Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash
Back to school has gone into full swing. Although, I don’t have to say anything for you to know that there is a different connotation to going back to school this year. Most of the time back to school is accompanied by fun shopping trips, ice-cream socials, and excited children–or at least excited parents. As a current student, I can attest to the fact that most students are experiencing a sense of fear, dread, and disappointment at the thought of online learning.
However, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that students of all ages will grow in personal skills such as self-discipline and goal-setting. There is hope that because of remote learning, students will grow in intrinsic motivation, learning to love and take ownership of their education. And by being in a socially-distanced environment, I hope students will develop an appreciation and care for the community that we’ve never seen before. But to get to that place, one has to create a healthy and productive work environment for online learning. If you have a good environment to learn, the inconveniences of online learning will fade in one’s focus.
From my own experience, and speaking with fellow students, here are some habits that I think students of all ages can implement to improve their online, remote learning experience.
1. Select Separate Study Spaces
First, identify spaces in your house, that are not already associated with sleep and relaxation. Working at a table rather than in your bed or on your couch helps maintain spaces you can go to for relief, as well as protecting your physical health and posture.
You will also want to choose areas that are not high-traffic areas for other family members, where you might be distracted, or limit someone else’s lifestyle in the home. So, maybe disregard the bathroom or hallway as options.
To reserve these comfy spaces in my apartment, my options include: sitting at my desk or the kitchen table or standing at my dresser, or countertop. Another option for me is to set my laptop on a chair and sit on the floor with my back up against a wall. Your options may look different. From whatever options you have discovered, pick one space for school work and another for study. This can help you separate the two activities, reducing boredom and helping you stay focused.
If you or your child is in middle school or above, a regular in-person education might include changing classrooms per class. If you would like, and have more potential study spaces left, feel free to use those for different classes. For English, you sit at your desk, for history the kitchen, for science the dining room, and so on. This leads me to my next piece of advice…
2. Maintain a Schedule for Online Learning
If your school is doing synchronous classes, this is much easier, but it can be a challenge to prioritize asynchronous classes without a routine. Having a routine helps me stay motivated to get out of bed and complete tasks. With a schedule, there is a limit to how much time I waste. If I have a schedule, I can see how far off I can push tasks and learn how much time it takes me to complete assignments for certain classes. Without a schedule, I assume I have all the time in the world or that I have none at all; so having a schedule reduces a lot of my stress.
Having a routine can also be very comforting. In an unpredictable world, it is helpful to reserve the brainpower that you are using to remember an irregular schedule, for problem-solving instead. Having a schedule makes it so that you have one less thing to worry about each day.
With that said, I would encourage you to hold onto your schedule with a loose grip. Sometimes it is good to forgo the schedule to rest if you are sick or overwhelmed or to change your meal plans to eat something comforting.
3. Reduce Distractions
Keep your workspaces clean and uncluttered. Put other devices away. Turn off the music and minimize background noise. Stick to your schedule to prioritize work. Keep Zoom calls on speaker view so you’re not distracted by other students. Set limits to your browsing accessibility during certain times to prevent web surfing during class. You might also need to cover up your video so you are not fixated on your own appearance.
There are many things that could be distracting, and not everyone has the same tolerance for distractions. A good thing about remote learning is being able to customize your “classroom” to fit your needs.
Reflect on how the first few weeks of school have gone, and think of the things that took your attention away from class time, or moments when you were more inclined to be distracted. From there, you can think of what you might need to change for you or your child.
4. Incorporate Engaging Stimulus
Reducing distractions does not always mean that a place is clean and sterile looking. In fact, for many people, this can sap energy quickly.
Visually, if you look at elementary school classrooms, there are bright, energizing colors and helpful posters, and high schools have calming colors of blue and green. These elements are helpful rather than distracting by engaging things that they are learning. Bright colors keep the space lively and interesting for younger students. Blues and greens soothe the high-schooler during their statistics exam. You can add your own educational posters to your study space, decorate with flowers, or write reminders on colorful sticky notes to keep you visually engaged when you need to look away from the screen. After the first week of classes, you can identify if they need more excitement or more stress relief.
Many students also engage in sensory activities in order to stay focused. This may look like doodling, pen clicking, gum chewing, hair twirling, and so on. I am one of these people, so for a digital and stationary environment, I’ve created my work environment accordingly – my desk chair that swivels, I choose to use a notebook and pen to take notes, and I use physical books when I can. It is also helpful to have pleasant textures around my study area to touch. I think an online learning environment with a mute function is helpful in this way for those who may have otherwise been yelled at for pen clicking or gum chewing.
Additionally, you can improve your mood and work performance through scent-based associative learning. You can use candles, diffusers, air fresheners, or perfume to help you learn or enhance your online learning experience. If you want to help retain information, light a scented candle during class so that your brain associates the information you learn with the scent you smell. If you want to improve your mood, pick scents that you find calming or energizing. It goes without saying, don’t pick scents that are bothersome to you.
5. Acknowledge Your Physical Needs
Eat healthy snacks to keep your brain alert. Drink water. Use the bathroom when you need to. Take time in between classes to stretch and exercise. It can feel like a lot of pressure in an online setting when you are aware that everyone in the class is looking at you (or could look at you).
In talking to friends, many people get self-conscious about how much water they’re drinking when comparing themselves to all of their classmates that they can see in the gallery view. In turn, people drink less water and feel physically miserable. As someone with anxiety, I know it is easier said than done to not let the pressure get to you, but if anyone is judging you for how much water you drink, they are not worth your time.
In general, you will be happier and learn better when you aren’t ignoring your physical needs. If a physical need is not met, you will naturally be more focused on your hunger, thirst, achiness, or need to use the bathroom. So, to help yourself learn, meet your needs so you can focus on class. Embrace the fact that if you eat a snack you don’t have to worry about noise, allergies, or your teacher complaining about crumbs. Keep snacks and an extra water bottle by your study space. And turn off your video if you need to move around for any reason.
6. Reduce Outside Digital Time
You will feel less tired of screen-time if you have less screen time. This makes sense but is difficult in consequence. Because you will be staring at your screen for longer because of school, you need to spend less time on your phone or watching TV for relaxation.
Most of us will have to try and find fun and relaxing activities that do not involve technology. Some ideas include: going on walks, doing yoga, or reading paper books or magazines. Listen to music or podcasts or play board games. You can journal, imagine stories, paint or draw, embroider, or learn a new skill. This is where your COVID hobbies come into play. Overall, we might find that building hobbies and skill sets are much more fulfilling than social media and television.
7. Consider The Little Perks
What are the little things that you or your child enjoy about school (recognizing that socializing isn’t a little thing)? Do you like the travel of driving to school or dressing up for school dances and plays? Do you like that they have dessert at lunch? Does your child like that you pack snacks with little notes or that they get stickers after school?
Whatever these things are, you don’t necessarily have to give them up just because you’re at home. Allow yourself to enjoy one or two of these “frivolous” things that make life more beautiful. Continue to write notes to your kids or buy them stickers for after class. Feel free to buy a pack of cookies or baked goods at the store to have after your lunches. Wear your best outfit and dance to your favorite music on any given weekend.
8. Reach Out to a Teacher
Ask your teacher or professor what they think about when they design a classroom. What things do they notice about their student’s behavior? And what things have they learned that do and don’t work? Teachers are educated and experienced in building classroom environments conducive to learning.
Apply what advice you can about how they choose to decorate their classroom to keep students engaged, but not distracted. Consider the warning signs of boredom that they look for so you can look for them in yourself. This is especially helpful if they have had you as a student before. Observant teachers will be able to say, “Hannah doodles when she is stressed out and rests her head in her hand when she’s bored. She is less stressed in dim lighting and less bored when asked a question without a simple answer.” These things are good to recognize in yourself so that you can control your learning environment.
9. Engage With Your Community
Your environment includes your attitude. The more you dwell on the pitfalls and complaints, the more miserable your learning experience will be. There are a time and a place to be upset about the things we have lost due to COVID-19, but something that will help your attitude is gratefulness and generosity. The best way to do this is to engage with your community.
Take every opportunity you can to express thankfulness. Thank your parents or roommates for doing a chore, tell someone about what a beautiful day it is, enjoy a good meal, and remind people of the blessings you recognize. When you are grateful, more people around you will echo that mindset.
Additionally, recognizing your blessings makes you more capable to recognize what you have to share. And we all know the cliche phrase “it’s better to give than to receive.” If you have a laptop or wifi, consider the ways you could help those who do not. You could also write a letter to someone in a nursing home, drop off baked goods to your neighbor, or make a phone call. There are many other ways to help your local community who may be suffering from the results of wildfires, job loss, violent protests, or police brutality.
Engaging with your community may also give you an excuse to go outside or get creative. But most importantly, when your community improves, you will improve with it. We cannot make it through this world as individuals.
10. Ask for Help
To echo my last point, we cannot make it through this world as individuals. Others need you, and you need other people. Do not be embarrassed to talk with your family, friends, teachers, or other school faculty for help to navigate this online learning adventure. Despite the circumstances, we can still work together to make this a good school year.
