How To Create The Perfect Distance Learning Environment At Home
Time to Transform a Corner of Your Home Into a Cozy Learning Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic didn't just blur the line between your work and home life—it upended your child's education, too. It's important to note that school isn't only a place where kids receive their education but also where they can develop their social skills and find extracurricular activities that interest them, which is why the effects of school closures run deep.
Parents are burnt out while balancing their careers with family life. Students are losing focus during online classes; teachers are struggling with digitally adapted lesson plans, yet the virus continues to mutate and spread. Even with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, there's no set date when schools will reopen, and students can return to in-person instruction.
Theoretically, since children are less susceptible to contracting and spreading COVID-19, they can return to school—but that doesn't put teachers and staff in the clear from getting infected. In 2020, the American Federation of Teachers reported at least 530 school employees who died from the virus.
With more Americans being vaccinated, it's only a matter of time until schools can reopen, and students can return to a more stable learning environment (with a few added safety precautions, of course). In the meantime, it might be best to make sure your child has everything they need to make the most of their distance learning. Here are some ways you can help your kids adjust better to the "at-home" school life.
1. Establish A Learning Space
Similar to how you set up your work-from-home space to attend to deadlines, Zoom meetings, and conference calls, a learning space for your child is an area of your home that is strictly for distance learning purposes. That means, as soon as they sit down by their desk, it's time to put their learning pants on and attend class.
Have them create space in their room for a learning corner, or let them find an area around your home where they would feel most comfortable doing schoolwork. After all, everyone learns differently, so allowing your child to have a say on where they should study at home might make it easier for them to adjust to a new way of learning.
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2. Make The Space Optimal For Learning
When it's time to attend classes, make sure it's just school materials on your kid's desk, free from clutter and distractions. That means their arts and crafts, slime creations, and other miscellaneous items should be neatly packed away in a designated storage box. As for their school papers and books, sort them on a bookshelf (you can make space in an existing one or buy a small shelf instead) so their materials are easy to see and grab during their virtual class.
It might be easier for your child to get used to the sorting system by clearly labeling containers and shelves, so they know where to return their supplies once classes are done for the day. What's more, this pack-away routine could help switch off their school mode and ease back into their leisure and family time.
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3. Apply Predictable Scheduling
Remember those learning pants we mentioned earlier? Well, those might come in handy. Before switching on their computers to enter their virtual classroom, make sure your child does something to "activate" their learning mode. It may come in the form of a song, meal, or an outfit (like actual learning pants) so they're ready to attend class.
The next problem you have to solve is how they occupy the rest of their day at home, and the simple solution is through predictable scheduling, which is similar to building a daily routine. Assist your kids in creating a schedule for class hours, reading time, homework, and breaks, then give them ownership by letting them choose a time in the day to do their preferred leisure activities. When they stick to a schedule, your child knows what's expected of them, helping them adjust to their at-home schooling.
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4. Set Up A Reading Nook
For those times when your child has required reading or homework to do, they can do these tasks in a more comfortable space. If there's an available corner in their room or another area at home, have your child gather some bean bags or large pillows together and place them against a wall, close to a light source, to create a reading nook.
As much as possible, avoid letting them do schoolwork on their beds—it's the same principle that should dissuade you from doing office work in your bed. Yes, it's a comfortable spot, but think of your bed as a sacred space that represents the end of the day when you can relax and be calm and not as another workspace where you need to meet deadlines.
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5. Minimize Distractions
As mentioned earlier, every student learns differently. Some can be laser-focused, while others can have a wandering mind. Your eldest child might prefer listening to classical music to study, while their younger sibling can't sit still for long periods. When you add typical home distractions into the mix, this can disrupt their learning processes.
If your child shares a learning space with a sibling or attends online classes in a common room, help them mitigate distractions by plugging in a white-noise machine or buying them noise-canceling headphones to keep their attention in class. Students with short attention spans should ideally have learning space facing a wall rather than a room or window, while fidgety learners can sit on an exercise ball while in a virtual classroom.
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Distance learning can be a difficult adjustment for many kids, so it's important that you support them in their new normal. Make sure your child is equipped with all the necessary tools to help them stay focused and do their best while learning from home.
