The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced a rolling closure of in-class learning in many regions as kids adopt e-learning to avoid missing a year of school. The adjustment is hard amid the general turbulence of life in a pandemic, but there are a few essential habits that will help kids take more from their online education.
Control the Atmosphere
In-person classrooms have posters to spark motivation and learning, and they have an atmosphere conducive to fostering concentration. When it comes to e-learning, kids won’t necessarily have a room of their own meant for school.
Maybe they’ll be at the kitchen table in proximity to distractions from general daily life. Try to give your child some space of their own that they come to associate with school, even if it’s just a section of the living room converted for these purposes.
Also, eliminate distractions like smartphones or anything else they use for entertainment. By maintaining a sense of separation between learning and recreational environments, children will be more encouraged by their surroundings to give themselves to their lessons.
Recharge the Battery
Schools have a recess for a reason: children need breaks during the day so they can recharge their batteries. Everybody needs a pause or a coffee break sometimes, and kids are no different.
Let your child pull their head up from their screen, go for a walk, and get some air. Maybe they need a snack. Whatever it is, give them time throughout the day to decompress to return to their schooling reenergized.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to finish your high school course online or you’re learning basic BEDMAS: you need a break every once in a while.
Lean on Those Around You for Help
Parents struggle to balance working from home while their children take e-learning sessions under the same roof. Students are used to being in the same room as their classmates and teachers, and such a dramatic shift can be hard on them.
Don’t forget that e-learning is interactive, and there are supports your child can lean on, so they should never feel alone, like teachers or guidance counsellors. Institutions like the Ontario Virtual School have student success teams who monitor student progress to ensure they’re keeping up with the portal and their course work.
Teachers have office hours so students can drop in virtually and receive live support and ask questions about the material or whatever else. Students taking e-learning courses have people to fall back on when needed. The time spent working alone will help prepare them for college or university, where they will need to self-regulate their schedule and balance academics and other extra-curricular activities.
The shift away from in-class learning has been difficult for parents and students alike, but if students maintain these three habits, they should have a more rewarding learning experience and retain all the information they learn.