Written by: Alexandria Redd
Date: October 2020
Home is such a warm, positive environment. But what happens when students of all ages, stages, and walks of life enter a period of being stuck at home 24/7 for 7+ months at a time? This pandemic is clearly not going anywhere, and neither is e-learning, so here are some tips to help make this whole ordeal more positive for students!
Introduce New Challenges
The stagnancy of online schooling can leave some students uninspired and uninterested in taking on new challenges and taking advantage of new opportunities. To avoid a negative cycle of disinterest, begin setting goals for your kids to complete and conquer: anything from learning a new instrument to teaching the old family dog a few new tricks! This will encourage critical thinking skills children may not have the ability to fully develop in a fully home-based environment.
Switch it Up!
Repetition, especially for such a prolonged period of time, can easily lead to a tedious environment, where children find themselves doing the same things over and over again; Now that the lines between school life and home life are blurred, you’re a student who wasn't overly fond of school to begin with may become resentful or psychologically view "home sweet home" in an increasingly negative light. This is why it is so important to... you guessed it! Switch it up!
Set Boundaries.
Though changing up your routine can be fun, it is also just as important to set some boundaries to lay down the foundation for a successful school year, even if it is at home. Students should be sleeping at least eight hours a night. Though this may be hard to control for your older students, a conversation about healthy sleeping habits may aid in their understanding of its importance. When it comes to screen time, this may be even harder to limit, with most assignments, clubs, and schoolwork being online. Nevertheless, parameters on bedtime, eating, and screen time can promote lifelong healthy habits!
Enjoy Each Other!
Believe it or not, your student sitting at home won't be a student for long! One day, you'll want to look back on the memories you've made during quarantine and remember all of the happy times you spent with your children in their youth. Set aside quality time to spend together! Whip out the board games, take turns cooking dinner, and watch a movie by the cozy fireplace. Though e-Learning may be temporary, the memories you make will last a lifetime.
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