Advice, Education, High School, Technology, Virtual School |
How many of you go to work every day and are on the computer from the minute you walk in until the moment you leave? We hear you! It can be draining both physically and mentally. Not only can your back start to ache a bit from sitting, but your eyes can feel strained and your mind can start to wander. It’s perfectly normal to hit a funk when part of your everyday life revolves around being on a computer or device of some sort, but there are ways to combat your computer woes and actually become more productive along the way. Try these suggestions for both you and your student and we think you’ll notice your energy and motivation will be through the roof!
Switch up your work-space
We encourage our families to have a designated school space in the house for their student. That should have a desk, lamp, computer, and plenty of work-space. However, sometimes they need a break from the everyday routine of things, and that includes where they do their schooling. If they have a laptop computer, try working at the kitchen table for a bit or outside on the patio. You could even suggest they have a big change of scenery and spend the morning studying and doing coursework at a local coffee shop.
Have you noticed that some employers are offering standing desks to their employees now? That gets them out of the ordinary and changes things up. Sometimes something simple is all it takes to break up the routine and kick up the productivity and creativity. Why not give the same thing a try at home?
Use a reward system
Remember when teachers would put gold stars on your paper if you did a great job? A reward, no matter how small, can go a long way! Implement your own reward system and make goals with your teen. For instance, if they need to catch up on their science work, set a goal of what you want them to accomplish by 1:00pm and if they did it, you will treat them somewhere for lunch or give them extra video game time. The rewards don’t have to cost anything either for them to be effective. Enticing them with being able to pass on a weekly chore could be incentive enough to get them plowing through their work. This gets them off of the computer and onto other things in no time. One more tip: keep the goals small and attainable. If your teen feels the goals set are unattainable, they won’t even try.
Add in a distraction
This sounds counterproductive, but as crazy as it sounds, some people work better when there are lots of things happening around them. If your teen finds a quiet environment where they are parked in front of the computer screen boring, or if they can’t keep their mind from wandering, try letting them listen to music on their headphones while doing their schooling. Does your student like to draw or squiggle? Let them express themselves on paper while taking in their math lesson or other coursework. Sometimes having the TV on in the background translates to a “white noise” sound and enables the student to focus better on their schoolwork. Whatever works for your student is what’s best and should be done. After all, virtual learning is flexible learning, right?
Take breaks from the screen
Just like in a work environment, it’s good to take breaks every now and then to clear your mind and regroup. Same goes for virtual learning. Every hour or so, tell your student to take a quick 5-10 minute break. Have them get up from their desk, walk around, grab a snack, and use the bathroom. Knowing a break is coming allows them to forge ahead in their work and not feel bogged down.
A break also doesn’t have to be limited to what we just mentioned. Before your teen begins their school day, see what lessons need to be done on the computer and what can be done away from it. Suggest that they group their computer work together so that they tackle that and get it out of the way. Then, they can do their off-line work afterwards. Or, if they want to break up the computer work throughout the day, have them do a little online work, followed by off-line work, and repeat until they have completed the day’s workload.
Make a date with the gym
A big reason why people love to workout
is because the exercise clears their head and gets them ready to tackle their next project. If your teen is feeling stressed with school or personal life, have them schedule some type of physical activity into each day. This time is spent on bettering themselves and will set them up for success for the rest of the day. To break up screen time throughout the day, have them plan on doing some schooling in the morning, followed by their workout and lunch, then get back at it in the afternoon. The exercise will provide a much needed break and will give them a boost of energy.
As we mentioned, the best thing about virtual learning is that it is FLEXIBLE. If your student feels like they need a break, let them take one. After all, they set their own schedule and work at their own pace. We’re sure you can identify with feeling like you need to clear your mind or break up the everyday routine when you are in front of a computer all day. Keep them motivated and ready to learn with our suggestions and you’ll be surprised at the great strides your teen will make!
Have you “liked” our Facebook page yet? What are you waiting for? Head over and check out all the great information we are continuously posting for our My Virtual Academy community. If you would like more information about our program feel free to call 800-297-2119 or visit our website.
Advice, Education, High School, Virtual School |
Just like in traditional school, virtual learners encounter coursework that may be challenging and they may get discouraged from time to time. We don’t want your students to let a hard assignment or a poor grade send them in a downward spiral. After all, the decision to become a virtual learner may have been made because they were struggling in the traditional classroom. While we want your child to be academically stimulated, we don’t want them to feel that they don’t have the skills needed to tackle a tough assignment or bounce back from a low grade.
Teaching your student how to deal with hurdles in life and in school will be central for their success. We’ve compiled some tips below that will help your middle or high school child get out of their funk and ready to tackle whatever they come across in school.
It starts with you.
An involved parent helps hold a child accountable for their daily actions. This ranges from school to chores. Your teen should be at an age now where they can work independently but still check in with them daily in regards to their schooling. Let them know that you are there to offer support. Ask them what their week looks like. What assignments are due? Do they have a test coming up? Do they have their time properly allocated to complete their coursework, study, and have free time? Do they find themselves struggling in any areas? Would it help clarify what they are learning if they reached out privately to the teacher? Make yourself available to your teen and show that you are vested in their life. These questions all show your teen that you are there to offer guidance and give them the necessary support. Checking in with your teen in this manner will also allow you to motivate them and steer them back on track, should you feel they are in a slump.
Make a plan of attack with your student.
We are big supporters of planners. When your student learns virtually, time management is a skill that is of utmost importance. At home, distractions come easily and in the blink of an eye, it could be 6:00PM and your teen could have no schooling done that day. Learning how to plot out their day takes the stress off and stops the cramming. No one likes to cram and feel rushed, but if they don’t make good use of their time, that’s what happens. As we mentioned before, it all starts with you. Sit down with your child and look at what lies ahead in their week. Help them divide up their time appropriately so that they have time to complete their coursework and assignments each day. There may be adjustments that need to be made, and that’s okay. Your student will feel at ease and not overwhelmed once they see there is time for everything.
Reward good habits.
We all need motivation. We need something that sparks the drive in us and encourages us to succeed and do well. This is never truer than when we are in a rut. If your adolescent needs a bit of a nudge, why not think of a reward that they can work towards? Tickets to the movies, a new book, a new video game, or a nice dinner out might be the motivation they need to dive back into their studies with a new attitude. Work together to set a goal and be clear about what their reward will be. Check in with your child, off and on, to see how they are progressing. Knowing they are working toward a goal and closer to a reward, may be just what they need to get motivated and back to their good schooling habits.
Make rules and consequences.
When your teen is struggling with school and their behavior is unacceptable, they need to know what your rules are and what the consequences are for their behavior. Behavior that goes unchecked is bound to continue because there are no negative reactions for their actions. It can be hard if your teen simply gives up over one bad grade or hits a hard subject and shuts down. They need to know what your rules and expectations are of them. If poor school performance is something you won’t tolerate, let them know what the consequences are. When you see things you don’t like, it’s important to nip it right then and there or the time will pass and any disciplinary actions won’t be effective.
Help your teen by showing them how to stay organized and manage their time and workload. Letting them know there are consequences for unfavorable behavior/grades and rewards for favorable ones, will help your middle and high school student overcome any hurdle they may face during their schooling. Consider these tips and keep your teen motivated and on track for a successful school experience.
Has your teen ever hit a rut with their schooling? How did you motivate them and get them back on the track to success? We would love to hear your comments below! While you’re at it, head over to our Facebook page and share your parenting tips with the rest of the My Virtual Academy community!!
Education, High School, Virtual School |
As the parents of a virtual learner, have you ever found that you were in a conversation where you had to defend your school choice? We hear about this off and on from families and it can get frustrating having to defend why you chose virtual learning for your child.
Often times, people are just ignorant to the concept. They’ve maybe heard about it in passing but don’t really know the ins and outs of virtual learning. They don’t understand that your child is perhaps getting a better education than their counterpart that is enrolled in a traditional, brick-and-mortar school.
At My Virtual Academy, our programs are tailored to fit your child’s individual needs. They no longer need to feel that they have to keep up with the rest of the class if they are struggling to understand a concept. They are no longer pushed through with near failing grades just because the rest of the class needs to “move on.”
At My Virtual Academy, if your child is gifted and could use some additional challenges in regards to coursework, we have that covered too. The gifted will no longer have to sit back with boredom while the other 20+ students learn the material that they could do in their sleep. Students can learn at their own pace, however fast or slow that needs to be.
Not only is virtual learning a great benefit in that your student learns at their own pace, but they also can learn comfortably. They no longer need to worry about being bullied at school and picked on at lunch. When students are bullied, all focus goes out the window. All they are concerned about is how they will make it through the day. Will someone pick on them? Will someone embarrass them? That’s a terrible way to spend each and every school day. After all, in the traditional school, they see their peers more than they see their family so who would want to spend all that time being ridiculed and picked on?
At a virtual school, such as My Virtual Academy, we work hard to stomp out bullying. We realize that a lot of our students have faced those challenges in the past and we want their main focus to be on their school work, not on who is picking on them that particular day.
Another reason why a lot of families choose virtual learning is because their student couldn’t conform to the rigid hours of traditional school. Having a set 7 hour school day isn’t always realistic and going to work for all families. Some families have someone suffering from a terminal illness that needs care or lots of doctor appointments and hospital stays. Some families are on the road as truck drivers and the student needs to be able to do their schooling on the go. Others are following their athletic dreams and need to work in between practices and competitions. Virtual learning seems to be an excellent choice for those families and it relieves the pressure from the student because they aren’t “falling behind” like they would in a traditional school.
There are also a lot of students that have learning difficulties. Perhaps your child suffers from ADD, ADHD, or dyslexia. These are all common learning differences that can stop a student in their tracks in a traditional middle or high school. Students with learning differences may need a different approach or may need to take extra time. When they are learning virtually, that is okay and expected!
You may find that people question you on how your child socially interacts with others when they learn from the comfort of their own home. The myth that virtual learners don’t interact with other students is just that – a myth! They will still do group projects, interact with other students, and will have weekly interactions with their teachers and mentors. In addition, they can easily sign up for athletic teams, bands, dance class, etc. all through their local recreation center or through their local middle/high school, should they choose.
In summary, virtual learning isn’t the “easy way out” or a “fluff” school. Our students work just as hard as any other students and they receive a better education because they are working on their time-frame, at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home. They are able to focus and dedicate the hours needed to complete their coursework, but do so as it fits into their daily schedule.
We love our students and families at My Virtual Academy and we are so happy you decided to have your student work towards their high school diploma with us. You made the right decision to give virtual learning a go and we hope you are seeing the positive impact it has had on your student! Never be ashamed that you spoke up and made the right move for your son/daughter. Should you need any additional resources or would like to connect to others in our My Virtual Academy community, head over to our Facebook page. Our staff updates it regularly and we’d love to stay connected!
If you know anyone who would like to switch to an online learning environment as you have for your student, have them call 800-297-2119 to get started today!
All Educations, Communication, Education, High School, Technology, Virtual School |
Teachers are the backbone of a student’s education. Along with parents/guardians, they help keep their students moving forward when life gets hard and they feel like quitting. We go to great pains when bringing a teacher on board at My Virtual Academy, and we may have a slight bias, but we think we have the best teachers around!
Take a moment to watch this edition of “What’s Up Wednesday” with Renee Weaver-Wright where she interviews one of our high school teachers, Mr. Jason Z.
Jason’s passion for teaching radiates in every word he speaks. Like the rest of our staff, Jason makes it a point to develop personal relationships with the students and takes a strong interest in making sure they succeed. One of his main objectives is inspiring each student he meets to achieve success in their academic lives, which usually translates over to their personal lives.
As a student, contact with your mentors, teachers, and supporting staff is vital to your success. Jason contacts his students on an almost daily basis. This contact allows him the chance to see what his students are working on, answer any questions they may have, give some help with the lesson plan they are working on, and direct them to a Curriculum Specialist if they need additional help.
In this interview, Jason points out that a key difference between traditional school and virtual learning: the teacher-student relationship. Even though you are face-to-face on a daily basis in a traditional school, you forge much deeper relationships when you are in a virtual setting. How and when you can interact is not dictated by the bells at the beginning and end of class. With virtual learning, communication happens much more freely and is more flexible. Teachers become more aware of the challenges and struggles their student’s are facing and they can help guide them along the way.
In addition to being an outstanding teacher, Jason is also the designated “Bell Ringer” at MVA. Want to know why we ring the bell? Tune in here to find out why we have this awesome tradition!
After you watch that episode of “What’s Up Wednesday” with Renee and Jason, reach out to us for more information. You care about your student and their success and we do too. Bringing students in and getting them to graduation is our main objective and your student will be no different. You can visit our website, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or simply give us a call at 800-297-2119. We are currently enrolling for the 2021-2022 school year so call today!!
Advice, Communication, Education, Teenagers |
Think back to your grade school days, critical thinking has always been something teachers strive to teach their students. After all, it’s a skill that is vital in life. Critical thinking is when someone thinks independently, clearly, and rationally, by connecting ideas, forming their own opinions, analyzing, and then drawing a conclusion.
There are many opportunities to teach your child how to think critically, so don’t just leave it up to their educators. As human beings, we tend to be curious creatures and with a few strategies and talking points, you can turn an everyday moment into a teachable one.
Ask questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”
Take a moment to think about the questions you are asking your child. Do you always keep things simple and get one word responses? Change up what you ask. Instead of asking if the sky is blue, try asking why is the sky blue. Just switching the question around a little bit will turn it from a no brainer question to one that they have to think about before answering.
Look to classic literature pieces.
Do you have a teen who loves to read? Encourage them to read the great classics, such as Shakespeare. Classic pieces have characters that are deep and rich. They are sure to get your teen thinking in a critical manner while they think about what will happen next in the story, what the characters motives are, and so on.
Relate questions to real life events.
As we mentioned, life presents opportunities at every turn for one to think critically. Watching the evening news, reading the newspaper, or even simply people watching at the local mall will provide plenty of opportunity to pose questions and have open discussions with your teen.
Ask questions such as:
- What do you think that person was thinking?
- If you were in their shoes, what would you do?
- What were the dangers there?
- Who were the helpers?
- How would doing that benefit them?
- How did their actions help achieve their goal?
- What were the possible outcomes in that situation?
Questions like these will get them digging deeper and also will get them thinking about how they would respond if they were in a particular situation.
Teach them to sort through information.
A big part of critical thinking is knowing how to dissect vast information. Your teen will need to know what information will be crucial to them when forming their opinion and what information is just “fluff.” They will need to know how to read information given to them and find the useful and pertinent facts relative to their topic. They already do this to some extent when working on project or pulling out which information to focus on when studying for a test. Help your student further develop this skill by reading passages from newspapers or articles online. Ask them to read the story and then let you know their opinion and what information they used to form their opinion. This opens a gateway for a nice dialogue between you and your child.
Correct assumptions.
Remember, your teen’s brain is still developing which is why we are focusing on their critical thinking skills. They might have assumptions or misconceptions of what they are reading. This is a great time to talk with them should you notice their line of thinking isn’t factual. When you give them information that they might not have had or explain to them why their assumption is wrong, you are widening their horizons and broadening their knowledge so never miss out on that opportunity.
At My Virtual Academy, we are always striving to incorporate critical thinking into our lesson plans. With help from parents like you at home, your teen will have the skills needed to be successful for life after graduation. Looking to stay in-the-know with the MVA community? Make sure to “like” our Facebook page. Our staff is always sharing useful information about our school and ways to help your students.
Advice, Education, Technology, Virtual School |
One of the biggest perks about being a virtual student is that you can learn from the comfort of your own home. Unlike traditional school, we don’t care if you stay in your pj’s, are in your bed, or are lounging on the couch while looking over your coursework. You can be as comfortable as you want and learn from wherever you want. That’s part of the draw to virtual learning, right? While all of that is true, you have to have some self-discipline when studying at home because distractions are everywhere!
Your mind can wander. The television goes on. The neighbor’s dog barks. A loud car flies down the street. Distractions happen constantly around the house. With technology literally at our fingertips, it’s super easy to start browsing the internet or checking your social media accounts and before you know it, hours have flown by and no work has been done.
In a traditional school environment, you need to be physically and mentally present to succeed. Same goes for virtual learning. When your mind wanders or you get tied up doing chores or surfing the internet, it’s easy to start falling behind in your studies. Thinking that you will “catch up tomorrow” doesn’t always pan out so it’s really important to make the commitment and set some limits for yourself. Virtual learning definitely requires some discipline on the student and the parents to make sure time is carved out for learning.
At My Virtual Academy, your success is our number one goal. We design our courses so that success is knocking at your door. You just have to keep your eye on the prize and do your part. When you attend a virtual academy, you are always online. After all, that is how you complete your schooling. It’s vital that you stay motivated and distraction-free so that you can stay focused on the task at hand and keep your schooling on track.
Keep these tips in mind to keep yourself free from distractions:
Setup a study area
You need an area of your house that is dedicated to school. There should be a desk, lamp, computer, plenty of room to work, and other school must-haves like paper, pens, and pencils. This area should be free from distractions and be a warm, inviting area for you to study. Setting the stage for success is important when virtual learning and having a special area that is just for you and your studies is a great step in the right direction!
Turn notifications off
Since you will be learning virtually, you will be online
where there are sure to be tons of distractions. Try turning off your notification settings so that if you receive a notice from one of your social media accounts or a text message, you won’t be alerted and tempted to view it. Keep your study time for your studies. If you were at a traditional school, you wouldn’t be able to check your phone or Facebook in the middle of math class, so use that same mentality when studying at home.
Studies come first
Whether you reach out to a fellow virtual learner to get some help on an assignment or have another friend who gave you a call, make sure to stay on track and keep your studies first. Catching up with friends will have to wait until you have done your work for the day. Same goes for talking to a fellow student. You may find that your conversation wanders to things that don’t have to do with school but try to re-route the conversation and bring it back to school. Get through your work for the day then pick up where you left off.
Be successful with a schedule
As a virtual learner, the day is yours. You do not have to be to school by the time the first bell rings at 7:00am. There are no bells. You set your schedule. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you are responsible and carve some time into each day for your studies and coursework. Make a schedule and stick to it. View the time you scheduled for school just as important as any other thing you have going on because it is! Setting aside time for school every day helps you stay on course and not fall behind.
We are so happy we were able to share these wonderful little tidbits to help keep you on track and on the path to success. We can’t wait to see all of the great things you accomplish during your time at My Virtual Academy! Should you have any questions or are ready to complete your enrollment, give us a call at 800-297-2119. Our friendly staff is standing by and ready to help!
is because the exercise clears their head and gets them ready to tackle their next project. If your teen is feeling stressed with school or personal life, have them schedule some type of physical activity into each day. This time is spent on bettering themselves and will set them up for success for the rest of the day. To break up screen time throughout the day, have them plan on doing some schooling in the morning, followed by their workout and lunch, then get back at it in the afternoon. The exercise will provide a much needed break and will give them a boost of energy.
