Back to School

There’s something about this time of year that feels like a fresh start.

The calendar may still say summer, and the Tennessee heat certainly hasn’t gone anywhere, but you can feel the transition beginning. School buses are back on the roads. Parents are making one last trip for school supplies. Teachers are putting the finishing touches on their classrooms. College students are packing up for another semester. And children, whether excited or reluctant, are preparing to begin another school year.

Our family homeschools, so our routine looks a little different than most. We don’t wait for the school bus each morning, and our classroom is often the kitchen table. But in many ways, our rhythm is the same. We begin in late summer, work hard through the school year, and look forward to finishing up in May just like everyone else.

No matter how your family chooses to educate your children—public school, private school, or homeschool—the beginning of a new school year is a wonderful opportunity.

It’s an opportunity for a fresh start.

For students, I would encourage you to approach this year with curiosity. Ask questions. Read more than you have to. Don’t settle for simply memorizing enough to pass the next test. Learn because understanding the world is one of life’s greatest joys.

Your grades matter, but your character matters even more.

Learn to be dependable. Learn to be honest. Learn to work hard even when no one is watching. Those lessons will serve you long after you’ve forgotten the quadratic formula or the dates on your history test.

To the teachers reading this, thank you.

Whether you’re teaching kindergarten, high school chemistry, Sunday school, or your own children around the kitchen table, you are investing in the next generation. It’s a responsibility that often goes unnoticed, but it matters more than you know. The influence of a good teacher can last a lifetime.

To the parents, remember that your role doesn’t end when your child walks through the school doors each morning.

In many ways, it’s just beginning.

The home has always been the center of a child’s education. Schools can teach reading, writing, math, science, and history, but values are learned first at home. A child learns perseverance by watching Mom and Dad persevere. They learn honesty by seeing honesty modeled. They learn kindness by experiencing it around the dinner table.

No school—no matter how excellent—can replace an engaged parent.

And to the grandparents, never underestimate your influence.

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve sitting with my grandparents, listening to stories about days gone by. They taught lessons that never appeared in a textbook. Family history, wisdom gained through experience, and a steady presence are gifts that only grandparents can give.

One of the greatest things you can do for your grandchildren this school year is simply take an interest. Ask what they’re learning. Read a book with them. Attend a ballgame, a school play, or a piano recital. Those moments become memories they’ll carry long after graduation.

Education is about far more than preparing someone for a career.

It’s about preparing them for life.

The ability to think critically, communicate clearly, solve problems, and treat others with respect will carry a person farther than any single class ever could.

As another school year begins, my prayer is that our children will grow not only in knowledge but also in wisdom. That they’ll become not only better students, but better people.

The first day of school is exciting because it reminds us that every year brings another chance to grow.

May this be a year filled with curiosity, perseverance, and plenty of opportunities to learn—not just from books, but from life itself.

To all the students, teachers, parents, and grandparents beginning a new school year:

Have a wonderful year.

And never stop learning.