Online learning has been one of those new, never thought of concepts that is all too common during the pandemic.  Much like working from home, it is certainly something that was not on the radar for most of us as late as early 2020.  Now I almost can’t recall what life was like before, including having my kids interact normally with other kids in a physical classroom.  Having said that, for those of you who haven’t already thought of some ideas to make it a bit more tolerable for your kids here are some ideas that may help give semblance of normalcy, and maybe make things easier to transition back to the classroom when the time comes:

• Make sure your child has a quiet space to work – this might mean headphones to help focus, especially with more than one student at home.
• Remind them to charge their devices the night before so that they are ready to roll for the morning.
• Encourage them to keep their camera on as a way to promote focus, engagement and active participation in their learning.   Worth investing in Camera blocking stickers, for those times where your kids need to stop for a break, head out to the bathroom or the odd time where you need the privacy, show them how to use them.
• Remind them that their mics need to be on mute until the teacher gives them the go ahead.
• You might want to consider still packing a lunch for your kids and having snack and water ready to go.  (This saved me a lot of time with my own kid).
• Make sure stationary and note pads are on their desks, and remove any of they clutter they usually have.
• Make sure their chairs are comfy and if they need an extra cushion to have that close by.
• In their breaks, if they don’t have exercises in class, make sure you do a few jumping jacks with them and stretches before they head back.
• Make sure you knock on the door or the wall before you go in behind them to get something – if you can – to avoid them being distracted or awkward in front of their friends.
• Have the teacher contact info available at all times on the computer in case you get technical issues and are unable to sign in to the classroom.

Have you had any other issues and have any tips to add?  Strange times require creative thinking, and hoping this helps out – certainly helped me and my kid out in making online learning a bit more managed and less chaotic.