With school closures happening at a rapid rate, children are being forced to do their learning at home. Whether it’s through online learning sessions or attachments sent via email, it’s been a huge change for both kids and parents alike to move to an online classroom.
For your children to receive a strong education at home, there are things that parents can do in order to separate home-home from school-home. By doing this you can help your kids separate playtime from learning time. Here are some tips to help your child make the most of their online schooling experience.
Make Sure That You Understand The Online Classroom
Parents should visit the virtual classroom that their child/children will be using. They should check out all of the different tools and functions that can be used. Whether it’s Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams, you should delve into understanding the interface and how it all works. The chatrooms are important, especially knowing which ones are public and which are private.
If parents have a better understanding of the virtual classroom that their children will be using, then they can go through them with their kids and help them navigate it. This way, they feel comfortable with the online classroom before they begin using it.
Understanding The Rules And Expectations of an Online Classroom
Parents should understand the rules and expectations when it comes to learning online. There are generally three ways of communicating in an online class, audio, video, and chats.
Often teachers will expect their students to mute their audio during a lesson and keep their video on in order for teachers to see that all of their class is there. When it comes to chats, they can be helpful but something they can become a problem. Try and keep your kids from chatting about unrelated topics during a lesson, as this can be distracting.
Check The Types Of Classes That Are Being Offered
Different teachers have different approaches to their teaching methods. It’s a good idea to check on the different types of lesson plans being offered and try and match it with the one that best suits your child.
Some teachers offer a lecture style of teaching, where they speak and show videos or slideshows. Some students enjoy this style, and some find that it isn’t quite engaging enough. There are also discussion type lessons that involve more speaking from the students. Some thrive in this environment, some of the shyer children find this to be a little intimidating.
Then there is a mixture class. This is a lecture plus discussion. While there isn’t one method that is perfect for everyone, there are usually methods that fit the child’s learning abilities. Parents and children should find the one that is most suitable.
Parents Should Communicate With Teachers
Just like a parent-teacher meeting in physical schools, you need to follow-up with how your child is doing in an online school. Ask the teachers for feedback regarding your child, what they’re doing well, what they’re struggling with, and everything in between.
Remember that teachers are new to this style of teaching, so they want feedback as well. For them to do the best job that they can, they need to hear from parents and students. In order for your child to be happy, you need to talk to them about their experience with the online classroom.
Create A Room Specifically For Learning
The learning experience for your child doesn’t completely rest on the lesson plan being taught. It is also about the area in which they learn. They shouldn’t be set-up in an area with distractions going on around them all day.
Parents should create a nice quiet space for them, with a comfortable chair and all of the school supplies that they’ll need. Parents should try and make it feel like they’re still going to a physical school. In order for children to learn at the highest capacity, they need to be separated from their comfort zone.
Conclusion
These are new territories for children, parents, and teachers. It isn’t going to be perfect. There’s a lot of work that is going into it. As things progress, you might notice something that will help your child learn better or a question that you want to ask their teachers. Like everything, it takes time. There are going to be some growing pains, but ultimately your children will still receive a great education.