There is no doubt that 2020 was a hard year for teachers, educational institutions, students, and families. Everyone`s lives were turned upside down and inside out as classes went online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, especially those with young children found themselves in the new role of teachers' assistant whilst teachers, who were prepared for, and used to teaching in the physical classroom had to adapt to the new and confusing world of online education.
There were no rule books to read, no guidelines to follow, and no preparation time, the world's education systems were literally thrown into the deep end to sink or swim. Ultimately, whilst most swam and survived, thousands of smaller private schools which we unable to adapt, sank and closed.
This last year has been a learning experience for everyone, with many mistakes being made, huge amounts of anger and frustration being expelled, and even more, lessons being learned.
Whilst the combined lessons that were learned can be counted in the thousands, from the perspective of individuals, be it teachers, Headmasters, Directors, Coordinators, or parents, most lessons relate to the specific situations that they faced on a daily basis.
In this article, there are, what I believe, some of the foundation lessons that many of us have learned. If implemented, these lessons would create a calmer environment from which individual lessons can be built upon ultimately creating a more relaxed, organized, and successful learning environment for those education systems which are destined to continue online in 2021.
1. Try to recreate the traditional school day
During this time of uncertainty, add structure to your life with a well planned daily schedule. This is an idea that works well for both parents in their homes and teachers in their virtual classrooms. For families, sticking to a routine reduces stress for children by letting them know what to expect throughout their day. Scheduling regular meal times, work and homework times, chores, breaks, etc., can help boost their academic success and decrease behavioral problems. Try going over your daily schedule during breakfast so kids know what to look forward to for the day. For teachers, try to explain what you expect to achieve during the class so that students know what will be required from them
In addition, in the home, it is also important to create a physical space for schooling that is separate from their recreation space. Their “school environment” should have minimal distractions and comfortable conditions. For younger kids, this means creating separate spaces for work and play. Children should understand that when they are in their school area they should be doing school work and when they are in their play area they can play. This concept is just as important for teenage students. Though it will be tempting for them to do their classes whilst laying in bed, or on their sofa, having a desk or work station will greatly increase their productivity, retention, and engagement.
In the home, when creating a schedule for children, remember to give them varied types of stimulation. During school times, children do more than academic work all day. They have music, art, playtime, physical activity, independent reading. For teachers and parents, rotating the types of learning activities that they undertake will keep them engaged and prevent mental and emotional burnout.
2. Take regular breaks away from the computer
Be sure to give children frequent breaks from working on computers. Outside of classes, find ways to entertain them other than television or electronic devices. Another way to limit screen time is to print out worksheets so children can fill them out by hand. This gives their eyes a break and lets them work on their handwriting and fine motor skills.
Kids also need time outdoors now more than ever. Playing outdoors improves everything from creativity to academic success to emotional stability. It is important that children have at least 2 to 3 hours of free-time outside a day. In addition to the physical health benefits of being active, spending time outside also reduces stress and feelings of anxiety and depression in children and adults.
3. Connect with Others
Start the year off right by creating efficient, friendly and professional communication between families and teachers. Be positive and proactive about addressing any concerns such as schoolwork or technological difficulties. Everyone will be more able to resolve issues when they have advanced notice. With classes once again online, teachers generally feel disconnected from their students. Opening a line of dialogue early on is important to establishing that connection and staying informed. Remember that patience is important and will make any problem seem less severe.
Effective, reliable communication is especially important for students. Collaboration between the teacher, student and parent is imperative to mitigating the unprecedented barriers that may arise. Parents should meet with teachers to determine the best strategies for their children. Remember that every student is unique and has different needs. For both teachers and parents, setting aside time to observe their children/students and see what strategies they best react to reaps enormous rewards.
For families, creating contact with other parents and classmates is a great way to encourage both social learning and for maintaining social connections with their classmates. Collaborating with other parents may yield new tips for dealing with online classes. Many parents are creating small learning groups where they meet up with other students and hire teachers for private reinforcement classes. Study groups may also make a comeback, especially for families that cannot afford to pay for private reinforcement classes. If meeting face to face is not a good option, video chatting with friends is a safer way to help increase casual social interaction.
4. Teachers need to communicate Openly
Providing children with immediate positive feedback is especially important. They are used to receiving a lot of encouragement from teachers and classmates in school. Celebrating small victories can help to relieve the stress and frustration children will experience during this period of online learning. It is also important to set expectations and goals for each day. This can help children compartmentalize their responsibilities therefore making their goals feel much more attainable. It will also help if you use visual aids like PowerPoint presentations, Kahoot, posters, charts, music or whatever else you can think of!
Students may feel angry, depressed or disappointed about not being able to return to school in 2021. Help them process their feelings by talking to them about it. Allowing them to express their feelings will help them to release pent up emotions and frustrations, to build their communication skills, to process their thoughts, and to establish trust with their teachers.
5. Online classes are not a joke, students are not just filling in time.
An unfortunate situation that happened in 2020 is that not everyone, families, students, educational institutions, or teachers took their online classes seriously. Many people thought that 2020 was s situation to simply survive rather than dedicate themselves to.
Many people I spoke to felt that their virtual classes in 2020 were just to fill in time during the pandemic, and what they neglected, or missed could be caught up on in 2021.
Unfortunately, what reality has shown to many people in different countries around the world, is that education will continue online in 2021 and that what we neglected to study last year will not be able to be caught up on as they expected it to be.
Every class must be taken seriously, every subject must be studied to the best of our children's abilities, every class must be prepared and presented with as much professionalism and dedication as possible and families must push, they must motivate and they must support their children to study hard so that they achieve the best results possible.
In 2021, online schooling is once again going to be a challenge for everyone. There is no magic spell that will make the year easy or successful for everybody. Right now, as we approach our new academic year, it is important that we all continue to help each other and be understanding of what we all experiencing.
I hope that this article has been of assistance, and provides some ideas for establishing firm foundations for your classes, and your homes.
Good luck.
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