What Does Your Child Really Say About School?

EA Academy
Aug 18
2 min read

Updated: Aug 21

(And what emoji would they pick to describe it?)

💬 The Small Answers That Say a Lot

“How was school today?”

“Fine.”

“Okay.”

“Same as usual.”

Sound familiar?

For many families, those after-school conversations are a daily ritual — and a missed opportunity. Not because you’re asking the wrong question, but because your child may not know how to explain what they’re really feeling… or may not feel safe enough to say it.

🧠 A New Way to Ask

Next time, try this:

👉 “If school were an emoji, which one would you pick today?”

It’s light. Playful. Non-threatening.

And yet it opens a door. Because sometimes kids can’t articulate their emotions — but they can point to a 😐, 😩, 🤷, or 😍 and say, “That one.”

And that one… might say a lot.

📉 When the Emoji Isn’t What You Hoped For

If your child chooses something like:

😐 (bored)
😩 (overwhelmed)
😡 (frustrated)
🤷 (disconnected)

…it may not be a red flag. But it is worth paying attention to.

👉 Research from Gallup shows that nearly 8 out of 10 students report feeling disengaged at school by the time they reach high school. And disengagement starts much earlier.

👉Another study found that over 40% of children experience school-related stress almost every day (American Psychological Association).

Not because something is wrong with your child.

But because something may be off with their learning environment.

🔁 School Should Be More Than Just “Fine”

At Extraordinary Adventures Academy (EAA), we believe the purpose of school isn’t to produce compliant students or good test-takers.

It’s to nurture independent thinkers.

To help children discover their gifts.

To cultivate purpose, not just performance.

That’s why we’ve reimagined school from the ground up:

No traditional grades or homework battles
Real-world projects instead of worksheets
Socratic discussions instead of lectures
Learners who take ownership of their goals and progress

In short: a place where a child’s emoji is more likely to be 😍, 😎, or 💡 — not 😐 or 😩.

🗣️ You’re Not Alone for Wondering

If your child’s attitude toward school has changed — or never felt right — you’re not the only one noticing it. Other families have felt the same.

“I used to get one-word answers. Now I get excited stories.”— Parent of a 5th grader

“School is something we look forward to now, not survive.”— EAA Parent

🌱 What’s Your Child’s Emoji Today?

Maybe today’s emoji made you smile.

Maybe it made you pause.

Either way — it’s worth exploring.

Because sometimes, that little face can open a much bigger door.

👉 Let’s talk about what learning could look like when curiosity is protected.