Hey, another reminder to check your voting registration, check the status of your absentee ballot and find your local ballot drop box/election office to get your signed, sealed ballot in on Nov. 3rd, so it is counted.
Black Lives Matter. Vote.
"How do we get them to engage in these online classes? My student is just not motivated without their friends around!"
It's the refrain of the week with all my clients, public through private schools. Being home sends a very different signal than being in a school building, and that's only the tip of this iceberg. Our students are struggling, and we're struggling with their struggle.
Hallway chatter between classes isn't always talking about classes, but often, it is. Your middle and high schooler care a whole, whole lot what their friends are saying about the assignment, the teacher, how this or that person behaves in class.
Those conversations, as brief as they seem, are incredibly important: they focus your student's brain on their classmates and teacher, not to mention the actual science/math/English/history happening in class; it's a vital missing piece with online classes.
Can you make this happen in person? Yes! If you've got a pod going, try getting it together ten minutes or so before class(es) start. Can you make this happen virtually? Yes! Suggest, support, supervise your student getting five to 10 minutes of before and between-class times with their classmates of choice. Going a little further, consider another option: supervising a study hall around specific subjects.
Let the kids talk! It may not sound to you like it's worth the time or hassle, but give it a try. Satisfying the social side of school will make a huge difference.