Keys for Success with Virtual School

Many thanks to The Santa Fe New Mexican for allowing us to post this article from our column.

Making the switch from in-person classrooms to virtual education is challenging for students, teachers, and parents.  Here are some ideas to create the greatest success possible for your child:

The importance of the physical study area

Your child will be sitting at a desk for many hours.  Creating a heathy physical set up for your child’s study area will keep them from tiring easily and keep their bodies properly aligned. Here are key considerations:

·       Eyes are level with the top of the computer screen

·       Lower arms are parallel to the floor when resting on the keyboard

·       Feet, not just the toes, are flat on the floor (consider using a footrest if needed)

·       Lower back has support from the chair itself or a lumbar pillow

·       Hips are close to the back of the chair

·       Legs are at a 90-degree angle from the body (use a footrest if needed)

·       The screen should be a full arm’s length away

In noticing your child’s posture during the day, watch for slouching, their head in front of their body, curved shoulders, or leaning to one side.  Those are great indicators that it is time to take a break and stretch!    

We may assume that our children need the same things that we need to be able to focus and learn.  We all learn differently, so have a conversation with your child to discover what assists them the most.  In the past, I have recommended having computers in common areas of the house.  With virtual school, your older child may need the quiet and solitude of their own room to focus.  With younger children, you may want to set up a study area in a less trafficked area of your home where there are minimal distractions so that you can see what is going on and be available for help.  You are the expert with your child, so make your decision about their study location based on what you know to be in their best interest.   

The importance of taking breaks

Taking breaks to refresh and recharge are important.  The younger the child, the more frequently breaks are warranted.  In middle school and high school, students get breaks between classes.  Younger students get breaks during recess.  Make sure your virtual student is taking breaks, too.

Teach your children to notice their bodies.  Ask them how their bodies feel – relaxed, tense, achy, antsy, still, restless?  Virtual high school teacher Cindy Appanaitis from Corvallis, Oregon, noticed that after the first week of school, her body felt absolutely “combustible”.  She and her young kids had a spontaneous dance party that loosened things up for everyone. 

Cindy also sends her high school students links to mindfulness resources, guiding them to be aware of what their bodies are communicating and encouraging them to move throughout the day.  She asks them to reflect on how they feel before and after their mindfulness practice or their movement to notice the impact.  

The importance of changing what you are looking at

When we focus on screens, we use specific muscle groups in our eyes and in our bodies.  We can tire or overwork those groups.  One solution is to focus on the horizon or something in the far distance.  Change the perspective.

Go outside.  Breath fresh air.  Cindy commented that she noticed how she was looking down at the walkway on a break and decided to look up.  She said, “That transformed the whole process of where I was.”  Look up.  Look out.  Notice flowers, follow the movement of birds, watch the boughs of the trees bend and move.  Cindy commented, “Even if it were raining or snowing, the perspective shift from the elements on our face reboots us.”

Consider moments for simply closing and resting the eyes.   

The importance of movement and stretching

Dr. Becky Bailey, who created the program Conscious Discipline, always says that the best exercise for the brain is exercise.   Walk with your kids.  Do gentle head tilts and circles.  Lift and drop shoulders and arms.  Bend forward and back.  Wiggle every part of the body.  Teach your child both energizing and restorative yoga poses.  Your children will return to virtual class refreshed.

The importance of good sleep and good nutrition 

Prepare “grazing trays” with healthy snacks for your kids.  Have water with fruit slices available. 

 It is easy to “work on” while doing things virtually.  Have a stopping time and maintain healthy bedtimes.

The importance of connection

Cindy noticed that her children sought out connection during the day with her, a pet, or one another.  During virtual experiences, live connection is even more important.  Find time to guide your children to creatively connect during the day. Make eye contact and touch their shoulder or give a hug.

Wishing you and your children great success in the new and different school year!