How to Do Distanced Learning in a Healthy Way
Distanced learning is becoming more and more normal in today's world as we, globally, try to "curb" the COVID-19 pandemic. Adults working from home and grade school students learning from their bedrooms. Continuing education from home can feel overwhelming for both the child and parent; however, a few simple guidelines can make it seem less intimidating. Knowing how to adapt to these new norms may turn a stressful situation into an opportunity for new ways to learn.
Routine, Routine, Routine
As teachers do during school time, and adults do in our everyday lives, routine is key. Setting a wake-up time similar to if they were leaving for school, eating a healthy breakfast, and scheduling appropriate lunch and breaks can inspire healthy focus and motivation, while also taking this new at home set up seriously. Keeping a structured schedule and sticking to it can help the child get in a rhythm, as if they were really in class.
Pause and Reset
Expanding upon taking a break - taking a breather to get one's mind in the right place is important. Adults and kids are similar in that way, where opportunities to get away from the work can let the mind restart before finishing off the day strong. Rushing to complete lessons or assignments only causes stress, and it's more than acceptable (even encouraged!) to take some time to reset. Taking a walk outside or grabbing a snack can be critical in maintaining momentum. This goes for parents as well! Take a mental break with your kid to start fresh and be able to put your best foot forward, for both them and yourself.
Your Role as a Teacher and as a Parent
Discern between parent and teacher, meaning that you should “expect to be treated as a teacher.” Constantly switching between teacher and parent can be overwhelming, and confusing to yourself and the child. Setting boundaries and structure are important in your child taking you seriously and supporting them in the best way you can. Disciplinary action as a parent, and as a teacher may take different forms; however, are key to keeping motivation high. As our CEO, Natasha Tiwari suggests, implementing a system similar to a school merit system (with incentives and privileges) can stimulate ambition and energy to do good work.
Maintain Social Interactions
Aside from the obvious educational aspect that changes drastically when learning from home, distanced learning is also difficult in that it removes the social element from children. For kids, this can be confusing and may bring high levels of anxiety, so maintaining social relations via Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, etc. can keep spirits high. Creating a sense of normalcy in the peer aspect can really make a difference in education as a whole.
The End of the Workday
Know when to stop and call it a day. This is important to maintain “school life” from “home life” and is key in maintaining mental wellbeing and burnout for both parent and child. Cabin fever is striking many in these tough times, and it is important to stay on top of it. It can be helpful to reflect with your child on what you had done for the day, successes and failures, and knowing what to improve on for tomorrow.
It is Okay to Fail
Distanced learning is new to many, so allowing wiggle room for mistakes and learning to let go of the imperfections is important. Know that it will take time to perfect learning from home. Learning on the go can be stressful, as there are many unknowns, but try to take it one step at a time. Start with today, see what works and what doesn’t, learn from errors and make adjustments accordingly.
It is Okay to Ask for Help
Always remember, you’re not in it alone. Reaching out to others for love and support can be extremely helpful. Getting help in the areas of weakness can improve your child’s learning overall. This may include knowing how to identify certain learning styles, which can make distanced learning much easier. As stated by Natasha, a child’s learning style and can be one or more of the following: auditory, visual, or kinaesthetic. Gaining a greater understanding of the best ways in which your child learns, can help parents tailor learning, and the learning environment perfectly to their child and make the most out of their hard work.
To conquer the shift to distanced learning, ensure the child has a designated space for schoolwork. As adults, we're learning that it is important to be able to separate the work from relaxation, and even in youth this is important, maybe even more-so. Determining a place in your home for your child to do work and concentrate is key to successful and efficient learning. This places them away from any distractions and provides a higher probability of the child staying focused on the task at hand. Mimicking a classroom can be helpful for keeping a child’s attention where it needs to be, making them feel like they're in a classroom again. Incorporating visually appealing aspects, such as posters or artwork, ensuring they have a desk space and chair they can call their own, and providing supplies and other tools to master learning from home.