As an elementary teacher at an online school, I often get the question from parents, “What are your teacher tricks for a successful school year?” There are a number of things that seem to play a role in the success of students in this environment but being open to change is one of the most important. You need to give your student time to adapt to a new way of learning. Some kids take a month or so to get into a positive rhythm in the online environment. However, if it is taking more than a couple weeks to start seeing positive progress, be sure to reach out to the support staff at the school to get specific help and suggestions for your child.
Another necessity is that students need to put time and effort into their studies. There is no magic requirement for how much time a lesson should take, but if your child is reading lessons once, answering the lesson’s questions, and then quitting for the day, more effort may be needed. I encourage a notebook for every class, so notes can be taken and organized. Vocabulary and definitions, formulas, example problems, important people, dates, and interesting places are all great things to write down.
Most lessons also provide a goal or objective in the opening section or a review section at the end of the lesson. Turn these into questions to make sure the basics of the lesson have been mastered and understood when you ask your child about his or her progress. There is also the fact that if material is repeated in the lesson, there is a good chance it is going to be required knowledge for the assessments. Along with note taking, reading assignments and directions carefully is a must. It is a true time saver for your child to re-read questions and lessons to make sure that understanding of the material is met before moving forward.
Students also need to put in some extra review time before taking quizzes and tests in their courses. It is a good plan to review notes and course objectives from previous lessons and to review videos and example problems that are presented. Some courses also have study-guides, learning games, and other tools that can help with the review process. Do not be afraid to use these tools that are provided to you!
Asking for help is another area that tends to come up in the online environment. Students need to realize that there are teachers available to work with them over the phones and in online office hours. We need to know if a student is struggling because grades do not always show the struggles students are having. I encourage families and students to reach out to the teachers to build a connection before struggles arrive as it is then easier to make that call in to ask for help when it is needed.
One final suggestion that I have for online learning is to have a consistent schedule that you and your child follow. Set up a requirement of how much work needs to be completed each day or each week and stick to that schedule. Some kids do well with creating their own plan, but most need your guidance or observation to make sure their schedule is created and followed. This consistency helps your child stay on pace and avoid rushing to finish up at the end of the semester.