VIRTUAL LEARNING STRESS

The weeks leading up to the start of the school year can bring on a complicated set of emotions for students. Some are excited, others are uneasy, most are a bit of both.

“It’s natural for students to feel stressed with the start of the new school year,” notes Michelle Scott, Owner/Director of Tutoring Club of McLean. “Parents should seek to understand where the anxiety may be coming from and start now to address it, especially when it results from gaps in academic skills of the previous year.”

This Fall, with most local schools offering a 100% virtual learning format, the uncertainty of it all is likely to exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress. While this is unchartered territory for all of us, we are lucky to live in an age in which information and advice are readily available. To make things easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of key tips for parents to manage back-to-school worries and ease students into this new academic environment.

Let’s take a look.

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

It’s important to remember that your student might not fully grasp why all of these changes are happening. Be sure to clearly, but gently, communicate the global situation to them. At the same time, you’ll want to reassure them that:

• There are systems in place to protect them.
• This is all temporary.

It’s also a good idea to regularly check in with how they feel and let them know that it is okay to feel anxious. This will ensure they know that you are available to them if they need someone to talk to.

2. Don’t let social relationships fall by the wayside.

Social interaction and collaboration on schoolwork with friends that students would get in a typical academic environment are vitally important. This is especially true for younger students. We recommend to parents that you work extra hard during this time to ensure your student is still connecting with their community.

For the littles, this could look like setting up safe, socially distant playdates or study groups. For older students, it could be as simple as checking in and making sure they are staying in touch with friends virtually. Can you imagine the look on your teen’s face when they hear you actually encouraging them to use social media?!

3. Establish a routine.

With more schedules to manage, more distractions, and less in-person attention, it will be difficult for even the best students to keep up once school gets going. Start a discussion with your student now and come up with a routine that will work for them (and you!). This type of predictability keeps students on track and helps them maintain a sense of psychological safety.

This Fall, Tutoring Club of McLean is offering a variety of online and in-person tutoring services during typical school hours. These services were built with you in mind and aim to help students navigate distance learning and establish a viable routine.

4. When in doubt, ask for help!

We understand that this is not only a difficult time for students but parents too! If you are struggling to come up with solutions for making this transition as smooth as possible for your student and your family, Tutoring Club of McLean is here to assist you.

Our services don’t just give your student a dedicated space and time to focus (well, they do that too!), but, when necessary, are designed to pinpoint the exact skill gaps or weaknesses that may be a further source of anxiety for your student. From there, we develop an individualized plan of instruction that’s built to help your child succeed.

This Fall, allow us to manage the inevitable headaches that come along with distance learning for you. Give us a call today, and we’ll discuss your student’s specific needs and the services that will best address those.

Michelle Scott
Owner/Director
Tutoring Club of McLean
703.237.TUTOR (8886)
McLeanVA@tutoringclub.com