Virtual learning is well underway for many families or will start soon for the rest in North Texas.
It’s important to make sure kids are comfortable, but too comfortable in their own homes could spell unproductive in this unconventional school year.
Tori Dixon, owner and psychotherapist at Graceful Journey Counseling says a successful day starts from the moment a child wakes up.
"Get up at the same time as if you were going to school. You get up brush your teeth, wash your face and get dressed for school,” Dixon said.
Her online learning success plan continues with adequate sleep. Most kids need anywhere from eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.
No matter how big your living space is, your child should also have a dedicated learning space that is free from games, televisions and pets that can easily distract a child.
“When you step into the tape in your virtual learning space at your home, you are in school. When you step out of that, you are at home. That gives kids some learning boundaries. They shouldn’t be learning in bed or on the couch where they are too comfortable to focus,” Dixon said.
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Dixon also cautions parents when it comes to expectations. Life in a pandemic puts a strain on expectations anyone had, especially when it comes to children. They are resilient, but they are also learning to cope as well.
“All the expectations you had of yourself and of your child prior to COVID-19 and what you expected in terms of capacity have to be re-evaluated. Not exactly capability, but capacity. The capacity has changed for all of us, so we have to realign those expectations of our capacity to be at our full 100-percent,” Dixon said.
She said one of the most important things parents can do at this point is give grace. There is no textbook lesson for what parents and students are going through. So it's important to allow that breath, and know, learning this year feels different for everyone and if you feel like you and your student are hitting a wall, reach out to a teacher immediately.
