Week 7! Refresher on Being Independent During Remote Learning

“7 Guiding Principles for Parents”

Summary of article

“7 Guiding Principles for Parents” 

By Laura Lee

Edutopia 

April 3, 2020

As millions of students across the K-12 spectrum shift to at-home learning because of the coronavirus threat in the United States, parents are scrambling to understand their new role as surrogate teachers. It will require equal parts patience and tenacity. “This is going to be messy,” wrote educational leadership professor Jennifer Weiner in The New York Times, before giving parents and teachers permission to try and fail “and that is OK.” 

Establish a Flexible Work Space.  Tailor their space to their work.  Move furniture and props to fit their learning needs. Set clear expectations and set parameters for what kind of work occurs in which spaces, but give them choices.

Check in Every Morning and Through the Day. Use lightweight ‘checks-ins’ and vary the question to get a sense of how your child is feeling.  “What color best represents how you’re feeling today? Why?"

Allow Frequent Brain Breaks.  For young students, research shows that brain breaks improve attention span. Breaking lessons into smaller, more manageable chunks helps students focus. Older students need breaks every 20-30 minutes to maintain focus and energy.

Find a rhythm that works.  For the teenage brain, a later start and more sleep can mean better memory and retention. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises starting an adolescent’s school day no earlier than 8:30am. 

Consolidate learning. Consolidation means that students are retrieving information frequently and then making new meaning of it. Many studies reveal that teaching what you’ve learned to someone else—to a parent or to another sibling—is also a highly effective way to consolidate learning and make it stick.

Encourage productive struggle.   Allow students to wrestle with problems before intervening. 

You want your kids to continue to push themselves, and praising hard work is more effective for building endurance and tenacity.

Consider passions and play. Build in time for passion projects and fun. Household activities like cooking or organizing offer the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills. Play and exercise can actually alter brain structure in ways that improve memory, attention, mood, and cognitive function. 

Knowing your Stress and Breathing to Relax

Whenever we are faced with a totally new routine, like schooling from home, or we are worried about our own or our loved ones’ health, or we just don’t know what to expect, we all feel stressed, scared, nervous, fearful, and many other uncomfortable emotions.   While it is normal to feel this way during these uncertain times, it certainly is not pleasant. It actually can feel downright miserable! Our heart rates may rise, we may lose our appetites, our voices may get louder, we may become cranky or sad, clench our teeth, feel tired even though we slept, be unable to fall asleep even though you are tired, be unable to focus, cry for no apparent reason, or get headaches often.  Stress affects our mood, our ability to think and deal with everyday life, and our health. Here is a brief, simple video, created for youth, that explains how stress works in our bodies.  

If you notice some of these signs that you are stressed, there are several ways to relax and “reset your brain.”  The first and foremost, is to take a break from what you’re doing. Shut down the computer, walk away from the situation, or even simply stand up and stretch.  Then breathe!  

Breathe in for 4-5 seconds, hold it for 4-5 seconds, and then breathe out for 4-5 seconds for at least 5 slow breaths.    

Here is a link to a short video to help you, adults and students,  practice one relaxation breathing technique. 

You should feel your body start to relax and your stress level come down. Attached is a list of a few other relaxation activities for you to try at home.   

Write A Letter

We are so glad to hear from many of our students.  We seem to be adjusting to the new routine of virtual learning.  The one concern we hear is that students are missing their friends.  Kids in middle school are beginning to develop deep and meaningful friendships that we encourage parents to nurture during this distancing period.  Consider writing a letter to a friend or relative, putting it in an envelope ,and mailing it.  A tangible connection is sometimes much more meaningful than the virtual connections we are experiencing now.  I think we all realize that now.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month occurs every year during the month of April.  In 1987 the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence originated this program to target college age binge type drinking.   It has since become a resource for families and communities to focus on prevention and treatment needs for teenagers. 

• Confront denial with facts.  If someone you know struggles with substance misuse there is information that may be helpful regarding these common conditions.  
• “Marijuana Talk Kit”. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has a thorough publication for parents titled 
• “50 Ways to Stay Drug Free”. During this 2019-2020 school year the Students Against Destructive Decisions created a poster titled  
• “Get Smart About Drugs”. Check out this website titled  with up to date, real time statistics and articles. Click here to visit their website. 

If you feel you or a loved one may be struggling with substance misuse, you are not alone. The American Addiction Centers remain open during the Covid 19 pandemic as a support for navigating treatment options.  Their direct telephone number is 866-571-6191.