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I learned recently that about 90 percent of all the world's schoolchildren are not in school but learning from home during the COVID-19 crisis (https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/06/schools-more-than-90-percent-worlds-students-closed-during-this-pandemic-this-graphic-shows-how-fast-it-happened/). Add millions more college and university students - virtually all of whom are using distance learning now - and there is a radical shift in how people are learning, teaching, and monitoring their children's education worldwide. This will last in many parts of the world for weeks, even months longer; here in Illinois, our schools will remain closed through the rest of the school year, for example.
While for most college and graduate students curriculum and assignments won't be much different from the on-ground classes they typically take, this current period will be a significant shock for many others: shorter instruction time, more independent/unsupervised work, less face-to-face time with teachers, and, perhaps most importantly, less interaction with fellow students - around schoolwork and other activities. Reduced physical and social interaction - not to mention the fear and anxiety so many of us have about the pandemic - are not great ingredients for sharp minds focused on school and studies, for obvious reasons.
But life and school must go on. How can students stay sharp and focused on schoolwork - and their parents and teachers help? Some helpful tips, based on my own reading/research and experience (including with a stay-at-home seventh grader), that apply to students and their parents:
- Make and stick to a schedule. It doesn't have to be rigidly followed, but most of us perform better with a routine, just as we do in school or on the job. If your virtual school day is for several hours in the morning, with some homework to follow, or assignments due throughout the week, make a timeline of what needs to be done and stick to it (or monitor it for parents). This includes becoming familiar with your child's online assignment/grading portal if you're a parent; make sure you're familiar with this and get signed on, because it makes things much easier when reviewing grades and assignments with your child and teachers.
- Try to make as many aspects of school/work life as close to "normal" as possible. If your student is used to socializing at lunch with friends, encourage a group call or video chat at the end of the school day or sometime during the day so that element of the "normal" day is followed. And because most of us are confined nowadays, that means no physical activity in a gym class for many children; make sure some physical activity is a part of the day. It can be an online exercise class, a safe walk in the neighborhood, or anything that will get the heart pumping and some energy flowing. These are not normal times, and our experiences with this pandemic will be significant life moments for many of us, so making these times less shocking to our systems by maintaining as much normality as we can will not only help us now but over the longer term.
- Feed your brain in other ways school might not tap: start a new hobby you can do at home, read about a new topic or interest, or just become familiar with the news and happenings in your community or around the world. Because this is a historic, monumental event, treat it that way through your mind and intellect as well as your daily studies and activities. COVID-19 is a unifying event for billions; wherever you are, others all over the world are experiencing many of the same limitations, events, and anxieties. Learn about how other countries and cultures are managing; use social media to connect with new faces and new places. It's more than being informed; it's about being connected to others who are like you. And it's not hard nowadays to find connections to others all over the globe, so use this opportunity to pursue these connections.
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