ANOTHER semester of online learning?

We’ve been waiting anxiously all summer to find out…will fall classes be online, or in-person?

This week, it looks like we’re finally getting our answer. 

With major districts like Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and more all announcing that they are going virtual this fall, a 100% online learning format seems to be the growing trend. We surveyed our audience of parents, and here’s what we found…

After the stressful and disruptive shutdowns this spring, another semester of online learning is NOT what most students (or parents) wanted.

If your teen is upset or stressed out by the news, here are 3 things you can do to help them work through some of the difficult emotions they may be feeling right now…

1. Grieve the loss. For a lot of students, it feels like all their hopes and dreams for how this year would turn out have been completely shattered. It’s important for them to know that however they are reacting to the news about this upcoming semester — whether they are devastated, relieved, panicked, or all three at once — whatever they are feeling right now is OK. Giving them space to grieve the loss of the year they thought they were going to have and express those feelings to a caring and empathetic listener can help them sort through these difficult emotions and free them up to think more clearly about the situation moving forward.

    

2. Write down their concerns. Encourage them to shine a light on some of the big, amorphous fears they’re experiencing by identifying some of the specific things they are worried about and writing them down on paper. What is stressing them out the most about the upcoming semester? What is the worst-case scenario they’re afraid might happen? If they have a lot of worries, encourage them to do a ‘brain dump’ by setting a timer and listing out as many fears and worries as they can think of before the time runs out. Getting these fears out of their head and onto paper where they can look at them more objectively can help these worries seem much less overwhelming and more solvable.

    

3. Remember their strengths. It’s important to remember that even if they’re feeling right now like they just can’t handle another semester of online learning, they CAN do this. They did it in the spring. It wasn’t easy…but they made it through. And this isn’t the only difficulty they’ve faced in their life. There are a lot of other difficult experiences they’ve survived, too. Some of those past difficulties felt like the end of the world at the time…but they got through those challenges, and they will get through this year, too. Taking some time to look back on the storms you all have weathered as a family can help give you confidence that whatever the rest of this year brings, you will be able to get through it…together.

I also reached out to parents in our audience to find out what their biggest concerns are for the upcoming fall semester.

After so many students struggled with virtual classes this spring, it’s no wonder that so many parents are concerned about whether their schools will be able to provide a quality online (or hybrid) education this fall…and whether their teens will be able to stay motivated, focused, and organized enough to get through another socially isolated semester of online learning.

What I keep reminding our students (and myself!) is that during these times when there is SO much that feels out of control, it’s important to stay focused on the steps we can take to make a difference.

We’ll be doing our best over the next few months to focus on what we can control — supporting our students, and making sure the information we share with you is as helpful and informative as possible.

I’d also love to learn what YOUR biggest concerns are. If you could take a minute to answer this quick 3-question survey, or email me and let me know your thoughts, I would be so grateful for your input!

Join 11,000+ parents helping their students earn better grades with less stress!

About The Author

Dr. Maggie Wray is a certified ADHD Coach & Academic Life Coach with a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell and a Bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics from Princeton. She founded Creating Positive Futures in 2012 to help high school and college students learn how to earn better grades with less stress. Her team of dedicated coaches is on a mission to empower students to develop the mindset, organization, time management, and study skills they need to achieve their goals.