School principal outlines tips for creating best environment for online learning
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As many students return to remote learning for the upcoming school year, parents are looking for effective ways to keep students engaged and manage their child's behavior.
Widefield School District 3 Principal, Shane Skalla, outlines several steps for creating the optimal work-from-home scenario for your children. He recommends finding a dedicated location that is free from disruptions or distractions while following a schedule. Skalla adds, "I do think it's super important for parents to sit down with their child, regardless of the age level, and put together a personalized schedule that works for them."
The principal commends consistency. "Kids may not admit it, but they do appreciate structure and routine." By creating a schedule and sticking to it, Skalla says students will be more successful in their learning from home.
Having a designated workspace, similar to how kids would in a classroom, puts students in the right mindset for learning. Make it quiet, focused, and most importantly, your own. Some parents are choosing to add calendars, rules, and colorful decorations to add a fun aspect to learning.
Since peace and quiet are paramount, reducing distractions will be vital to a child's educational growth. Homes can have plenty of distractions, including video games, computer games, social media, TV, toys, pets. Find ways to limit these during learning hours.
Parents can help out by ensuring students attend virtual classes that are offered by the schools, and have dedicated time throughout the day to complete all independent work. If students wake up and don't have a plan in place on what they're going to be doing, there could be wasted time.
The District 3 Principal recommends keeping open communication with teachers.
"Sometimes, especially in the virtual world, teachers will not always be aware if a student is struggling or if they're frustrated, as they would in a traditional environment. So, I would encourage parents to keep those open lines of communication," adds Skalla.
Finding opportunities for kids to power down and rest is also essential. "Young students need to step away from technology, go outside, and engage in other activities that are not connected to technology," clarifies Skalla. He encourages kids to still find time to get outdoors, especially for mental health.
The District 3 Principal encourages working parents to find ways to follow up with their kids, see how their day went, and log into the school's online learning system to monitor their child's progress. "Obviously, we have a lot of parents who are working and don't have the ability to stay at home all day with their child. In those situations, maintaining open communication with their child." He says doing so will reinforce to students that the parents are there to monitor their progress and help when needed.
