Our Top Tips for Online Learning
July 23, 2020
There’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the 2020-2021 school year, but we know many of you are getting ready for a year (or at least a few months) of online learning. If that’s the case, you might be nervous, and that’s okay! Maybe you were exposed to online learning last semester and started to get the hang of it, but how do you start a new school year online? How do you keep up with all your work and make sure you don’t fall behind? How do you make friends? Don’t worry, Smart Mouths! We’ve got some tips for online learning for ya.
Create a routine.
Sure, it’s great that you don’t have to wake up early enough to get dressed, pack your things, or eat breakfast before school. Score!! But that doesn’t mean you should roll out of bed one minute before you’re supposed to be online for school.
Set a wakeup time and try your hardest to stick to it. Have some grace for yourself if you fall behind, but then make a goal to get back to it the next day. Wake up each morning with enough time to at least change out of your pajamas and do something to help wake yourself up – like taking a quick shower, playing outside with your dog, or sipping some coffee in peace. Find a few things that will help you start your day so you don’t feel groggy all day long.
Along with a wakeup time, also set a finish time. Be done with school work, including any homework or studying, by a certain time so you can fully disengage. This will really help you feel like there’s a difference between school and home, which can be tough when both happen in the same place! As soon as you’re done, go outside, play a game, get a snack (mmmmm pizza), watch a show… do something to let your brain know you’re done! Otherwise you might find yourself overwhelmed, and no one wants that.
Stay organized.
We’re not sure how organized you are during normal school days, but learning from home will require you to be a little extra organized. You’ll probably have more responsibility, which is awesome! That just means you need to make sure you’re keeping up with your schedule, turning in work on time, and joining video calls when you need to. Your school might have been a little more lenient last semester since online learning was sprung on you, but be ready for a little more responsibility this semester.
Keep your school station organized to really help you. It’s so easy to let your desk or dining room table (wherever you’re working) get messy or unorganized. Do your best to keep things clean and tidy, and set a day each week to really organize your space and your work.
You’ll also want to keep your computer organized! A crowded desktop can end up really stressing you out or make you lose important things later.
Be social!
You don’t have to be the biggest social butterfly, but make sure you’re at least engaging in some online conversations with your classmates and teacher. Especially if you’re not able to see them in person at all this year, this is how you’ll get to know each other and maybe even make some new friends.
Don’t forget to video chat your friends or even hang out with them from a distance as well. A huge part of school is getting to be around new and different people, and you definitely want to make sure you’re not missing out on that if you’re doing online learning. Talking and “hanging out” (virtually or social dinstancingly) will help your school year feel a lot more normal.
As you get ready for whatever the 2020-2021 school year may bring, get excited! It may be new and challenging, but it can always be exciting and fun if you decide you want it to be. And when you start to miss school lunch while at home, check out our Smart Mouth copycat pizza recipes to make at home!
