The education sector is seeing massive changes in terms of syllabus and how it is taught. All of a sudden everything is online, and everyone is trying to get accustomed to it. It is a new normal for parents, teachers, and students, and only when all three parties cooperate, online classes will be productive.
Tips for students:
Make a study plan:
- Have a comprehensive plan for the whole term or semester. Your teachers would have given you the syllabus or lesson plan.
- Base your plan on it and have deadlines.
- Set reminders if there are any important assignments or assessments.
- Have a clear plan on how much should be covered by you weekly and always stick to your plan. You can even mention how many hours you should study.
Whatever you can do offline, do it. It will help you get rid of the screens and also break the monotony. It may also make you feel a little bit closer to the olden days.
Make it interactive: Online classes may get monotonous when all you have to do is listen to one-way communication. To not doze off during the class, ask questions, or put in your comments. That will help you give more attention to your class.
Behave like you are in a class: Yes, you can lie down on your bed and have your food while you are listening to your class if the cameras. However, that distracts you a lot and may even put you to sleep. Try sitting in a ventilated place with a table, chair, and books required for maximum concentration. Take notes like you are in class and close all the tabs and apps that distract you.
Follow a schedule: Children need to be active and play something. The current scenario, be it regarding climate change, the pandemic, unemployment, or financial crisis, has taken a mental toll on everybody. It is really important to add to your schedule something that you love or that energizes you. A schedule may help not get distracted a lot. Ensure you make slight changes to your schedule now and then according to your interests.
Get help if needed: If you are not able to follow the pace of your teacher or the whole concept of the online class, get help from someone responsible who can understand what you are going through.
On the whole, put in the effort to enjoy your classes and go with the flow.
Tips for parents:
Restrict screen time: Parents must ensure their child gets some time off the screens. Too much of being on laptops and phones may exhaust your child.
Have a conversation: This is a new method for you and your child. Talk to your child about how the classes are going and ask if there is anything that’s bothering him or her. The Pandemic has restricted us to our houses, and it is the best time for family members to understand each other. We are trying to cope with the new normal, and we should all be discounting mistakes or impatience.
Fresh air: Allow or make it mandatory for everyone in the house to get some fresh air (safely). Once we all start loving to not get out of our houses, there is no going back. It is of absolute importance to have some kind of physical activity. You can even start planting trees and plants together and have a conversation about organic clothing or organic foods. Talk about something that’s not related to studies.
Let go: We are succumbing to the pandemic, and this is the time for parents to let go of grudges or anger against their children. Let go of what happened to you at your work and make sure you spend time with your family.
Overall, don’t be harsh on them if they are failing to cope. Be a friend and help them get through this. Monitor how they are doing in their academics, Check if they are not zoning out during classes, and have a conversation with your child’s teacher too regarding the performance.
Tips for teachers:
Record your lectures:
- Always record your lessons so that students who have bad internet connectivity can view them later.
- Give clear instructions on where you have uploaded the files and what resources you want your students to check on.
- Please provide them with all the information and notes required.
- Make the assignments and exams application based.
Show your face: It is difficult for students to listen to you when there is no physical presence as they are used to it. Keep your camera on so that students can see you and feel a bit lively.
Buffer time: Take some time to set up the class and test the things you have planned. You will lose the attention of the students if you are searching for a document after a class starts. Don’t overshoot time; nobody likes it. Your students are not even listening to you if you are overshooting time.
Interactive activities: Give interactive activities so that students can engage in the spot. You will also get to know who is paying attention and who is not. Give activities that are offline too. You can ask them to talk to their parents and ask them what they think is the difference between regular cotton and organic cotton clothes. This generation has the attention of a goldfish. If the classes are not interesting and interactive, the students won’t take back much from your class.
Give students the benefit of the doubt: The student may have really had some technical issues or some personal issues. Teachers may consider cutting some slack as everyone is going through a hard time. Cut yourself some slack too because online classes are new for you too. Don’t stress if there are technical problems.
The theme of the tips for parents, teachers, and students is ‘one thing at a time’. It is not recommended to multitask at this point as it might become overwhelming. We will all get used to this new version of education and make the most out of it.
We hope these tips will help parents and teachers take online classes a notch up. Students, this is a great opportunity for you! Please make the most of it.