​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Online learning is different - there's no doubt. But with the right kind of support, almost all students can be successful in their online classes. As much as possible we encourage students to use their time in school to complete their online work. Sometimes that's not possible and work needs to be done at home. How can you help your online student?

• ​Provide a consistent work space - going to the same spot every day for work can be very beneficial. It's even better if that space is different than locations that are normally for down time. The kitchen table, counter or an office are great options. Ensure the tools for learning are easily accessible at this location. If you can't leave the work space set up (because you need your counter back), have a bin where you student puts his/her laptop, pens, pencils, paper, calculator etc. This cuts down on the "where is my..." later on.
  
  
• Minimize distractions - most people struggle to pay attention to videos or reading when there's a lot of noise around. Try to minimize the noise in the house during class time. If that's not possible, noise cancelling headphones or earbuds listening to music can help (depending on the student).​ Younger siblings and even pets can be an issue. I love having my dogs around when I'm working at home but I can't say that I don't spend a fair bit of time talking to them (yes...I talk to my dogs).
  
  
• Build a schedule - working at the same time everyday can also be very beneficial to students. Although online learning provides students with learning flexibility, schedules are a good idea to help them manage their time and be productive. Remember they are likely coming from pretty scheduled learning environments and to expect them to manage their own time effective can be an extra stressor that actually takes away from learning. Students will often be able to pick out their most productive time in the day. 
  
  
• Maximize Productivity - many students have told us that it's difficult to work online for a full hour in a day. Students have told us that it can take them as long as 20 minutes to really get moving in their course work. My suggestion to students has always been this - make a plan for learning. Make smaller, attainable goals for each day. One day a student may spend half an hour on Math and feel tired out. Half an hour is better than nothing. Encourage your child to do work every day. Taking a day off usually leads to more days off and then we end up in trouble.
  
  
• Check in - it seems like a little thing but call courses by name. For example, instead of saying how is your online class going say how is you Physics class going? And when you get the standard "good" for a response, ask your student to show you what they are working on. If they can find their location in the course and explain what they're doing, all is likely well. If they stumble to find their location in the course or seem to just scroll around then we likely have an issue. It's a good idea at this point to discuss your concern with the teacher. We've got some tricks up the sleeve to help them focus a bit better. Check the gradebook often for marks and feedback.
  
  
• Encourage communication ​- your learner is likely to get stuck occasionally. They may ask you for help or throw their hands in the air. At this point, your job is to remind your learning to get in touch with the teacher. Our job is to help them continue to move along. So what if this happens outside of office hours? My suggestion is the student sends a chat or email with the question right at that moment. Remind students that questions outside of office hours will be answered the next day. Encourage your student to move on if they can, switch to a different subject or take a break. 
  
  
• Speaking of communication - if students don't get a reply from their teacher within a day it's a good idea for them to double check that we got the message. I know for me that I'll sometimes see the message on my phone in the evening, which now marks it as read, and then forget that I didn't reply. Respectfully asking a teacher if they got a message is a responsible way to deal with a concern.​