3 Essential Steps to Choosing a School
Posted on April 26, 2022 by Heidi Emoto, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Learn key steps to successfully choose the right daycare, preschool or school. Reveal possibilities you never considered.
In my parent/child classes one of the most common side topics is what to look for when choosing a daycare, preschool, or even school. While there may be a number of excellent schools to choose from, not every school is an excellent fit for each family. How can a family make such an important decision at a time when life is busy, and in the case of expats, when language differences can limit access?
There are 3 essential steps to successfully choosing the right school. Skipping one can lead to discontent or missing a great opportunity.
The first step is to know yourself. What do you expect of the school? What do you wish for your child to gain during his/her time there? How much can you afford to spend on schooling in terms of both time and money? Setting these parameters will become the guide to use when comparing schooling options.
The second essential step is to take into consideration the learner. What is the child’s learning style? Does the child thrive in smaller groups, or crave a wide variety or interaction with others? Are there special interests or talents a school can help foster? What support does the school provide if the child has difficulty keeping up for a time?
While this is the most important step, as parents sometimes can’t suss out that we want for us vs what is best for our children. We start with a look at ourselves first so that we may be more aware of any preferences we hold.
The third step is to visit the potential schools in person. Many aspects of a school’s culture or the personalities of the teachers don’t come through on a homepage, social media or the local grapevine. The school which your friends love may leave you with an entirely different impression when you visit. In many ways finding a school is like finding shoes that fit well. Having a clear idea of what you are looking for, and what that looks like when you find it, will make the school search process considerably easier.
Depending on where you live the schooling choices could be very few, or overwhelmingly plentiful. While there is no perfect school, identifying the priorities for both yourself and your child will create a strong base for comparison. You’ll never regret taking the time to explore the possibilities when choosing which school path to take.
Book a Sounding Board Session with Heidi to jump start your school search.
