COVID-19 has made life more difficult for everyone, but nowhere is this more evident than in our schools.
If your child attends virtual learning classes, you know this better than anyone. All of a sudden, getting them to finish their homework becomes an impossible mission. But is the culprit laziness—or simply a lack of motivation?
The best way to answer that is to give them a hand and see what happens! Here are five tips for virtual learning to keep your child motivated.
1. Discuss the Challenges
By now, we all know that Zoom fatigue is a real thing. If your child struggles to focus while attending school online, they’re likely getting distracted. For them, a Zoom class is something going on in the background.
Have an honest conversation with your child about this problem. Focus on specific challenges rather than general complaints. If your child says, “I hate school,” get to the root of the issue, then try to address it.
2. Give Your Child Agency
Students are more motivated if they feel they have a say in their education. If they feel powerless, they won’t be as invested in their learning. As a result, they’ll be completing their tasks simply for the sake of completing them.
Do your best to make your child feel they have an educational agency. For example, can they choose their electives or participate in particular tasks? This doubles as an opportunity to help them build self-advocacy skills.
3. Use the Protégé Effect
The protégé effect refers to learning something by teaching it. As a general rule, students who tutor others put in more effort to learn the material. This phenomenon also helps them build empathy for their teachers.
Have your child become the teacher by expressing interest in their classes. For instance, let’s say your child uses Derivita to learn math. After every school day, ask them to teach you one new thing about algebra.
4. Introduce More Incentives
When it comes to motivation, grades don’t work as well as intrinsic motivators. All human beings have an inner drive to be autonomous. By liberating this drive, they achieve more and live better lives.
With virtual tuition, intrinsic motivation is hard to come by. One thing you can do is create visual reminders of your child’s school success. If they go to elementary school, a simple sticker chart can be a great motivator!
5. Lead by Example
Most children want to be like their parents, so they do what the parents do. Use this to your advantage and try to lead by example. Your attitude toward work can often influence your child’s attitude toward school.
Does your child struggle to focus at their virtual learning academy? Sit down with them and talk about their future goals. Then, plan backward from the outcome to help them realize why their current learning matters.
Virtual Learning Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
By following these tips, you can make virtual learning much easier for your child. Remember: kids usually want to do the right thing. If you give them the opportunity to do that, they’ll likely pleasantly surprise you!
Want to know more about the various benefits of virtual learning? Keep checking out our Education section!
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