHARM magazine, and studying American government. His school will hold online classes this fall and possibly offer a hybrid option later on. Shubhan prefers remote learning because it’s less stressful and safer for students. But being at home while trying to learn has also been very difficult for Shubhan and his family.

With remote learning, I gained more time to finish my work, had less stress, and more free time. What is lost is the social aspect of the classes, which is fine with me. I’m hopeful that online classes will be safer than an in-person school and there will be less work.

The hardest part about attending school remotely is being in the house when events happen. I was in my English class when the paramedics came to my house to try and revive my grandfather. I watched my grandfather die right in the middle of class. At that point, because my maternal grandfather also died a month ago, I lost all my motivation to be in class or do work. I left class, and haven’t come back since.

I’ve been getting support through classes and therapy. My family tries to work together on activities so I won’t be depressed during quarantine. My teachers also made my classes optional last spring so that decreased my stress. I don’t really have a lot of friends or go on social media as much as I used to. It used to entertain me, but it’s starting to get boring.

I wish schools in Texas and Florida wouldn't be in-person. I find that in-person classes during the pandemic aren't safe because students are going out in public and have a greater risk of spreading COVID. This pandemic is serious, but people have stopped taking it seriously. And now there is an increase in cases.

‘I Fear All of My College Plans Will Go Out the Window’

Me’Shiah Bell, 11th Grade, Baltimore Maryland

Me’Shiah Bell is a rising 11th grader at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, where students will continue to receive remote instruction this fall. While Me’Shiah believes that remote learning is the best and safest option for now, she worries about what remote learning will mean for her college plans—especially since she’s entering her junior year, a critical time for college admissions. In her free time, Me’Shiah also writes for CHARM online magazine.

I think remote learning is the best option, as it is the safest. However, I think there are quite a few downsides.

I miss the social interactions, but I realize that it’s unimportant in the long run. The main downside for me is the lack of clarity and communication between the students and teachers. For example, last spring I had a grading error that would have been fixed immediately if I was physically at school. However, since I wasn’t there, there was no sense of urgency, and my concern was disregarded by multiple adults. This caused the situation to be pushed over for much longer than it should’ve been.

Hopefully, this fall we’ll have a better system to avoid issues like this. I also hope classes will be scheduled like a typical school day, with multiple sessions in a row, and independent work to do between classes. Last spring, teachers could decide if and when classes sessions were held, and everything was very unorganized. Sometimes, the sessions would overlap with other responsibilities I had.

The hardest part of remote learning has been keeping myself motivated and holding myself accountable. I’m going into my junior year, which is probably the most important year for college admissions, and I don’t feel like I’m able to put my best foot forward. I’ve worked hard to get to the point I’m at now, and I fear that all of my college plans will go out of the window due to circumstances out of my control.

Overall, I’m worried about how prepared I am mentally to adjust to such a huge change, while still continuing to perform well academically. I’m hopeful that my school will be more prepared to accommodate all of our needs so that everyone can have the best possible experience.

‘I Think COVID Gave Me a New Story to Tell the Next Generation’

Rosalie Bobbett, 12th Grade, Brooklyn, New York

This August, Rosalie Bobbett will begin her senior year at Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy (BELA). The first three weeks of school will be held online, after which she will alternate one week of in-person classes and one week of remote learning. Rosalie lives with her parents, siblings, grandmother, and uncle so she’s been extra cautious about quarantining. Going back to in-person classes will be a big adjustment. But she’s ready.

My school is really on top of safety. They're going to make us wear masks. And we have to get a COVID test before we enter the school building. For in-person classes, we're going to stay in one room with 12 other people. The teachers have to rotate to us instead of us traveling in a big group.

I think with online learning, it gives me an opportunity to move at my own pace and take accountability for my learning. The disadvantages are the lack of talking to people and being in the classroom. I'm very fortunate to be in a school where I have a computer. I know how to work Zoom. I know how to work from Microsoft. Most of my peers don’t even have a computer. And so I'm wondering—how are those students navigating this world right now?

I feel like a lot of students are going to be left behind because of resources or their parents—there might be other children in the home and it's going to be difficult for them to take care of their siblings. The teachers and principals and people who are responsible for their education—I don't want them to lose sight of that child who is behind the screen.

I’m excited about school. It's my senior year. This is the last chapter before entering my adulthood. I think COVID gave me a new story to tell the next generation. It's going to be a lot of mixed emotions, but I know my teachers are going to make my senior year the best that they can.

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Essay on Going Back to School After COVID-19

Students are often asked to write an essay on Going Back to School After COVID-19 in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Going Back to School After COVID-19

Introduction.

Going back to school after COVID-19 is a big step. We’ve spent months learning from home, and now we’re returning to a familiar yet changed environment.

Changes in School

Schools have changed to keep us safe. There are new rules like wearing masks, maintaining distance, and frequent hand washing. Classrooms look different too, with desks spaced apart.

Emotional Impact

Returning may feel strange. We might feel excited to see friends but also anxious about the virus. It’s okay to have mixed feelings.

Despite changes, school remains a place for learning and friendship. Let’s embrace this new normal together.

250 Words Essay on Going Back to School After COVID-19

The new normal: returning to school after covid-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the educational landscape, causing schools worldwide to transition to remote learning. As the world gradually recovers, the prospect of returning to physical classrooms is becoming a reality.

Embracing Changes

The transition back to school will not be a return to the pre-pandemic norm. Schools will now incorporate strategies to mitigate virus transmission, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and regular sanitation. Students will need to adapt to these changes, recognizing them as necessary for public health.

Academic Challenges

The shift to online learning was a challenging adjustment for many. As students re-enter physical classrooms, they may face academic hurdles due to the learning gaps created by the pandemic. Institutions should provide support to help students bridge these gaps and regain their academic momentum.

Mental Health Considerations

The pandemic has taken a toll on students’ mental health. Schools must prioritize providing resources and support to address these concerns as students readjust to in-person learning.

Opportunities for Growth

Despite the challenges, the post-pandemic return to school presents opportunities for growth. The crisis has highlighted the importance of resilience, adaptability, and community. As we move forward, these values will guide us in creating a more robust, inclusive, and flexible educational system.

In conclusion, going back to school after COVID-19 will be a complex transition, filled with challenges and opportunities. By embracing change, addressing academic and mental health concerns, and focusing on growth, we can navigate this new educational landscape successfully.

500 Words Essay on Going Back to School After COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the educational landscape, instigating a sudden shift to remote learning. As we gradually transition back to physical classrooms, it is essential to consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Emotional and Psychological Impact

The pandemic has left an indelible mark on students’ emotional and psychological well-being. Isolation and lack of peer interaction have led to increased levels of stress and anxiety. As students return to school, institutions must prioritize mental health support. This could include counseling services, peer support groups, and mindfulness programs to help students navigate this transition.

Academic Disparities

The shift to online learning has exposed and exacerbated existing educational disparities. Students without reliable internet access or quiet study spaces have struggled to keep up with their peers. As schools reopen, educators must identify and address these gaps. This could involve personalized learning plans or additional resources for students who have fallen behind.

Changes in Teaching and Learning

The pandemic has also transformed teaching and learning methods. Teachers have adopted new technologies and pedagogical strategies to engage students remotely. As we return to in-person learning, it would be a missed opportunity not to leverage these innovations. Blended learning models, combining face-to-face and online instruction, could offer a more flexible and personalized educational experience.

Health and Safety Measures

The return to school also necessitates stringent health and safety measures. Schools must ensure regular sanitization, enforce social distancing, and possibly continue mask mandates. These measures, while necessary, may alter the school experience and require adjustment from students.

Building Resilience and Adaptability

Despite the challenges, the return to school post-COVID-19 also presents an opportunity to cultivate resilience and adaptability in students. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of these skills in navigating uncertain circumstances. Schools could incorporate these competencies into their curricula, preparing students not just for academic success, but for life’s unpredictability.

Going back to school after COVID-19 is a complex process, fraught with challenges but also ripe with opportunities. By prioritizing mental health, addressing academic disparities, leveraging pedagogical innovations, maintaining health safety, and fostering resilience, we can ensure a smooth transition back to school. Ultimately, the goal is not merely to return to the pre-pandemic normal but to create a more equitable and robust educational system that is better equipped to handle future disruptions.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Essay on Impact of COVID-19 on Education

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Short Essay on First Day of School [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

For all of us, the first day of our school is very significant. We never forget the first day in our school. In this lesson today, you will learn how to write a short essay on the first day of your school. So, let’s get started.

Feature image of Short Essay on First Day of School

Short Essay on First Day of School in 100 Words

The memories of our school are always precious to us. When we grow up and leave our schools, we still remember those beautiful days. School gifts us with friends, good teachers, studies, manners, and also lots of happiness.

There is no one who does not enjoy going to school. And the best part of school life is the first day of school. As little children, we generally cry when we go to school. We do not understand everything happening there. Our parents take us there. Often we have to give an admission test for that school. But slowly we make new friends and start enjoying our school days.

Short Essay on First Day of School in 200 Words

School gives us one of the best memories of our lives. We will realize this after leaving our school and going for higher education. For a long period of our life, we spend time in our school. So it soon becomes our second home. Perhaps, the most important day in our life is the first day of our school. We get into that building for the first time.

All of us cry when we get into school. It happens because we do not want to leave our parents and house. For the time, school seems to be a different place. There are new people, new teachers, new friends, big classrooms, benches, and chairs. We get a pile of books and copies when we get into our school. But soon we start adjusting. We no longer cry we go to school. We wait to meet our friends. We come across our teachers. They start loving us just like our parents.

We feel home-like when we stay in school. As students, we have to follow rules. That we obediently follow. We enjoy our first school prayers and the assembly. The first day of our school remains like a precious memory. We do not forget that day and enjoy sharing it with everyone.

Short Essay on First Day of School in 400 Words

School gives us the best time of our lives. Everything seems very easy to understand. We learn, study, and also enjoy ourselves in school. School life gifts us with friends, good teachers, and good memories. And the best moment of our lives is the first day of school. Everything seems new and different. Yet it is a treasure of our lives. We can never forget the days of our school, especially the first day.

The first day of school is perhaps the most important. It is not only the beginning of our studies but also the start of a new life. We all remember how on the first day we had cried. We hated going to school back then. We thought someone will take us away from our parents and house. So parents always stay with us on our very first day. We all have to sit for an admission test. We prepare the basics back at home and then give the examination.

All children at the age of three are admitted to primary schools. Once our examination gets over, we get admission into the new school. We feel happiest as we get new school bags, books, copies, and other things. The first journey to school is an exciting one. Holding the hands of our parents, we attend the school.

We cry as the teacher takes us to our classes. But soon we see many little children sitting in the class. And we forget our tears. Soon we start making friends and enjoying the classes together. We share our tiffins and learn the habit of sharing. We come across some new people. We learn to call them teachers. They teach us in our class and we enjoy sitting with our friends and learning the same things.

As the first day comes to an end, we hurry outside to our parents. We feel happy as we share the details of our first class. From that moment onward, we never cry to go to school. But we wait every morning to visit school and meet our friends. The best part of school life is having friends to play with.

Everything remains very soft and innocent. From the first day, the teachers and the school building become very dear to us. So just like the first day, we cry when we leave our school. We all get to go for higher education. We all do our jobs. But throughout our lives, the school remains a great memory. The first day of school is the biggest gift of God.

In this session above, I have tried to discuss the entire context in a very simple language that all kinds of students can easily understand. Hopefully, now you will be able to write such essays on your own. If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through the comment section below. To read more such essays on important topics, keep browsing our website.

Please join our Telegram channel to get all updates on our upcoming sessions. Thank you for being with us. All the best for your exam.

Let's go back to school

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone’s lives abruptly. Lockdowns were enforced, businesses were closed, and schools had to shut down and transfer their classrooms to a virtual sphere. Homes suddenly became workplaces, both for adults and children. But for many, it was not easy. Numerous siblings sharing the only phone or computer available, sometimes even borrowed from a family member or neighbor. Some kids climbing up trees to get data reception; meanwhile others were spending the entire day at a park or shopping mall to use the free Wi-Fi.

Adults tend to have many different activities throughout the day, which takes them to several places. But for most kids, their main routine revolves around school: going to school, switch classrooms, spend time with friends and teachers, and then go back home. When all you want to do is learn and play but swiftly it all comes down to halt and uncertainty rises, you start wondering what happens now and what will occur next.

In the past, many kids would get excited if school was cancelled for a day. Now, all they plead is to go back to the classrooms. And for most of these students, it is not an adequately equipped one. Still, they desire it with all their heart. Now that many countries are in further stages of their vaccination plans and children start to return to school grounds, it is appropriate to reflect how this situation left a mark on how we see and act when it comes to educational affairs.

Childhood is not life’s waiting room, and schools are not just a place to leave them for the day while adults are working. More now than ever, it is crucial to call for action, demand responses and hold accountable the different actors whose duty was to ensure every kid continued studying while in lockdown. Let’s also acknowledge the challenges regarding their mental health and the scars that these struggles left upon them. And last but certainly not least, the resilience that this journey is creating needs to transform into a plan that updates school properties regarding technology.

Getting school staff and students vaccinated is only a part of the process. Both actors need to be equipped in matters of resources and materials, as well as in information and support; not only on the academic level, but also on the mental health area. It has been a tough time for everybody, but children have had it rougher, so let’s get to work and let’s go back to school.

View the discussion thread.

Period Poverty: The Struggle for Menstrual Equity

Don't Find Yourself

Essay on My School for Students and Children

500+ words essay on my school.

Education is an essential part of our lives. We are nothing without knowledge, and education is what separates us from others. The main step to acquiring education is enrolling oneself in a school. School serves as the first learning place for most of the people. Similarly, it is the first spark in receiving an education. In this essay on my school, I will tell you why I love my school and what my school has taught me.

We have all been to school and we have loved each and every moment we have spent over there as those were the building blocks of our lives. A school is a place where students are taught the fundamentals of life, as well as how to grow and survive in life. It instils in us values and principles that serve as the foundation for a child’s development.

My school is my second home where I spend most of my time. Above all, it gives me a platform to do better in life and also builds my personality. I feel blessed to study in one of the most prestigious and esteemed schools in the city. In addition, my school has a lot of assets which makes me feel fortunate to be a part of it. Let us look at the essay on my school written below.

Why I Love My School?

From kindergarten through primary and secondary school, and subsequently, to faculty, school is a place where we always study, grow, and establish ourselves, socialize, be a friend, help others, and love and be loved. School is a buddy that will accompany us from the beginning of our youth till the conclusion of our lives. At school, we share all of our pleasures and sorrows, and we constantly rely on one another. This is made possible through the friendships we share. They assist us in effortlessly overcoming difficulties, sharing moments of enjoyment together, and looking forward to new paths.

My school strikes the perfect balance between modern education and vintage architecture. The vintage buildings of my school never fail to mesmerize me with their glorious beauty. However, their vintage architecture does not mean it is outdated, as it is well-equipped with all the contemporary gadgets. I see my school as a lighthouse of education bestowing knowledge as well as ethical conduct upon us.

Teachers have the power to make or break a school. The teaching staff is regarded as the foundation of any educational society. It is their efforts to help kids learn and understand things that instil good habits and values in their students. While some concepts are simple to grasp, others necessitate the use of a skilled teacher to drive the home the idea with each pupil.

In contrast to other schools, my school does not solely focus on academic performance. In other words, it emphasizes on the overall development of their students. Along with our academics, extra-curricular activities are also organized at our school. This is one of the main reasons why I love my school as it does not measure everyone on the same scale. Our hardworking staff gives time to each child to grow at their own pace which instils confidence in them. My school has all the facilities of a library , computer room, playground, basketball court and more, to ensure we have it all at our disposal.

For me, my school is more than simply an educational institution; it is also my second family, which I established during my childhood. A family of wonderful friends, outstanding teachers, and fond school memories. I adore my school because it is where I learn how to be a good citizen and how to reach my goals. School is the only place where we make friends without judging them. We feel comfortable spending time with those close friends no matter what the situation.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

What has My School Taught Me?

If someone asked me what I have learned from my school, I won’t be able to answer it in one sentence. For the lessons are irreplaceable and I can never be thankful enough for them. I learned to share because of my school. The power of sharing and sympathy was taught to me by my school. I learned how to be considerate towards animals and it is also one of the main reasons why I adopted a pet.

School is an excellent place to learn how to be an adult before entering the real world. Those abilities pay dividends whether you choose to be the bigger person in an argument or simply complete your domestic tasks. When you open your mind to new ideas, you gain a lot of influence in society. Picking up unexpected hobbies on your own will teach you more about what you like to do than simply completing things for a grade.

A school is a place where I developed my artistic skills which were further enhanced by my teachers. Subsequently, it led me to participate in inter-school completions through which I earned various awards. Most importantly, my school taught me how to face failures with grace and never give up on my ambitions, no matter what happens.

Schools also offer a variety of extracurricular activities such as Scouts and Guides, sports, N.C.C., skating, school band, acting, dancing, singing, and so on. Our principal also used to give us a short lecture every day for about 10 minutes about etiquette, character development, moral education, respecting others, and gaining excellent values. As a result, I can claim that what I am today is solely due to my school, which is the best institution in my opinion.

Teamwork is an important ability that schools teach. Schools are frequently the first places where youngsters have the opportunity to collaborate with children who are different from them. Collaboration is essential for the team and individual success. Students are taught that the success of a team depends on each individual component functioning together.

To sum it up, studying in one of the respected schools has helped me a lot personally. I will always be indebted to my school for shaping my personality and teaching me invaluable lessons. It has given me friends for life and teachers that I will always look up to. I aspire to carry on the values imbibed by my school to do well in life and make it proud.

Here is the list of Top Schools in India! Does Your School Tops the List?

FAQs on School

Q.1 Why must every child go to school?

A.1 It is essential for every child to go to school as the school teaches us lessons that cannot be acquired anywhere else. The experience is one a kind and along with education, we learn many other things like socializing, extra-curricular activities and more.

Q.2 What does school teach us?

A.2 School teaches us some of the great things like first of all, it gives us basic education. It teaches us to develop our skills like art, dance, public speaking and more. Most importantly, it teaches us discipline.

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Argumentative Essay: The Benefits of Going to School

Many young people see going to school as a chore and only go because they absolutely have to, while some will even skip school because they see it as boring and unnecessary. However, going to school is incredibly important for your career, future education you may wish to pursue, and social and communication skills.

Teenagers are forever being told that they need a good education so that their can have the career they want, but many do not listen. However, it is important to remember that your schooling, no matter how long it may feel, lasts for a just a few short years compared to the rest of your life ahead of you. Therefore, it is better to sacrifice a little bit of fun now so that you can find happiness in later life, as you will be happier if you can do a job that you enjoy and afford to do the things you want.

Integrally linked to your career is the fact that you will only be able to achieve a higher level of education later on if you work hard in school now. Although at the age of fourteen and fifteen many young people may not think they want to go to college or university, you don’t know how this may change as you get older. And with unemployment among young people in the USA at its highest since the early 1960’s, you may find that you need a college degree to secure a good job because there is so much competition for so few jobs. Many people also decide that they want to study further when they get a bit older, perhaps after they have got married and had children, sometimes because they want a career change as they are not happy, or just to prove to themselves and others that they can do it. Those that don’t succeed in compulsory education will not have the opportunity to even start many courses because there will be plenty of better-qualified candidates that also want a place.

Finally, school is the place where you learn a great deal of very important life skills. From communicating and empathizing with people of both genders and different ages, to listening to instructions and following orders, and developing leadership skills. It is not a coincidence that there is a negative correlation between criminal offences and level of education, in all races, ages and genders all over the world, and one of the main reasons for this is that the lessons that are learnt in school are so much more than just academic. So, although most of us only consider our career when we think about what school may do for us, the life skills we learn are equally important.

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Going back to school during the covid-19. - voices of children, children tell about their feelings and challenges they face.

Available in:

Starting a new school year is always full of emotions and especially during a pandemic.

Part of the schools in Georgia started teaching at classrooms, other part continues the distance learning. But children in every city or village are looking forward to meet their friends and teachers in person.

We asked children to tell what they feel, how their lives have changed and how they handle these challenges.

Natia Samnashvili, 10 years old.

"I am happy to return to school. Distance learning was hard, working with computer caused pain for eyes and fingers. I could understand the online lessons, but it was easier when we had face-to-face meetings with the teacher. One more thing I am happy about is to see my friends, meet new teachers. If the lessons were distance again, we won't have a chance to get introduced with teachers. We have new teachers this year."

Andria Khocholava, 9 years old.

"Don’t remind me about online lessons. Going to school is cool. There are many changes though: you can’t hug the teachers, they always wear masks, hugging friends is not allowed either, but we violate this rule sometimes. Breaks are shortened and we have to wash our hands many times. Also, you are not allowed to lend something to others. I am carrying water in the bottle as the water dispensers are turned off. Still, it’s good to go to school. We are repeating the materials from the previous year and I understand everything better in class than on the online lesson. We have a new game called “Coronobana” – it’s like a game of catch."

Teona Jghiradze, 13 years old.

"I didn’t have a personal computer and was attending online lessons from a mobile phone. We had to either write the homework in the workbook and then send the photo of it or type it on the keyboard. Sometimes there were technical problems with the internet or electricity and we were missing the lessons, now we will cover those materials too. I am happy to return to school, it was boring at home and also I missed my friends and I am happy to see them."

Lasha Devlarishvili, 11 years old.

"Yes, I am happy to return to school. It was boring at home. I was playing or reading books. In school, there will be more positivity and better learning process".

Elene Melikadze, 12 years old.

"Online classes were interesting at the beginning, but now I think going to school is better. We could only see the face of the teacher at online lessons, eyes were getting tired and you miss the human interaction. But it was good that the exams were cancelled.

Now I am back to school. My friends got taller in this period. I am happy to return to school because I can see the people and talk to them. I am having fun on breaks, but we all remember that we must be careful. We have to avoid getting the virus or transfer it. Yes, we have lots of homework, but I don't complain. I like school and I am happy. If the online lessons are back, I don't know what will I do. I think I will start drawing instead of studying."

Data Sulaberidze, 10 years old.

"I am happy to return to school because I really missed my friends and teachers. I love school and I think that interaction with my peers is part of the education process."

Nino Khvichia, 10 years old.

"I am very happy to go back to school. I was very nervous on the first day about the mandatory distance, and I was looking forward to hug everyone, I missed everyone so much. I am getting up early in the mornings not to be late and get to school early. Sometimes I was forgetting about the lessons when we were on distance learning and could not join the classes, could not interact with children normally and sometimes I was shy to ask questions. I love the lessons held in school, they are more interesting and joyful."

Giorgi Alavidze, 6 years old.

"School is good. Very good. It is fun there. There are many friends of mine from kindergarten. We have two new students too and I made friends with one of them. From lessons, I like Georgian more than math, teachers read books and it is like a literature club. I like drawing club too. I want the breaks to be longer to have more time for playing with friends. I want to go to school by school-bus and make friends with more people. Teachers were masks and gloves at school. I know if anyone catches the virus in school, it will be closed again."

Aleksandre Alasania, 7 years old.

"I was happy to return to school. It was different though, our class was split into half. We wore masks and maintain the distance, and we could not play and "go crazy".

When we turned back to distance learning, I was very upset. I am not able to communicate with friends and miss them. The software is always laggy during the lessons, I can't hear the voice well. When everyone starts to talk together, I am getting tired and turning off the software. We again have to sit at home to avoid getting infected by "Conora" (he calls Coronavirus like that)."

How to prepare your child for preschool

Playful ways to ease the transition.

Beyond the Classroom

How interactive catch-up classes are changing academic performance for children in Georgia

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How to Write a Short Essay

Last Updated: January 17, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 111,472 times.

Essay writing is a common assignment in high school or college courses, especially within the humanities. You’ll also be asked to write essays for college admissions and scholarships. In a short essay (250-500 words), you will need to provide an introduction with a thesis, a body, and a conclusion, as you would with a longer essay. Depending on the essay requirements, you may also need to do academic or online research to find sources to back up your claims.

Picking a Topic and Gathering Research

If you have any questions about the topic, ask your instructor. If your essay doesn't respond to the prompt, you likely won't receive full credit.

Step 2 Choose a single arguable point for your brief essay.

If you're writing an essay for an in-class test or for an application, tailor the essay to the given prompt and topic. Quickly brainstorm a few ideas; for example, think of positive things you can say about yourself for a college-entrance essay.
For example, the topic “depression in American literature” is far too broad. Narrow down your topic to something like “Willie Loman’s depression in Death of a Salesman .”
Or, you could write about a narrow topic like “the increase in the USA’s national debt in the 1950s” rather than a broad topic like “the American economy in the 20th century.”

Step 3 Find 1-2 appropriate secondary sources in an online research database.

Depending on the field in which you’re writing the essay—e.g., hard sciences, sociology, humanities, etc.—your instructor will direct you towards appropriate databases. For example, if you’re writing a high-school or college-level essay for your English class, visit online literary databases like JSTOR, LION, and the MLA Bibliography.
If you're writing the essay for a college or graduate-school application, it's unlikely that you'll need to include any secondary sources.
If you're writing a timed or in-class essay, you may not be able to find research articles. But, still do draw information from texts and sources you've studied both in and out of class, and build from points made in any provided reading passages.

If you’re writing about current events or journalism topics, read articles from well-known news sites like CNN or the BBC.
Avoid citing unreliable websites like blogs or any sites that have a clear bias about the topic they’re reporting on.

Composing the Essay

If you write the essay without outlining, the essay will be poorly organized.

This thesis statement is far too weak: “ Death of a Salesman shows the difficulty of living in America after WWII.”
Instead, hone your thesis to something like: “Arthur Miller uses Death of a Salesman to show that the American Dream is materialist and impractical.”

Step 3 Use your introduction paragraph to explain the essay’s topic.

So, avoid beginning the paragraph by writing something like, “Since the beginning of time, all people have been consumed with the desire for their father’s approval.”
Instead, write something like, “In the play Death of a Salesman , Willie Loman’s sons compete for their father’s approval through various masculine displays."
Then, you can say, "To examine this topic, I will perform a close reading of several key passages of the play and present analyses by noted Arthur Miller scholars."

Step 4 Keep the introduction and conclusion under 75 words each.

In a short essay, the conclusion should do nothing more than briefly restate your main claim and remind readers of the evidence you provided.

Step 5 Use body paragraphs to prove various aspects of your central argument.

So, take the example about Death of a Salesman . The first body paragraph could discuss the ways in which Willie’s sons try to impress him.
The second body paragraph could dive into Willie’s hopelessness and despair, and the third paragraph could discuss how Miller uses his characters to show the flaws in their understanding of the American Dream.

Step 6 Add information from your research sources to strengthen claims.

Always cite your sources so you avoid charges of plagiarism. Check with your instructor (or the essay prompt) and find out what citation style you should use.
For example, if you’re summarizing the inflation of the American dollar during the 1930s, provide 2 or 3 years and inflation-rate percentages. Don’t provide a full-paragraph summary of the economic decline.
If you're writing an in-class essay and don't have time to perform any research, you don't need to incorporate outside sources. But, it will impress your teacher if you quote from a reading passage or bring up pertinent knowledge you may have gained during the class.

Step 7 Ask someone else to read your first draft.

If no one agrees to read the essay, read over your own first draft and look for errors or spots where you could clarify your meaning. Reading the essay out loud often helps, as you’ll be able to hear sentences that aren’t quite coherent.
This step does not apply to essays written during a timed or in-class exam, as you won't be able to ask peers to read your work.

Step 8 Revise the first draft into the final essay.

It’s always a mistake to submit an unrevised first draft, whether for a grade, for admissions, or for a scholarship essay.
However, if you're writing an essay for a timed exam, it's okay if you don't have enough time to combine multiple drafts before the time runs out.

Condensing Your Essay

Step 1 Quote only from secondary sources that are related to your topic.

So, if you’re writing about Death of a Salesman , an article about symbolism in Arthur Miller’s plays would be useful. But, an article about the average cost of Midwestern hotels in the 1940s would be irrelevant.
If you’re writing a scholarship essay, double-check the instructions to clarify what types of sources you’re allowed to use.

Step 2 Remove verbiage to keep your essay under the word count.

A common cliche you might find in an essay is a statement like, "I'm the hardest working student at my school."
For example, this sentence is too verbose: “I have been a relentlessly stellar student throughout my entire high school career since I am a seriously dedicated reader and thoroughly apply myself to every assignment I receive in class.”
Shortened, it could read: “I was a stellar student throughout my high school career since I was a dedicated reader and applied myself to every assignment I received.”

Avoid writing something like, “Willie Loman can be seen as having achieved little through his life because he is not respected by his sons and is not valued by his co-workers.”
Instead, write, “Arthur Miller shows readers that Willie’s life accomplishments have amounted to little. Willie’s sons do not look up to him, and his co-workers treat him without respect.”

Step 4 Present only the most relevant argument in your essay.

For example, if you’re trying to prove that WWII pulled the USA out of the Great Depression, focus strictly on an economic argument.
Avoid bringing in other, less convincing topics. For example, don’t dedicate a paragraph to discussing how much it cost the USA to build fighter jets in 1944.

Short Essay Template and Example

Expert Q&A

When composing the text of your essay, resist the temptation to pull words from a thesaurus in an attempt to sound academic or intelligent. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If your high school or college has an online or in-person writing center, schedule an appointment. Taking advantage of this type of service can improve your essay and help you recognize structural or grammatical problems you would not have noticed otherwise. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/research_papers/choosing_a_topic.html
↑ https://monroecollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=589208&p=4072926
↑ https://www.utep.edu/extendeduniversity/utepconnect/blog/march-2017/4-ways-to-differentiate-a-good-source-from-a-bad-source.html
↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/essay-introduction
↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html
↑ https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/writingsuccess/chapter/8-3-drafting/
↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-write-university/how-approach-any-assignment/writing-english-essay/using-secondary
↑ https://patch.com/michigan/berkley/bp--how-to-shorten-your-college-essay-without-ruining-it
↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/style/ccs_activevoice/
↑ https://wordcounter.net/blog/2016/01/26/101025_how-to-reduce-essay-word-count.html

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17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities

The smell of freshly painted halls, the excited chatter of returning students bursting with two months’ worth of gossip to share—it must be the first day at school again.

Rusty pens and dusty pencils are hastily pulled from the bottom of school bags where, for many, they’ve lain all summer, ready for back to school.

You’ll need engaging writing activities to get those atrophied writing muscles back in shape. The standard ‘What I Did This Summer’ essay won’t cut it.

Luckily, we have 17 Great Back-to-School Writing Activities for you to help shake off the cobwebs and get your students’ writing skills back on par. Let’s get started.

Ice Breaker

Writing activities.

At the start of each school year, there’s likely to be a new face or two in the class, and while two months isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, our students can do a lot of growing and changing in that time.

Ice-breaker writing activities allow students to connect with others in the class. They give students some insight into the lives of their classmates.

Here are some fun ice-breaker writing activities to get the new school year off to a strong start writing-wise.

back to school,writing activities | atoz writing | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

The A to Z of Me! Poem

Students write an acrostic poem about themselves in the A to Z of Me. The poem’s first line starts with the letter A, and each new line begins with the following letter of the alphabet, which should reveal something about the poet.

This may be too long for younger students – it’d be a 26-line poem after all. In this case, you can quickly adapt the activity to employ the letters of the student’s first name.

This activity aims for students to capture the essence of who they are in their poems. They can write a phrase or line based on their interests, appearance, things they have done, hobbies, desires, ideas, where they’re from, etc.

You can make this more challenging for older and stronger students by insisting they employ a rhyme scheme throughout their poems.

For example, they could write their poem in couplets (AA, BB, CC, etc.) or with an alternate line rhyming scheme (AB, AB, AB, etc).

When students have finished writing their acrostic poems about themselves, they can perform it to the whole class as a class poetry slam.

Guess Who? Writing Task

This fun activity challenges students to recall what they know about their classmates or, in the case of a newly formed group of students, to explore their initial impressions of each other.

In Guess Who?, the teacher divides the students into two groups. Each group writes down a unique fact about themselves on a piece of paper, folds it , and gives it to the teacher.

If everyone already knows each other very well, you might want to limit the facts to something they did over the summer that the others in the class are unaware of.

Students could write about a hobby or talent, a language they speak, a place they visited, or anything that makes them unique or special.

Students then take turns reading a fact written by someone from the other group, and they then guess who wrote it.

A point is awarded for each correct guess, the winning team being the team with the most points.

back to school,writing activities | guess who writing | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Interview A Classmate Writing Activity :

This activity allows students to get to know each other better while developing their interviewing, note-taking, and writing skills.

Begin this activity by asking the students to compile a list of questions that they would use to get to know someone they’d met for the first time.

The first questions the students generally tend to be surface-level small-talk-type questions such as:

Where are you from?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
What’s your favourite subject at school?
What are your hobbies?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What’s the best thing about you?

Write these on the whiteboard, of course. They’ll be helpful to as warm-up openers at the beginning of the interviews, but we want to encourage a deeper dive.

For the interviewer to better understand the interviewee, they’ll need to probe further.

Encourage students to come up with more challenging questions to ask in the interview and write these on the board. These questions should be geared toward gaining insight beyond the superficial.

Explain to the students that when they are the interviewee, if they’d prefer not to answer a specific question, they can just say “next” and the interviewer will move immediately onto the next question.

Some examples of deeper, more probing-type questions might include questions like:

Can you tell me about an event or a story that significantly impacted your life?
Who has had the most significant influence on who you are?
What is the most challenging thing you’ve ever had to do?
What is your best memory? Worst?

At the end of this brainstorming session, a considerable list of questions should be on the whiteboard.

Students are then partnered up. They will then take turns interviewing each other, with each interviewer taking comprehensive notes as they interview.

Students should not use voice recording equipment during this activity. This activity aims to improve note-taking abilities.

When the interviews are over, students write them up as best they can, using their notes and memories to recreate them.

For the more advanced students, this will involve recreating the interview’s dialogue and weaving a narrative around it to convey the interviewee’s character, expressions, and mannerisms.

First Day of School Persuasive Wish List Task

The start of a new school year is a time of hope and possibility captured in the form of a wish list.

But this isn’t an old wish list but a persuasive one.

The students will write a wish list of things they hope for from the new school year.

The twist is that they must make their case for why they should receive the concessions they seek.

Some items that might make the wish list could be the desire to see more time for their favourite activities, less homework, or creating a class council. It doesn’t matter what is on the list but that the student makes as strong a case as possible for them.

Students should be encouraged to use the full range of persuasive writing techniques available, from emotional language to social proof, from repetition to evidence and statistics.

back to school,writing activities | student writing wish list | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Collaborative Writing Activities

Collaborative writing activities offer students opportunities to work with a partner, a small group, or the whole class to produce a shared piece of writing.

As with the previous activities, these activities can break the ice. More than that, they help students establish a level of comfort working together to achieve a shared goal – a key dynamic to encourage at the start of any school year.

back to school,writing activities | snowball 87 | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Snowball Story-Writing

In this simple but fun activity, each student starts by writing the beginning of a story. There should be an allotted amount of time to complete this, the length of which will depend on the age and abilities of the students.

When the allotted time is up, students should stop writing, roll their paper into a ball, and throw it towards the top of the classroom!

Students should then each retrieve one of the ‘snowballs’ from the front of the classroom and, when the timer is started, read the beginning of the story and then write the story middle until the time is up.

Again, the students throw their snowballs to the front of the classroom, before selecting a new snowball to write the ending.

When the stories are completed, they should be returned to the students who wrote the story beginning. This student should write a final draft of the story to ensure it reads well

Students can then share their stories by reading them out to the class.

Sometimes, students struggle to start their writing. To help them get going, it can be helpful to provide them with a sheet of paper with a writing prompt. This prompt can be a sentence or even a picture.

These prompts can be easily differentiated to suit the age and abilities of your students. For example, more prescriptive prompts are helpful for younger students, while more open-ended prompts will suit older and/or stronger students.

Tapestry Poems

Tapestry poems are a collaboration between two students. So, as a first step, you need to assign each student a partner to work with.

The next step requires you to assign a topic for each pair of students in the class. Each partner then independently writes a 9-line poem on the assigned topic.

When each student has finished their 9-line poem, they share them with their partner.

The task is for the students to work together now to produce an 18-line poem from the two 9-line poems they have created.

To do this, the students must collaborate to make the composite poem work. The idea here is to weave the different threads of the two topic interpretations into a single ‘tapestry’.

Students must include the nine lines of both poems, but they have room to edit for verb tense and make minor grammatical changes to make things work.

The partners must also compromise to agree on a single title for their shared piece.

back to school,writing activities | Donald Green Haiku Tapestry Painting | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

The Peer Editing Exercise

This is a great way to introduce peer assessment into your classroom, especially with a group of students who are not familiar with the concept.

You will need to explain the editing and proofreading process to the students at the start. The specific criteria will, of course, depend on the age and abilities of your students.

To begin, organize the class into pairs of editing partners. Students should then swap their written work to be edited by their partners.

Any of the previous writing activities in this article would serve this purpose well.

Students can edit their partner’s work by annotating with a different colour pen, or, for more detailed commentary, they could use a separate sheet of paper.

Students then share their feedback.

This is an opportunity for students to see each other as resources to help them on their learning journey throughout the year.

It also helps students to develop resilience and an ability to absorb constructive criticism.

Students then rewrite their text in light of the feedback given.

Time for a plenary session should be made at the end to discuss their experiences of the process as a class.

The Summer Yearbook Writing Task

This writing project is based on the idea of school yearbooks.

School yearbooks are compilations of memories, photographs, and quotes. In this version, students compile a compendium based on their collective experiences during the school break.

The format can inspire many writing activities.

Students can gather quotes on the various events of vacation time together. These can be sourced from family, friends, classmates, etc.

They can also collect photographs and write suitable captions for inclusion in the yearbook. The book could include a page for the students’ autographs and a page for summer memories and hopes for the coming year.

Technology can be easily incorporated into this lesson by producing a digital version. Collaborative applications such as Google Drive are perfect for this type of work.

back to school,writing activities | student yearbook writing task | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Year Long Inference Based Writing Activities

back to school,writing activities | Visual Writing Prompts | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Tap into the power of imagery in your classroom to get your students to master INFERENCE as AUTHORS and CRITICAL THINKERS .

This YEAR-LONG 500+ PAGE unit is packed with robust opportunities for your students to develop the critical skill of inference through fun imagery, powerful thinking tools, and graphic organizers.

Memory Writing Activities

While we want to avoid the cliched ‘ What I Did This Summer ’ essay, it doesn’t mean that memories of the long holidays can’t serve as an ‘ in’ to some worthwhile writing activities.

In the following writing activities, students will be asked to access their memories of summer to serve as a jumping-off point. Let’s get started!

back to school,writing activities | painting ideas thumbnail jpg | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Paint a Picture With Words

Essentially, this writing activity challenges students to write by employing their senses to evoke a memory.

First, ask the students to choose from a memory of a place they visited during the summer vacation. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a beach trip or a visit to a shopping mall; they’ll both serve equally well for this activity.

Students must then endeavour to recreate the scene as they recall it through careful selection of vocabulary and description.

The main focus of this type of writing will be the use of sensory language. Students should meditate on what they saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt while in their chosen place.

Students should work to paint a vivid, multi-dimensional picture in the reader’s minds-eye. For this reason, they should choose a static memory, such as a scene they recall. This activity has more in common with landscape painting than with film-making. A plot is not required.

This activity allows students to hone their descriptive writing skills, which will help them improve their writing in many genres.

Haiku Writing Activity

As with the last activity, this type of poetry is typically focused on evoking a scene. In the case of the haiku, this is usually a natural scene.

Before putting pen to paper, be sure students are suitably familiar with the features of the haiku:

It consists of 3 lines
It contains 17 syllables
The 1st and 3rd lines have 5 syllables and the 2nd line has 7 syllables
It does not need to rhyme
It’s usually about nature or a natural phenomenon
Often has two contrasting or juxtaposed subjects woven into it.

This activity is best introduced by reading and examining a couple of well-written haikus, such as those by Basho in translation, to ensure student familiarity with the form.

This is a very meditative writing form. It is essential to set a suitable mood and atmosphere in the classroom to encourage the necessary concentration and reflection the writing process will require. Playing gentle instrumental music is one way to help achieve this ambience.

back to school,writing activities | large Bird japanese painting 1d8119 | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Fun Back To School Writing Activities

While the first of our Back to School Writing Activities focuses clearly on breaking the ice and drawing on memories, the primary focus of the following writing activities is on having fun.

These activities will also offer students opportunities to develop some technical aspects of their writing skills; the main emphasis here is on students seeing writing as a fun, creative activity where they have the space and time for self-expression.

Don’t forget to read our complete guide to Fun Writing activities here.

Creative Excuses Writing Task

To start this activity, students must devise a list of 10 chores or tasks they absolutely hate doing.

Next, students should choose four from this list of their most detested tasks and write a letter explaining why they cannot complete them.

Encourage students to get creative with their excuses. The crazier and more imaginative the excuses are, the better. This activity is an opportunity for students to let their imaginations loose.

‘What If?’ Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are an excellent way for students to break through writer’s block. In this activity, students generate their own writing prompts by creating ‘ what if? ’ scenarios for other students in the class to use as writing prompts.

Many of the best and most creative stories start with an inquiry into what would happen if x happened. These scenarios can be silly, serious, fantastical, or humorous if they provide a jumping-off point for the student writer.

When students have completed their prompts, the teacher should gather them to distribute randomly among the class.

Students can share their work with the class When they have finished writing their responses to their assigned prompts. This will be especially interesting for the writer of the original prompt.

back to school,writing activities | hypothetical writing prompts | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

The Book Of Summer

This writing activity is an upgrade from the “My Summer Vacation” type essays.

In this activity, each student will compile their Book of Summer, describing and depicting their holidays using as many different writing genres as possible.

For example, the student might include the following in their Book of Summer:

A non-chronological report on a day trip
A comic strip based on a family celebration
A review of a movie they saw or book they read
A fictionalized account of their summer
A recipe of a meal they made
A playscript for a sleepover they went on
A haiku on the end of summer

The scope for creative interpretations here is almost endless.

For younger students , it may be best to be more prescriptive about the various genres to include and the titles for each piece.

But for students with the ability, the open-endedness of this task allows their creativity to run loose while affording you a valuable opportunity to see just what they are capable of.

Be sure to read our complete collection of back-to-school writing activities.

Fictional Interviews Writing Task

This activity involves a little bit of writing and a lot of role-playing.

In this activity, students should be paired up with a partner. Each partner chooses a fictional character they will role-play. The character can be from any fiction, for example, movies, comic books, or literature.

Partners must prepare and write up a series of interview questions for their partner’s fictional character.

Partners take turns interviewing each other while the interviewee is in character.

This is a great way to bring a bit of drama into the classroom, but if you want to emphasize the writing aspect of the activity, you can set the students up for the interview in the style of a magazine feature article. This will require the student to weave some narrative writing around the back and forth of the questions and answers of the interview.

back to school,writing activities | ficitonal interview | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Write A Story From A Different Point Of View

Narrative writing requires competency in a broad range of complex skills . We can roughly divide those skills into structural ones (such as text organization) and language-related skills (such as sentence construction and creativity).

Getting your students to write a story is a great way to assess their abilities in these areas.

In this activity, however, you provide most of the structure for the student, giving them the space to exercise their imagination and a chance to focus on their grammatical control – among other things.

In this exercise, ask your students to select a favourite fairy tale or other traditional story they know well. The student’s task is to rewrite their favourite fairy tale from the point of view of another important character in the story.

For example, they might want to retell the Jack and the Beanstalk story from the point of view of the Giant or Jack’s mother.

Retelling The Ugly Duckling , the student might want to write from Mother Duck’s perspective to explore her feelings about the runt of her litter suddenly transforming into a beautiful (if alien!) swan

Summer Headlines Writing Activity

Headlines are fun to write .

They should be short and pithy, seizing the reader’s attention by telling them just enough about the story to pique their interest but still leave them wanting to read more.

There are several things that students can do to ensure their headlines have the desired effect, including:

Choose powerful words designed to make an impact
Use alliteration to create catchy, snappy headlines
Employ humour to entertain and intrigue the reader
Create suspense by posing the headline as a question

For this activity, students should list the main events of their summer break and create a headline for each event.

In this way, the students will have produced an account of their summer written entirely in headlines.

As an extension to this exercise, when they’ve finished producing their headlines, have them present them to the class or in smaller groups.

The best headline is selected from each list, which the student has to turn into a complete newspaper-style article on that event.

back to school,writing activities | 1 image asset | 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities | literacyideas.com

Rap and Verse Writing Task

Few genres of writing can be as divisive.

Some are dismayed by the mere mention of the word ‘poetry’ – The “ Why can’t poets just say what they mean? ” camp.

Then, some can barely write a shopping list without a bit of unnecessary versifying.

Love it or loathe it, poetry is on the curriculum and our students need to get to grips with it.

For this activity, students write a series of poems inspired by the events of their summer holidays. Essentially, they are writing a poetic account of their vacation.

To challenge the students, they must use a different type of poetry for each event they wish to retell.

For example, they might write a series of haikus on the weather during the summer break.

Perhaps they’ll produce a calligram or shape poem describing the treehouse they made.

Maybe they’ll write an elegy to a pet that died or a limerick on that disastrous camping trip.

They might like to use the headlines from the previous activity A Summer in Headlines as starting points for their poems.

By the end of this activity, your students will have a collection of self-authored poetry they can share with the class in the form of a poetry slam.

You may wish to provide your students with checklists of the various features of the different types of poetry to help them during this activity.

So, there we have seventeen engaging activities to kick start the writing process at the start of the school year.

There is quite a variety from here, with some activities honing technical aspects of the writing process while others are more centred on the fun of creativity.

Remember, at the start of the school year, what the students write isn’t so important, but what they write!

With the selection of activities above, you’re sure to find one to suit even the most pen-shy students!

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Although college is stressful and time consuming , having your dream career, is a huge life achievement. Having a job isn’t the same as having a career “I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life”(Maya Angelou). If you sell yourself short by not going to college you’ll end up working just to make ends means not because it's what you enjoy doing, it's due to your family counting on it. Those who go to college will end up having a better future than those who don’t. I agree that going to college is more beneficial because my view on the topic states that in order to have a secure and clear future you must go to college.

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Have you ever felt uncomfortable, nervous, and confused ? These are all the things I felt moving to a new school. I had no idea if I would gain friends or if anyone would like me. Maybe if I had a tour around the new school before my first day I would have not been so disorientated. Going from a one story school to a two story school was hard, having to look down every five seconds to make sure I was on the right hall, or if I was suppose to be upstairs or downstairs.

The Outliers Reflection

After reality set in, as being the sixth child out of seven and wearing hand me downs, I should have realized I could not go away for school. Afterward, I did end up attending a local community college and working while in school for several years. However, I then took a five-year break before returning to college to a changed career path to become a nurse. At this time, I was in my early thirties, when I received a nursing diploma and completed an associate 's degree. Proud to say, I was the first and only of seven to graduate from college.

Post High School Transition Essay

The transition from Primary school to Post-Primary school is a difficult time for anyone involved. It is one of the most drastic changes that students will ever encounter in the educational career. The transition is typically filled with anticipation and anxiety about homework, teachers, peers, academic rigor, school rules, getting lost, and many more factors. For the typical student, it is a whirlwind of emotion and anxiety. For students with special needs, these worries become even more prominent for the pupils and their parents.

Essay On My High School Experience

High school grows you into the person you are. I have great memories, good and bad, some learning experiences and some that I’ll take with me the rest of my life. My high school experience has influenced my development as a person inside and outside of the class by making me more independent, choosing friends wisely and teachers motivating me to attend college and accomplish goals I have set for myself. I have gained my independence slowly throughout high school. The importance of being independent is being secure with who you are and what you believe in.

More about Essay About Going Back To School

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Stories for Children

Lower-intermediate level, back to school, episode 210108 / 08 jan 2021.

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READ THE TRANSCRIPT

The summer was over and it was time to go back to school.

“There's so much to organise,” groaned Mum. “I can't believe the holidays are over!”

“I don't know why you're complaining,” said Joe, who was ten. “You don't even go to school!”

“But we have to get you two out of bed each morning,” said Dad. “And out the door, with your homework and clean uniform and a good breakfast inside you, before we go to work.”

Joe was looking forward to school. He wanted to see his friends again. The only thing was this year his little sister, Bella, who was four, was going to school too. Joe wasn't sure about that.

“I hope Bella won't be a nuisance,” he said to Mum.

“Oh, she'll soon make friends,” said Mum. “You'll hardly notice she's there.”

Joe wasn't sure about that!

Bella was very excited. She kept showing everyone her new pencil case and bag and water bottle and Joe felt he'd seen them a hundred times!

Finally, the morning came. The alarm went off and Joe and Bella tumbled out of bed and into their new uniform. Mum shovelled cereal into bowls, and everyone gulped it down.

Then Dad yelled, “I'm late!” and ran to get the bus, and Mum looked at her watch.

“Come on, kids! Let's be quick! I've got work too!”

When they arrived at the playground there were children and parents everywhere. Joe waved at one of his friends.

“Hey, Finn! How are you?”

Bella had been looking forward to school. But now, with big kids running everywhere, and all the noise, she wasn't sure. She took tight hold of Mum's skirt.

“Mum!” she whispered.

Mum was talking to another parent and didn't notice. But Joe did.

“What's up, Bella?”

Bella's bottom lip was wobbling. “I don't want to go to school after all. I want to go home!”

Joe thought quickly. “If you go home, Bella, then nobody will see your new pencil case.”

“That's true,” Bella admitted.

“Also, Mum has given you a box of raisins for your snack.”

Bella loved raisins.

“All right,” she said. “I'll stay!”

Mum took Bella to her new classroom. Joe was so busy that he did not have time to think about Bella until the headteacher, Mrs Smailes, put her head round the classroom door.

“Could you come with me a moment, Joe,” she said.

Joe was a bit worried – what could she want?

“We're having a problem with Bella,” Mrs Smailes explained. “She doesn't like her new teacher and now she says she won't stay!”

In her classroom, Bella was hiding under a table in the dressing up area. She had her head buried under the costumes, and she was howling!

Joe crawled under the table.

“What's the matter, Bella?” he asked.

“I don't like her!” said Bella, pointing at her teacher. “She's a wolf!”

“What?” said Joe.

“It's just my name,” said the teacher impatiently. “I'm Mrs Wolfe.”

“She's not really a wolf,” said Joe to Bella. “She hasn't got a tail.”

“How do you know?”

Joe groaned. He'd known Bella would cause problems at school!

“And she's got big teeth,” said Bella.

Then Joe had an idea. “Even if she is a wolf,” he said, “then maybe she's a good wolf. Lots of wolves are. It's only in fairytales that they are wicked.”

Bella wiped her eyes and looked at Mrs Wolfe.

“She does have nice eyes.”

“Thank you,” said Mrs Wolfe, smiling. “Why don't you come out and listen to a story?”

Bella loved stories. She crawled out and gave her hand to Mrs Wolfe.

“I don't think she is a wolf after all,” she whispered to Joe. “Otherwise she'd have claws!”

Joe went back to his classroom grinning. It was going to be interesting, having his little sister in school!

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Episode 210226 / 26 feb 2021.

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Episode 210212 / 12 feb 2021.

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Episode 210205 / 05 Feb 2021

In this episode, Bella goes on her first camping trip and Joe gets a fright!

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Episode 210129 / 29 jan 2021.

In this episode, Bella and Joe want to get a pet but will their parents let them? Watch to find out!

Episode 210122 / 22 Jan 2021

In this episode, Bella has a sick day but should Joe also have a day off? Watch to find out!

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Episode 210115 / 15 jan 2021.

In this story for children, Bella helps her big brother, Joe, make the most of a golden opportunity.

Bella has her first day in school but needs some help from her big brother, Joe! Find out what happens in 'Back to School'

Episode 191202 / 02 Dec 2019

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Short Story: Back To School

Early morning on December 11,1972, John was dropped off early to school because his dad had some business to take care off. Instead of talking the usual route to get to class, John took a shortcut behind the school trashcans and playgrounds. While walking through the loading zone with trash cans, he encountered 4 boys in his grade with the same teacher. Brent Carpenter was the “leader” of the group and his sidekicks were Eric Hunter, Josh Doors, and Patrick Deer. At first they just stared at John but within seconds ran upto him and said, “Poor boys ain’t allowed in our hangout.” Without anytime to respond the group of kids started to tease and harass John. Eric Hunter said, “ Poor boys in this town need a beat down.” Josh Doors replied, “ Not just any beat down, a beat down with our hard, bone, knuckles.” “Just leave me alone, I just come to this school because I have …show more content…

John was still on the asphalt unconscious, without anybody at this aid. It took about 4 minutes until John could finally open his eyes again and walk. “I can not take this anymore,” said John while he was crying. “ The amount of hate everybody got towards me wants myself to just give up on everything.” Absolutely and not knowing what to do, John continued to cry for 10 minutes, only thinking about the privileged boys versus John’s life. He despised how unfair life was and how he was born in the mess his parents were in. John finally got the courage to stand up, instantly making the decision it would be best for him to go home. “Why you home so early,” asked Martha, John’s grandma. “I just can’t take it anymore. I got beat up at school and I do not know how I can ever go back grandma.” Martha went to go get a ice pack for John’s head and to get the phone to notify the school of what had happened. “Hello, may I talk to the John’s teacher, he apparently just got beat up by four boys in his classroom,” said

Personal Narrative: Coming To School

Coming to school every day as a tenth grader was exciting, but it can get very annoying at times. I had to overcome many challenges to make it this far. Generally, freshman year was a year of change. One of the greatest things I learned as I reached sophomore year, was not to procrastinate.

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Starting high school, I was the epitome of the phrase “fly on the wall”. Afraid to speak out (or up), join any activities or groups, or, under any circumstances, place myself in the spotlight. Anxieties and doubts flooded my mind and body, and it was clear to anyone who looked my way. This was a struggle that I have faced my whole life, and one that reached its peak during one of the most important periods of my life: high school.

Looking for Alibrandi Short Story

As John sat in the bustling coffee shop and gazed at the blank paper in front of him, beads of sweat broke across his forehead and trickled slowly down his face. How was he meant to write down what he was feeling when he couldn’t explain it? He knew his emotions were in there somewhere but he just couldn’t reach them. They were locked tight, stuffed somewhere deep down. He was comfortably numb and that was something that terrified him. It was as if the numbness was pulling him into a black hole. He was trapped, unable to get out. His thoughts were jumbled and out of sync. He couldn’t tell if what he was feeling was real. Was he capable of feeling emotions anymore? It was as if John was a ghost. Doing what he had to do

Personal Narrative: Moving Back To School

It is pretty cool that you had the same teacher for three years and that you liked her. It is nice to be reminded that there are teachers who care so much about their students and it is sweet that she wrote you letters over summer break. She is definitely a teacher that leaves a memorable impression on her students. It is too bad that college was a lot more difficult than you expected, but congratulations on deciding to go back and finish. I honestly do not know if I would be able to go back to school after stopping, however, maybe after discovering that I need an education in order to move up in my career then possibly my opinion would be different. I agree that this program is a lot of work, yet there is no doubt that it pays off.

Personal Narrative: Back To High School

After sitting at the same desk for three years, I figured I was beyond seeing anything new. I was wrong. After that third year I saw a lot more than I thought I would. I went up to high school and everything was so much different. The grades were harder, the assignments were harder and the teachers were harder.

Abortion-Personal Narrative

In first grade, a boy named John— a notorious troublemaker—systematically chased every girl in our class during recess trying to kiss her on the lips. Most gave in eventually. It was easier to give in than keep running. When it was my turn, I turned and faced him, grabbed his glasses off his weasel face, and stomped on them on the hard blacktop. He ran to the principal’s office and cried.

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One morning Jason and Jordan woke up to a massive storm. Jason had to walk to school by himself like always and Jordan got to take the bus with his baseball team to school. Unlike a normal day Jason didn't get picked on he was just left alone. It seemed strange to Jason why his normal bullies didn't beat him up when they saw him or anything. After

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Purple bruises were scattered across her frail wrist like grotesque, swollen beetles. Her knee jutted out awkwardly to her side. Her bleeding, cracked lips were shrunken to a tiny buttonhole. Her tongue stuck out between her teeth like a piece of rubber. Her eyelids fluttered feebly as she lay there - defeated, defenseless, and desolate. Her chest heaved up and down, as her lungs fought for breath – she was barely alive. A caked, muddy trail of shoeprints followed him out the door. He had gotten away again. Tears prickled at the back of my eyes. My throat swelled up as my steely resolve began to dissolve. Grief shook my shoulders like an inner earthquake, the world around me crashing down. A nauseating mixture of relief and horror clenched tightly onto my loins – like when you finally stop an itch, only to realize that you’ve ripped a hole in your

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“Vandi, what was it like coming to America?” I looked up to see my friend Carson staring at me intently, his eyes big blue eyes full of wonder, his blonde hair shining under fluorescent lighting. Suddenly, I was self conscious about my dark skin and eyes.

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We had our concerns starting day 1 when we were bringing crayons to school, as our friends at Napa and Vintage came having read 3 novels. Trying to leave this school has been an uphill battle since we began a little over a month after school began. We have gone through every precaution, filled out every form, spoken to administrators, directors, and educators and gotten nowhere. This is our last stretch. The amount of effort we’ve put in to leave, has caused us a load of stress on top of what we receive from the school. We know this is a bit of a stretch asking for an intradistrict transfer, and we don’t meet any of the criteria anyways, but we are so unhappy at New Tech. We were being diplomatic in saying that New Tech wasn’t quite the

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Emily, Jasmine, Rene, and Rihanna were on their way to there school, Cedarcrest Junior High, and One day they got in trouble for starting a food fight. They stayed there for almost 5 hours cleaning everyone's mess in the cafeteria.it was really dark they, turned there flashlights on from there phone. They could burly see where they were walking. They tried to open the door, but the door couldn't open they were locked in the school campus

Personal Narrative: Back To School

One early, April morning, people came for me in the dead of night to take me to school. The tinkling sounds of their key inside the lock to the door of my bedroom woke me from a sound sleep. They fumbled with it, betraying their unfamiliarity with the lock, while I rolled over in my bed and half dreamt of reminding my mom that the handle had to be held slightly upwards. When the door opened full there was a pause as light and cool air entered my room, and I propped myself up on my elbows to see why I was hearing such heavy breathing. A tall, middle-aged man approached the foot of my bed, while a short and unfamiliar woman lingered below the doorframe.

Personal Narrative: Spring Break Of High School

Every student and teacher dream of having a week off of school. But many times we aren't exactly sure what to do when that time arrives. It seems like almost every year I’m stuck at my house because most of my friends are away for vacation while i'm still pondering through Netflix trying to find a show to watch, and I’ve made no effort to try and hang out with the people still at home. However, this year is my senior year, my last spring break of high school. I need to make it the best one I can. So that brings up the question, what should I do over Spring break?

Going Back To School Essay

Show More The decision of going back to school and finishing my degree has been one that I have toyed with for several years. My final motivation came about 18 months ago from the birth of my first child. I started asking myself, as a father, what am I going to expect and hope to accomplish in the raising of my son? One of the main points I kept coming to was instilling in him a love for knowledge. I believe it would truly make me a hypocrite to expect this from him while having nothing of value to show for my own education to this point. I have had many accomplishments on a baseball and football field, that literally span from coast to coast, but showing my son a college degree I have earned would trump any sporting accolade. In the future

Cosmetology Application Research Paper

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Why Go Back To College Essay

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School Education /

Essay on Hard Work for Students in 500+ Words

Updated on
Apr 6, 2024

Essay on Hard Work: Hard work is the consistent and dedicated efforts towards achieving a goal or task. It involves perseverance, determination, and the willingness of an individual to overcome obstacles and challenges.

Students who consistently put in the effort to attend classes, complete their assignments, and engage in studies as well as in extra-curricular activities are more likely to perform better. Furthermore, they also gain a deeper understanding of the subject and learn other skills.

This Blog Includes:

Understanding the concept of hard work, benefits of hard work in academics, how to develop a growth mindset through hard work, role of parents and schools in encouraging hard work, short essay on hard work.

Also Read: Essay on Good Manners in 250 Words, in 500 Words

Hard work serves as the foundation upon which great achievements are built. Whether it is about academics, career or achieving personal goals, hard work is an essential part of every process. Putting consistent effort into a task or goal until it is completed is truly hard work. It evolves giving one´s complete energy, focus, and perseverance to overcome any obstacles or difficulties that may arise in the path of an individual.

Consider an example of a girl named Priya who dreams of becoming a doctor. She decided to work extremely hard right from an early age. Taking care of her daily routine, keeping attentive in her academics, and spending several more hours revising the concepts and doing practice questions kept her spirits high.

If in any case, she does not score well on tests, instead of getting demotivated, she analyzes where she went wrong and works even harder to improve next time. Her passion and perseverance helped her to gain admission into her dream medical college.

The common sentiment about the value of hard work says that hard work is the foundation of success, whether in real life or in academics. It is the continuous dedication of one to continue the path of improvement, development, excellence, and achievement

Hard work is important not just for academics, but for all aspects of life. When you work hard in your household or your hobbies, you develop a sense of responsibility and discipline, which is going to help you in every part of your life. The sense of responsibility teaches you well how to prioritize your tasks and efficiently manage your time.

Furthermore, hard work helps not only in overcoming obstacles but also in building up a problem-solver and enhances self-confidence. This confidence further initiates other areas of life and boosts up to take on new challenges and responsibilities with determination.

After learning the benefits of hard work, it is important to understand how we can develop a mindset through our hard work. In reality, a growth mindset is the belief in immense effort and practice, and of course, taking pain for your task is the only key to success.

For example, if a student finds a subject difficult at the beginning, keeping a pace of working hard continuously helps in understanding it better. The idea that your capabilities can expand through hard work helps you develop a growth mindset.

Accept the challenges and see every failure as an opportunity. We all make mistakes and they play an important role in learning. The thing is, one should not get discouraged and keep on striving for the best with hard work.

School plays an important role in encouraging a strong work ethic in students. Teachers can create an environment that encourages as well as rewards students for their hard work. They can design a challenging curriculum that pushes the students to work hard and think critically. At the same time, parents can also build a home environment where the child gets inspired by them.

When the raisers model themselves either through professions or household responsibilities, the children learn the importance of sweat and tears.

Hard work is the key to success in academics, in a career, and in life itself. It helps you to learn better, and achieve your goals and mindset. When individuals put in the effort and see the fruits of their labor, they gain a sense of accomplishment, pride, and self-worth. This positive boost motivates them to continue striving for excellence taking on new challenges and developing important qualities like discipline, determination, and a growth mindset.

Also Read: Essay on Good Habits for Children: List of Healthy Habits

Hard work is the key to success in any area of life. It means giving your best efforts and dedication to your task until it is accomplished. When you work hard, you keep on trying despite facing any obstacles or setbacks. Making sacrifices, pushing yourself through challenges, and not giving up easily are the keys to hard work.

Now here comes a question, why is hard work important? Learn that hard work helps you learn things better. If you work hard at your studies, you will understand concepts more deeply. This further leads to better grades and good academic performance.

Moreover, developing the habit of pursuing hard work prepares you for the future. The practice

The practice of toiling hard makes one able to work hard in a job as well as in a professional life. It is appreciated at the workplace and the individual is always promoted and rewarded for their utmost efforts.

Further, hard work helps in building up valuable qualities like discipline, persistence, and determination. These important qualities help in overcoming difficulties in life and boost the confidence to fight back.

Students should be encouraged to work hard in school as well as at home. Teachers and parents should appreciate the young ones not only for their success but also for their efforts. This will help the children motivate themselves to work hard throughout life.

It is important to remember that there is no shortcut to success. It is only hard work and perseverance that will turn one´s dreams into reality. Be always ready to work hard to achieve your goals and ambitions.

Also Read: Essay on Indian Heritage for Students

Ans. Hard work is a good value because it helps us achieve our goals through dedication and effort. It builds self-discipline, boosts self-confidence, and leads to a sense of satisfaction.

Ans. The benefits of hard work include gaining knowledge, skills, success, respect from others, financial stability, and a feeling of accomplishment. It shapes strong character and positive habits.

Ans. Hard work is good as it enables progress and growth. Laziness leads to stagnation, while hard work paves the way for a fulfilling life.

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Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Books about 3 hours ago

‘he’s finally done it’: david hill on the high school essay that made him a writer.

How a 17-year-old dreaming of nothing more than a round of applause at assembly started ‘chucking down a load of crap’, and ended up finding his calling.

It’s 65 years back. I’m in my final year at Napier Boys’ High, and I’m about to earn my first money from writing.

Among the old boys of NBHS, about two decades ahead of me, was a young bloke called Russell Jones. I always think of him as young, because he was only in his 20s when he died, shot down over Germany in World War II.

His desolate parents offered money to establish a memorial essay competition at his old school. Since their son had been obsessed with flying, they specified it must always have an aviation motif. And in 1959, I entered.

Let’s wrench things into an imaginary present tense. Why do I decide to have a go? It’s not to honour or acknowledge Russell Jones or his parents. Sorry for that dismissal, but I’m just 17, and far too centred on my spotty self to consider anyone else.

Nor do I enter out of any commitment to literature/writing. My motives are much more focused. I want to win and have my name read out in assembly. I want applause. I want to be admired.

The topic for 1959 is The History of Aerial Top-Dressing in New Zealand . No disrespect to Jones or his family, but it’s hardly a subject to quicken the blood, especially when that blood festers with adolescent hormones.

But I go to the Napier Public Library, up two flights of mock-marble stairs above an accountant’s, and find some relevant books. It’s the late 1950s, remember; online research isn’t even a gleam over the horizon. I lug them home to our grotty little place on Hospital Hill, and start taking notes – places, cargos, types of biplane. I come across anecdotes of crises and crashes; somehow glimpse how they could lift the essay.

It’s an unexpectedly satisfying process; makes me feel purposeful. Well into the next century, it remains a jolt for me to stop the cosy, responsibility-lite procrastination of research and move onto the nakedness, the vulnerability of actual writing.

On a winter afternoon, half-a-dozen of us from the Upper Sixth troop into the NBHS school library. We’ve got two hours, unsupervised except by benign, bespectacled Mrs Potter the librarian, who smiles at us from her office. My friends sit down to talk, joke, exult over missing Maths.

But very soon, I start to write. I’ve already decided that the story I’d found of top-dressing pilot versus bellicose ewe who won’t yield right of way on the landing strip will make a good opening. After all, the Biggles books I furtively swallow often begin with something like this, though it’s usually a bull elephant rather than sheep causing the problem. So I begin with a technique stolen from my reading. Sixty-five years on, nothing’s changed.

I get the ovine confrontation story down, re-read it, chop out a few adjectives (and there’s the genesis of another writing habit). A couple of my friends have also begun; they look carefree about the whole business.

I’m not. I keep making sure to joke, to say ”Aw, I’m just chucking down a load of crap”. Whatever else I do in late 1950s provincial New Zealand, I mustn’t look like I’m turning into an arty-farty.

But something is happening. I’m moving into a quiet place. I grin when my mates say ”Look at Dave going for it,” but I’m edging away from them. Stillness is starting to wrap around me. It’s new. It’s rather wonderful. I’m alone, but I’m connecting, even if I don’t yet know with what or whom.

I’m watching as well. Watching my fountain pen on the lined school pad, where a sentence is lengthening to give a contrasting cadence with the two short ones before it. I go to write ”perilous”; realise it sounds clichéd and unattractively plosive with the ”procedures” that has to follow, so I change it to ”risky”.

Actually, do I change it? Is it me doing this? An awareness flicking between brain and hand is nudging me: ” Save this till the next paragraph … Write this the way you’d say it … Trim that description; it’s slowing things down.”

I’m simultaneously involved and detached. A few thousand pages further on in my life, I’ll learn to trust this, to accept it as one of the wonders of writing – though when I come back the next day, I’ll slash great chunks of flab from it.

But in the NPBHS library, a next day isn’t relevant. I have to finish this by the 3.20 bell. And I will; I’m in charge of what’s happening, in some suspended, arm’s-length way. I’m making, shaping.

Two careers and two kids later, I’ll read Maurice Gee’s words, and see that they encapsulate this awareness perfectly. ” You get up at the end of two hours, and you’ve made something that never existed before. It’s unique. It’s yours. That’s one of the greatest pleasures I know.”

I keep on. I’m thinking just one sentence ahead, but I’m aware of the section to come and the paragraphs behind. I finish 10 minutes before the bell, with the statistic and summation I identified way back in my reading for a good ending ( ‘ ‘sonorous, like the farting of a goose,” as Ezra Pound put it). The other guys are still writing. I read through what I’ve done, removing more adjectives. In writing workshops of the distant future, I’ll suggest to people that they read their work aloud when editing, literally or internally; try to get their own voice on paper. Though I hardly register it, I’m doing a little of that now.

Mrs Potter appears at the bell, collects our efforts. I straggle out with the rest, insisting that what I’ve written is total crap. But I know I’ve accomplished … something. I’m still feeling a bit remote. And fortunate; privileged even. That’s never changed. Five steps further on and too late, I realise what I should have done with one of the middle bits. Another thing that hasn’t altered.

Let’s return to a less pretentious past tense. I won. My name was read out in assembly. The school applauded David Hill. The school instantly forgot David Hill. In class, our English teacher said ”I’ve been trying all year to make Hill get off his backside, and show what he’s capable of. Now finally he’s done it.” Ah, my first ever review.

And – see the opening paragraph – I got paid. Two pounds, two shillings, a figure nearly all of you will be gazing at in puzzlement. It equalled two guineas, and how rich with literary associations that sum used to be. In 1965, when I had a poem published in The Listener , they paid me ten shillings and sixpence – half a guinea.

Like a Creative New Zealand grant nowadays, the Russell Jones riches came with conditions attached. You had to spend them on a book. In the Office Supply Company, Tennyson Street, I gazed wistfully at their row of Biggles , then settled for the only New Zealand author I’d heard of, someone called Mansfield.

A few months later, at the end-of-year prize giving, my name was read out again, and a Distinguished Guest handed over the gilt-edged, mock-leather-bound edition of KM’s short stories, with school crest stamped into the cover. My glory was complete.

I got home, I opened the book, and gazed at a fancy embossed slip of paper pasted inside. ‘ ‘The Russell Jones Memorial Essay Prize for 1959”, it trumpeted, ”is awarded to … DAVID HALL” .

The Spinoff Review of Books is proudly brought to you by Unity Books , recently named 2020 International Book Store of the Year, London Book Fair, and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books Wellington or Unity Books Auckland online stores today.

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A young girl runs across a grassy lawn, trailed by a small dachshund.

The Dogs Helping the Covenant Children Find Their Way Back

To heal after a mass shooting, the Covenant School families have turned to therapy, faith, one another — and a lot of dogs.

Monroe Joyce, 10, runs with one of two dachshunds taken in by her family. She is one of several children who now have a dog after surviving the Covenant School shooting. Credit...

Supported by

By Emily Cochrane

Photographs by Erin Schaff

Emily Cochrane and Erin Schaff spoke with more than a dozen Covenant School parents, students, staff and their dogs.

Published March 24, 2024 Updated March 28, 2024

Two of April Manning’s children, Mac and Lilah, had just survived the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. They needed stability and time to grieve.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

Open this article in the New York Times Audio app on iOS.

So she did everything she could to keep the family dog, Owen, their sweet but ailing 15-year-old golden retriever, with them for as long as possible. She pushed back his final trip to the vet, keeping him comfortable as he slowly moved around the house.

Getting another dog was the furthest thing from her mind. But a few weeks after the shooting, her children sat her down for an important presentation.

Prepared with a script and a PowerPoint — “Why We Should Get (Another) Dog” — they rattled through research showing the mental health benefits of having one. It could limit their chances of developing PTSD and help them feel safe. Playing together would get them outside and boost their happiness.

Ms. Manning and her husband considered. Maybe a second dog was possible.

First came Chip, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Then, after Owen succumbed to old age, came Birdie, a miniature poodle and Bernese Mountain dog mix. And in taking them in, the Mannings were far from alone.

In the year since Tennessee’s worst school shooting, in which three third-graders and three staff members were killed by a former student, more than 40 dogs have been taken in by families at Covenant, a small Christian school of about 120 families.

“I really only expected them to help in a cuddly kind of way, like just to snuggle the kids when they’re upset ,” Ms. Manning said. “But I wasn’t really expecting all the other benefits from them.”

To spend time with the Covenant families is to understand how they have relied on one another, traditional psychological treatments and mental health counseling, and their Christian faith to hold them together.

But it is also to see how often what they needed — a distraction, a protector, a friend who could listen, something untouched by darkness — came from a dog.

An Immediate Response

Dogs greeted the surviving children at Sandy Hook Elementary School as they returned to a refurbished middle school in 2013. A dozen golden retrievers were on hand in Orlando to provide comfort after the deadly attack at a L.G.B.T.Q. nightclub in 2016. The therapy dogs who tended to the surviving students in Parkland, Fla., made the school yearbook .

“Over this period of sort of, 35,000 years, dogs have become incredibly adept at socializing with humans, so they’re sensitive to our emotional state,” said Dr. Nancy Gee, who oversees the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Even brief, minute-long interactions with dogs and other animals can reduce cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, research by Dr. Gee and others has shown, providing a possible lifeline for veterans struggling with PTSD and others recovering from trauma.

And on the day of the Covenant shooting, dogs were immediately there to help. Covey, the headmaster’s dog, was at a nearby firehouse, where dozens of staff members and students were evacuated. Squid, a retriever mix, was at the children’s hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, helping to comfort the staff if needed.

When the students who survived were put on a school bus to be reunited with their anguished parents, Sgt. Bo, a police dog, was sitting at their side.

Officer Faye Okert, the dog’s handler with the Metro Nashville Police, handed out a baseball card of dog facts to distract and comfort the children.

“The focus was on him,” said Officer Okert. “You had smiles after what they had been through.”

After families reunited, counselors offered clear advice: To help your child, get a dog. Or borrow a neighbor’s.

That led several parents to connect with Comfort Connections, a nonprofit comfort dog organization. Jeanene Hupy, the group’s founder, had seen firsthand how therapy dogs had helped the Sandy Hook students and started her own organization once she moved to Nashville.

The group, which oversees a menagerie of golden retrievers, a gentle pit bull and a massive English mastiff, began its work by visiting individual homes in the days after the shooting. Then, when students returned to class weeks later, the dogs were once again there.

They were something to look forward to, in the moments when walking through the school doors felt overwhelming. And when there were painful reminders — a water bottle clattering to the floor, an unsettling history lesson on war or the absence of a friend — a child could slip away and cuddle a dog.

As Ms. Hupy put it, something special happens “when you bring in something that loves you more than it loves itself, which is these guys.”

A Reassuring Presence

First it was a joke, then a reality: Everyone was getting a dog.

Fueled by community donations and her own money, Ms. Hupy began connecting several parents and puppies. Even for families who could easily afford a new dog, Ms. Hupy and her trainers dramatically eased the logistical hurdles by finding and training puppies that seemed perfect fits to each family.

The Anderson girls shrieked and cried with joy when they learned they were getting a dog, and have now taught Leo how to flaunt sunglasses and do tricks. The Hobbs children constantly scoop up Lady Diana Spencer, often fashionably dressed in a string of pearls or sweaters.

The dogs are also there in the harder moments, too, like when an ambulance or police car drives by blaring its siren or when the memorial ribbons in their neighborhood remind them of what was lost.

“Sometimes it’s just nice to have a giant soft pillow that doesn’t need to talk to you and just cuddle it,” said Evangeline Anderson, now 11.

And if the dogs chew on a shoe or make a mess on a rug, Ms. Manning said, it is a lesson in how to deal with conflicting emotions.

“We still love them and we’re so glad we have them — both things can be true,” she said. “Just like we can be really nervous about going back to school and still also be excited to do it.”

And maybe, the parents realized, it was not just for the children.

Rachel and Ben Gatlin were driving back from vacation on the day of the shooting. That has meant grappling with the heaviness of survival and knowing that Mr. Gatlin, a history teacher who carried a pistol on his ankle for personal protection, could have run toward the shooter that day.

And while their new dog, Buddy, has adapted to the bossiness of their young children and has developed a penchant for sock consumption, he has also kept the adults’ thoughts focused in the moment. Tending to his needs has served as a reminder of their own.

“When you see it working, you’re in total comfort,” Ms. Gatlin said.

Even the school’s chaplain, Matthew Sullivan, found that the stories of new puppies being shared each day in chapel were “wearing me down in a good way.”

“I kind of wanted to enter into the experience of all these families firsthand,” he said.

Now Hank, a slightly anxious, floppy-eared Scooby-Doo doppelgänger, has been adopted into his home, which had been a little empty without his grown children.

The Alternatives

Not everyone got a dog.

For the McLeans, the solution was two rabbits.

“It’s an incredible distraction to their reality,” Abby McLean said of her children, cupping her hands to mimic cradling a rabbit on her shoulder. “I find myself occasionally doing it as well.”

Another family added Ginny, a tortoise with a possible seven-decade life span, to the mix of animals already in their house.

“For having lost people early in life — there was something that equated to me in that, that there was a longevity to it, to a tortoise,” said Phil Shay, who picked out the tortoise with his 12-year-old daughter, Ever.

Still, the dogs far outnumber the other pets. And every day they can make a little difference.

The first night that George, Jude and Amos Bolton had tried to sleep alone without their parents after the shooting, the slightest grumble from the ice machine or the dryer had been too much. Their mother, Rachel, who had maintained that she liked dogs, just not in her house, soon agreed to take in Hudson, a miniature Goldendoodle puppy with doe-like eyes and wild curls.

“We didn’t realize the dogs could create comfort for people,” Jude, now 10, said, his hands ruffling Hudson’s ears. And when Hudson came home, he added, “he’s just been comforting us ever since.”

It is now easier to sleep through the night, safe with the knowledge that Hudson is there.

“All my friends joke, they’re like, ‘I can’t believe you’re a dog person now,’” Ms. Bolton said. But this dog, she added, “has healed this family.”

Read by Emily Cochrane

Audio produced by Patricia Sulbarán .

Emily Cochrane is a national reporter for The Times covering the American South, based in Nashville. More about Emily Cochrane

Erin Schaff is a photojournalist for The Times, covering stories across the country. More about Erin Schaff

Your last-minute guide to Monday's total solar eclipse

Photo Illustration: The phases of a total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.

Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special at 2 p.m. ET Monday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun and obscuring part of its light.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare celestial event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align. The moon passes between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon fully obscures the sun, whereas a partial solar eclipse means it blocks just a portion of the sun’s face.

Solar eclipses occur only with the new moon. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted, the three bodies don’t always line up in a way that creates an eclipse.

“Imagine if the moon’s orbit were in the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun — if that were the case, then every new moon, you’d have a total solar eclipse and every full moon, you’d have a lunar eclipse,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, told NBC News. “So, because things don’t always align, it lends to the rarity of the event and the specialness of the event.”

Where and when will the eclipse be visible?

This year’s eclipse will follow a slightly wider path over more populated areas of the continental U.S. than other total solar eclipses have in the recent past.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within what’s known as the path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be visible. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path, according to the agency.

The path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

After the eclipse crosses into Canada, it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

Those outside the path of totality can still take part in the astronomical event by viewing a partial solar eclipse — visible throughout all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. — or a NASA livestream.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on the location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Below is a list of timings for some cities along the path of totality, as provided by NASA . A number of other resources, including NationalEclipse.com and TimeandDate.com , can also help people plan.

Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m.
Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m.
Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.

This composite image of thirteen photographs shows the progression of a total solar eclipse

How to safely view a solar eclipse

It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury, according to NASA .

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses. On legitimate pairs, the lenses should have a silver appearance on the front and be black on the inside. The manufacturer’s name and address should be clearly labeled, and they should not be torn or punctured. Check, as well, for the ISO logo and the code “IS 12312-2” printed on the inside.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can make a homemade pinhole projector, which lets sunlight in through a small hole, focuses it and projects it onto a piece of paper, wall or other surface to create an image of the sun that is safe to look at.

All you need is two pieces of white cardboard or plain white paper, aluminum foil and a pin or thumbtack. Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over that cut-out shape, then use a pin or thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the foil.

During the eclipse, place a second piece of white paper or cardboard on the ground as a screen and hold the projector with the foil facing up and your back to the sun. Adjusting how far you hold the projector from the second piece of paper will alter the size of the image on the makeshift screen.

What to look for while viewing the total solar eclipse

For people along the path of totality, there are some fun milestones to keep track of as the total solar eclipse unfolds.

As the eclipse progresses and the sun gets thinner in the sky, it will start to get eerily dark, according to Tyson.

The "diamond ring effect" is shown following totality of the solar eclipse at Palm Cove in Australia's Tropical North Queensland in 2012.

When the last beams of sunlight are about to become obscured, look out for the “diamond ring effect”: The sun’s atmosphere will appear as an illuminated halo, and the last light still visible will look like the diamond of a giant ring.

As the sunlight decreases even further, an effect known as Baily’s beads will be created by the moon’s rugged terrain. Tiny “beads” of light will be visible for only a few seconds around the dark moon, as the last bits of sunlight peer through the moon’s mountains and valleys.

When the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to remove eclipse glasses and look at the total solar eclipse with the naked eye.

The Bailey's Beads effect is seen as the moon makes its final move over the sun during the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon.

Some lucky sky-watchers may even catch a glimpse of a comet .

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks — nicknamed the “ devil comet ” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns — is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere as it swings through the inner solar system.

The comet can be seen in the early evenings by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. During the eclipse, when skies darken during totality, it may be possible to see the comet near Jupiter, but its visibility will depend on whether it’s in the middle of an outburst and thus brighter than normal.

Most likely, all eyes will be on the alignment of the moon and sun.

“Most people won’t even notice,” Tyson said. “But if you know to look, it’s there.”

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean, with some visibility in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain. In 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and a swath of northern Africa.

The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be in 2033, but only over Alaska. Then in 2044, a total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. coast-to-coast in will occur in 2045. The path of totality for that eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Lucas Thompson is a content producer for the NBC News Climate Unit.

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A school is a place where students are taught the fundamentals of life, as well as how to grow and survive in life. It instils in us values and principles that serve as the foundation for a child's development. My school is my second home where I spend most of my time. Above all, it gives me a platform to do better in life and also builds my ...
Argumentative Essay: The Benefits of Going to School
However, going to school is incredibly important for your career, future education you may wish to pursue, and social and communication skills. Teenagers are forever being told that they need a good education so that their can have the career they want, but many do not listen. However, it is important to remember that your schooling, no matter ...
Going back to school during the COVID-19.
Available in: English. ქართული. 16 September 2020. Starting a new school year is always full of emotions and especially during a pandemic. Part of the schools in Georgia started teaching at classrooms, other part continues the distance learning. But children in every city or village are looking forward to meet their friends and ...
Simple Ways to Write a Short Essay (with Pictures)
Composing the Essay. Download Article. 1. Create an outline for the short essay. Before you begin writing the essay, use an outline to plan out what you want to say in each of your paragraphs. Number your paragraphs 1-3 and jot down a phrase or sentence that sums up the major point you want to make in that paragraph.
17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities
The standard 'What I Did This Summer' essay won't cut it. Luckily, we have 17 Great Back-to-School Writing Activities for you to help shake off the cobwebs and get your students' writing skills back on par. Let's get started. ... They should be short and pithy, seizing the reader's attention by telling them just enough about the ...
Crafting the Perfect Back to School Essay
Importance of Writing a Short Back to School Essay. In the realm of education, writing essays is an essential skill that allows students to express their thoughts, analyze information critically, and communicate effectively. As a high school student, you may be familiar with the concept of writing essays in various subjects.
Essay About Going Back To School
Essay About Going Back To School. 814 Words4 Pages. Every journey has a beginning and an end except when it comes to education in which there is not any end you can always learn something new. This particular story starts the same place most people start after graduation, I graduated in 2006 with a choice that many people face go to work or go ...
BBC Learning English
Bella's bottom lip was wobbling. "I don't want to go to school after all. I want to go home!". Joe thought quickly. "If you go home, Bella, then nobody will see your new pencil case ...
Short Story: Back To School
Short Story: Back To School. Decent Essays. 701 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. Early morning on December 11,1972, John was dropped off early to school because his dad had some business to take care off. Instead of talking the usual route to get to class, John took a shortcut behind the school trashcans and playgrounds.
Going Back To School Essay
350 Words. 2 Pages. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. The decision of going back to school and finishing my degree has been one that I have toyed with for several years. My final motivation came about 18 months ago from the birth of my first child. I started asking myself, as a father, what am I going to expect and ...
Essay on Hard Work for Students in 500+ Words
10 shares. Essay on Hard Work: Hard work is the consistent and dedicated efforts towards achieving a goal or task. It involves perseverance, determination, and the willingness of an individual to overcome obstacles and challenges. Students who consistently put in the effort to attend classes, complete their assignments, and engage in studies as ...
'He's finally done it': David Hill on the high school essay that made
The school applauded David Hill. The school instantly forgot David Hill. In class, our English teacher said "I've been trying all year to make Hill get off his backside, and show what he's ...
The Dogs Helping the Covenant Children Find Their Way Back
Monroe Joyce, 10, runs with one of two dachshunds taken in by her family. She is one of several children who now have a dog after surviving the Covenant School shooting. Emily Cochrane and Erin ...
Solar eclipse 2024 explained: Times it's visible, path of totality, why
The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar ...