8 Helpful Tips to Help with Remote Learning
For most of us, our school year is officially underway. This school year is certainly unique compared to years past, and more than likely, your school-year has been adjusted in some way to fit the current climate. Remote learning, for one, has become an essential part of the new normal. However, it can be challenging to find a groove in online learning when it is still growing as a new concept.
Don't stress out too much because we are here for you. You've got this!
We put together a list of 8 tips for how to 'survive and thrive' when it comes to remote learning. This guide will help you and your kiddos master the challenges and also reap the benefits of learning outside of a school setting.
- Provide a "learning-friendly" environment. This is an absolute must-do. If your child doesn't have an environment that promotes learning, they won't want to engage. Your child’s workspace doesn't have to look like a classroom by any means. However, making sure that they have a comfortable chair at a table or desk is one crucial step.
Also, limiting any background noise will help foster this type of environment tremendously. If no background noise is not an option for your space, try noise-canceling headphones while your little one is not online in class so that they can still get their work done with laser focus.
- Keep track of all of your kids' school supplies. This is directed more at the parents of those children participating in the hybrid approach of remote learning - where your child will be splitting time learning at school and home.
There is going to be a lot of moving parts between home and school this year. You'll want to make sure that all of your kid's school supplies (not someone else's) are returning home with them each night, instead of gathering dust in the lost-and-found.
Labeling everything that leaves the house in the morning puts you in the best position to achieve this goal. Our School Labels Pack comes with 89 press-and-stick labels that are personalized with your child's name. Additionally, each School Labels Pack comes with contact labels where you can add up to three contact info lines should something ever get lost. Contact labels are a must for items like laptops, tablets, phones, or anything else that would be expensive to replace.
- Keep the school's schedule. This year is exceptionally different from any other. To help your little ones stay on track, it's best to keep things as consistent as possible. Try and stay as close to the school's schedule as you can. That way, it not only promotes the idea that these certain hours are for learning, but it also keeps them in the swing of things when they return to the classroom.
- Limit free screen time during school hours. Just like school, if your child is old enough to have a phone, the use should be limited during school hours. Many phone models offer built-in features that limit time on certain apps, or restrict them entirely. Additionally, if you want to invest a little bit of money into the cause, Apple's #1 productivity app, called Forest, is a remarkable way to monitor phone use. It can also teach environmental consciousness because when you are starting to work, you plant a "seed," and if you open up your phone while your forest is "growing," your tree will whither, losing all of your progress.
Want to hear the coolest part about this app? For each tree that is grown in the app, one tree is planted in real life! So not only are you using your time in "school" more efficiently, but you'll also be saving the planet. Two green thumbs up here!
- Make sure your children complete their work. This seems like an obvious part of remote learning. However, as life gets busy, it's easy for various details to fall through the cracks. Keep a schedule for yourself to check that your child's work is completed at a specific time each day. Perhaps it's setting a daily alarm or a calendar invite from your phone - whatever format you are most comfortable. This tactic should help keep you on track and keep your little one accountable, because they know you will be checking every day at a specific time - just like their teachers!
- Set goals together. What a great opportunity to show your child the importance of goal setting! You can sit down and write out your lists together, as well as encourage each other each step of the way. This is a special moment, and we are given a special opportunity right now to be even more engaged in our children's lives – not just in regards to learning. Encouraging this forward-thinking growth mindset from a young age will set them on the path to success.
We also love the idea of setting up a joint parent/child goal chart with each column labeled with a customized name label, so everyone can proudly show off his or her goals for the year!
- Get to know the educators and fellow parents in your child's life. You have a safety net of people to rely on - you just need to get acquainted with them. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Your child's teachers have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the work's subject matter and instructing the students. Additionally, the parents of your child's classmates can also serve as a valuable resource. Chances are they are experiencing similar hurdles in their remote learning environment, and a simple brainstorming session could provide a helpful solution.
Don't be bashful. Reach out with a simple phone call, text, or email and let them know that you are there to lean on; and vice-versa! They will surely say the same because everyone is in the same boat this year. We're all in this together.
- Enjoy the highs and ride through the lows. Just like life itself, remote learning won’t always go according to plan. Adversity is not always optimal, but it can serve as a valuable life lesson for your child. Life will inevitably throw curveballs at us; but our ability to adapt and overcome these obstacles will make us stronger and better prepared moving forward.
This is evergreen advice that we can all use.
We hope this short list helps make things go a little smoother for this new year. You and your little one deserve to feel calm in all of the chaos, and we are here for anything you might need. We wish you a productive and happy school year! See you in the next Weekly Bubble!
