As we begin creating new content for our followers, students, and their families, we are hoping to share the story from our Bear POWER Family Newsletter. Avery Brooks, Bear POWER Ambassador, has begun to provide tips and resources for the parents within our program. Check out the full newsletter here!

Bear POWER Family Newsletter (10/15/2020)

Support For (Fully) Virtual & Online Learners

Hello again! Welcome back to our fifth installment of the Bear POWER Family Newsletter! This week, we are tackling a subject that is relevant to many families across the U.S. right now: Supporting Your Student in Online Learning. We know that online learning can seem a bit daunting, but have no fear; we are going to offer you three easy tips in this article that will help you and your student succeed during this time of learning from home.

Tip #1: Keep structure in your student’s life.

When your student was on campus, they created a daily routine based on their class schedule. Maybe they woke up early each morning to shower before class so they felt energetic for their 8:00 am morning class, or maybe they slept in a little bit so they felt well-rested for their difficult Physics class in the afternoon. Even though all our students vary widely in their learning style, they all have one thing in common: they made a schedule at the beginning of their semester and made it their daily routine. However, online learning can throw off this structure in your student’s life; if classes are held asynchronously, your student may not feel the motivation to wake up early like they once did. This is where your role is critical to their success! By encouraging your student to establish a structured routine at home, you are helping them to maintain peace and order physically and mentally. Think about it: without an organized schedule, one is bound to feel chaotic. Thus, while we are living during times of disorder, it is imperative that we find ways to establish a little bit of structure in our lives. By encouraging your student to continue practicing the same routine they did while they were on campus, your student can continue to be successful in all their classes.

Tip #2: Encourage your student to take breaks.

This next point segues perfectly from our first tip. While having a structured routine is important, it is also just as critical to make sure your student has time to process all of the information they are learning. Speaking from personal experience, it can be easy to get too absorbed into a daily schedule; one can get so enthralled in their school work that it can be easy to forget to take a break and take time to decompress. Thus, all you have to do as a parent is serve as a reminder to get up and take a break. If you notice your student has been locked up in their room for a couple of hours, maybe just knock on their door and ask if they want a snack or encourage them to stand up and stretch. Taking these simple breaks to pause and process the information they are learning can make all the difference in their grades. Recently, Bear POWER welcomed guest speaker Michael Frizell to come and speak to the group about test taking and test preparation. A key point that he stressed during his presentation is that students should break up the material they are studying into chunks: study for 30 minutes and then take a 10-minute break, and repeat this process over several days. Approaching the material this way makes studying seem much less daunting than studying for hours upon end the day before the test. Thus, encouraging your student to add small breaks into their schedule to do a fun, relaxing activity that they enjoy can make all the difference. Some ideas for this include journaling, walking, exercising, or cooking.

Tip #3: Acknowledge when your student does well.

We saved this one for last because we felt like it was the easiest piece of advice for you as a parent. As a student, it can be easy to overthink and worry about assignments and grades. Thus, your uplifting words to your student are their lifeblood; they receive so much energy from your encouragement. Simply saying things like, “I am so proud of you!” or, “You are doing an awesome job!” will make all the difference in your student’s demeanor, which directly affects their performance.

We hope that these three easy tips will create a positive home environment for you and your student as you both tackle the world of online learning. Just remember this: you AND your student are doing great! We here at Bear POWER will continue to be here to support you and your family each step of the way as we finish out the last half of the semester. We hope you join us next week for our next installment: Helping Your Student Through Mental Health Challenges.