My son has allergies. Seasonal, animal, food, environmental—you name it, he reacts to it. When he was little, it felt like our lives revolved around EpiPens, Benadryl, and careful planning. Fortunately, he’s grown into managing it himself, and recently he decided to take on a new challenge: allergy shots. Allergy shots require injections for 36 weeks, followed by maintenance shots for several years. The hope is fewer reactions and a better quality of life.
This summer, while he was home from college, getting his shots was simple. But once he was back on campus, things got tricky. His school clinic couldn’t administer them, and the policy at several others was for him to start the whole process over. Imagine making steady progress, only to be told you’re back at square one.
After a lot of phone calls, we finally found a clinic willing to coordinate with his current provider so he could continue right where he left off. That willingness to meet him where he was made all the difference. Instead of losing momentum, he kept moving forward—and he’s healthier because of it.
It struck me how closely this parallels what happens in classrooms. Every fall, we welcome students who are new to our schools or new to us as teachers. Some have gaps, others are right on track, and a few are racing ahead. The temptation can be to start everyone over from square one, just in case. But if we do that, students lose momentum, and their growth stalls.
The better approach? Meet students where they are. Honor the progress they’ve already made and build from there. That’s when they thrive.
Because just like my son’s allergy shots, learning is a process. And when we help students stay on track the payoff is greater confidence, deeper learning, and progress they can actually feel.
So as this school year unfolds, may we remember this: Our power as teachers isn’t just in what we teach but in how we help students keep moving forward—no unnecessary resets required.
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