It's time to fight those dreary after-Christmas blues.
It's hard, for sure, after a vacation from homework to get back into the learning groove (both for parents and students). Even if you only had a few days off for the holidays, the change in your student's schedule can be enough to throw everything out of whack.
Not only that, your student may not want to go back to hitting the books or returning to the computer just yet. It's just so much fun lying around the house watching holiday movies like Home Alone. If you're honest, you probably aren't ready to help with extra homework and projects just yet either.
If this is what you're facing this week as a parent of student in an online school, take heart! There are a few things you can do to beat down those gray, January doldrums.
Back-to-school student motivation tips:
1. Do post-holiday clearing up ASAP – Clean up and store away all the Christmas gear as early as possible so it doesn't become a distraction or interfere with helping with lessons.
2. Ease back into lessons – If possible, start a few days early by doing half-days of lessons so your student can ease back into his online learning routine without as much no-more-free-time shock.
3. Schedule future events – If you have a senior, plan a graduation party! Have a field trip to do? Put it on the calendar. With something new to look forward to, your student will be less likely to lament the past holidays.
4. Look toward the future – It's easy to look back if everyone else around you is doing it. As a parent, set an example for forward-looking behavior. Show excitement about the future school year.
5. Tackle tough areas head-on – Procrastination comes from not wanting to face the inevitable. Help your students get through more challenging areas of schoolwork by giving extra support. Contact teachers ahead of time, if possible, to warn them of your child's difficult areas.
6. Use technology tools – Lessen the workload for your online student by embracing technology tools, like typing software, educational phone apps, Google docs, virtual labs, online classrooms, related multimedia, and so on.
What blues-beating student motivation tips work for your child? We want to know.