I recently guest blogged for the generous teen coach Courtney Harris. My message, which you can read here, focuses on the skills and perspectives that students need in order to manage the turbulent schooling plans of Academic Year 2020-21.
In one word, they need Resilience.
Resilience is the ability to be flexible--like elastic you can stretch and twist without breaking. Resilience is also the ability to bounce back from adversity--mistakes don't stop you.
Resilience can be learned, so it can also be taught. Students can be coached to become more resilient in their lives, and especially in their experiences during school disruptions of our COVID-19 world.
I help students adopt the mindsets and practice the habits of Resilience in their school lives.
The 6 actions that Resilient Students do while in remote and/or hybrid learning are described in my guest blog and summarized here:
Create structure to the learning; for example, do schoolwork around the same time each day and from the same place.
Prioritize communication with teachers. Don't hide out from them.
Use paper and pencils/pens even in online courses. It's not just you and a computer screen.
Reduce distractions by scheduling work time AND scheduling much-needed breaks.
Connect with peers. Alot. Don't try and go it alone.
Be patient with online formats and with yourself as you get familiar. Don't expect it to feel like "regular" school. The less we resist the changed format, the better we'll do within it.
These actions, matched with healthy mindsets about mistakes and growth, will help students navigate the inevitable twists of turns of the coming school year. They too can be flexible, elastic, and unbreakable.
Want more tips?
I’ve made a free pdf of Tips for Online Learning for everyone who wants it. I hope it helps you and your family!
For even more support this coming year, you may want to consider my group coaching program--