With the uncertainty of school closures and at-home learning, it's normal to be concerned about your education, and to even be a bit overwhelmed.
While keeping our school community safe continues to be our number one priority, making sure that our students continue to learn and grow is also a top priority,
Here you'll find tips for getting the most out of learning at home, as well as how to stay happy and healthy during these uncertain times.
Try to get up an go to bed at the same time every day. When you have routines and structure, you day runs smoother, you're more productive, and you feel more on top of things.
Set up a schedule that allows time for schoolwork, physical activity, and relaxation/free time. There are a sample schedules online, or you can com up with your own.
Examples of Schedules from Urbana Families
Have a system for keeping track of assignments an due dates. write assignments in a planner or use an app on your phone. Either way, make sure you always know what is due and when.
Set some short-term academic and personal goals, such as having all of your schoolwork finished by a certain time of the day, or engaging in at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday.
Whether it's your room, the kitchen table, or the basement, have a space that's clean, organized, and quiet for you to do your schoolwork.
Your home probably isn't the ideal learning environment, so it's important to make it as learning friendly as possible. Turn off the TV, silence your phone, and eliminate as many interruptions and distractions as possible.
Learning is hard to do all by yourself. Regularly communicate with friends and classmates. Talk about the work you're doing, things you are having a hard time with, and just life in general.
Whether it's formal announcements from the principal lesson plans from teachers, it's important to read all school communications. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
When you encounter a challenge of any kind, it's helpful to have a growth mindset. And remote learning can certainly be challenging at times.
With a growth mindset, you don't complain and give up when something is hard. You get creative, ask for help, or try to do things differently. You look inside and find your most determined self.
Be patient with your teachers and with yourself. This is a frustrating, confusing time, and we're all just trying to figure it out.
Talk about it
In many ways, the pandemic was, and continues to be, a traumatic event--and dealing with any traumatic event can be scary, frustrating, and isolating
Talk about your feelings with a parent, friend, counselor anyone with whom you feel comfortable sharing. Think about how you are feeling and label your emotions.
Use calming techniques
We all feel stressed, anxious, or angry at times, especially when we're limited in what we're able to do. When you feel this way, it's important to have a toolbox of calming techniques to help you relax. Here are some examples.
Breathe. Breathing is the best way to feel calmer. Take a deep breath, count to four, and slowly exhale. Repeat.
Relax your body. Drop your shoulders, then flex and release all the muscles in your body, from top to bottom.
Do physical activity. Take a brisk walk, kick a ball, do jumping jacks-physical activity will help you release stress, anxiety, and other negative feelings.
Take advantage of this increased amount of home time by stepping away from your screens and engaging in meaningful activities. Here are some ideas.
Read more. Challenge yourself to complete a book series, or to read a book every two weeks.
Go for daily walks. Explore your neighborhood or take nature walks.
Work on useful task., Try cooking, helping out a relative, or cleaning out your closet.
Pick up a hobby or develop a skill. Paint, draw, map out a family tree, try yoga or a run, make a video.
Write in a journal. This is a unique time in everyone's lives. Write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings each day.
Continue to take measures to stay safe and healthy. Social distance as much as possible , wash your, hands frequently , and stay home if you aren't feeling well. We will get through this together!