Employ the "Week at a Glance" method: Sit down with your student at the beginning of each week and help him/her develop a plan.
Determine what assignments are due for each class that week
When will he/she complete each assignment to ensure they are submitted on time
Identify when help sessions/ office hours are for each course
Identify any existing plans/barriers during that week to work around. i.e. appointments, practice, etc.
Identify the "Prime Time" for Focus: Help your student determine what his/her best time for school work is. In their 'peak' time for focus, guide them toward working on their most challenging subjects, then help construct a plan for when to take care of the rest of the subjects.
"Chunk" Work Times: Guide your student by encouraging him/her to work in 'chunks' of time with built in times for rest/ breaks.
Establish a 30-50 minute work hour routine with built-in breaks.
Identify A "Work Space": Identify a location or two in your home that is well lit, quiet and as distraction-free as possible for your student to complete assignments and study.
It is highly encouraged that this "space" is not in your student's bedroom.
Recognize Problems Before They Occur: Distractions and obstacles can take many forms. By helping your student identify potential distractions (phones, friends, noise, etc.), or obstacles (tech issues, extracurriculars, appointments) to reduce the possibility of lost productivity.
If you are unable to effectively handle an obstacle, reach out for help! Contacting your virtual teacher, base school counselor or FVA administration for assistance can help tremendously!
Take "Real" Breaks: Encourage your student(s) to take frequent breaks.
Setting timers can be a great help in reminding students of appropriate times to take breaks
Ensuring that these breaks do not include any type of "screen" will a massive help with preventing eye and mental fatigue
Need Some Ideas for Taking a Break? Check This Out!
Communication is a critical component to academic success in a virtual environment. While students are encouraged to utilize the Canvas messenger tool to communicate with their teachers, parent communication is best via phone and email.
How to view Teacher Contact information in Parent Portal Video
*Teachers will typically respond to messages within 24 hours. If you have not received a response within 48 hours, please attempt to connect again.
Some students may require more checkpoints than others, so it is important to touch base frequently with your student to see how things are going. Below are a few tips to get the ball rolling.
Set specific '"Check-In" Times: Setting predetermined times to discuss progress each week will provide checkpoints for students to aim for when setting goals.
When checking in, have specific questions to ask your student to get the most out of your conversation.
If needed, set up a "contract" with your student to uphold commitments, goals, etc.
Provide incentives to keep your student motivated.
This is a great discussion topic to have with your student. What motivates him/her? Free time? Praise? Technology? Gifts?
Want to get some more information on how your student is doing? Here are a few ways to access the data behind your student's progress. * All underlined words/phrases are linked to resources to help!
Setting up the Canvas Parent Observer App
Provides access to student courses in Canvas