Academic Support – Even at a Distance
By: Katherine Sadler of Total Advancement Tutoring
Parents are doing a tremendous job navigating the world of home schooling, which some have pointed out is actually schooling at home in the midst of a crisis. Even parents who homeschool regularly aren’t able to make use of communal enrichment activities as they often would. Teachers and schools have done an admirable job navigating the creation of online systems for educating their students at every level. Standardized test companies are working hard to reschedule and, in some cases, even offer testing options from home. In the midst of all this change and hard work, the need for additional academic support can still be present. Anxiety about entering the next grade following a disrupted school year may be high. Students who may have had additional opportunities in school or who were visiting tutoring centers after school may be experiencing a gap in the support they used to receive.
The question often becomes whether one more online option, in this case tutoring, is the right choice for students and parents who may be overwhelmed by all the adjustments that have had to be made. Having met with dozens of students in the synchronous-video online tutoring format, from first grade through college prep, I can attest that tutoring online is a successful and tremendously helpful resource. Our team are well versed in the myriad online education platforms, from Zoom to Canvas, and we are seasoned at pivoting quickly between grade levels and subjects in families with multiple children, which can be a challenge even when individual classes are well organized. Students have an opportunity to ask questions in real time, and parents can turn over those subjects for which they just don’t have time to get back up to speed. The dynamic of all the family time and having to accomplish work together can also be eased through the real-time presence of a third party of whom parents can also ask questions.
In addition to one-on-one tutoring, there are a number of resources that can help parents supplement the work from school to be sure students are getting the most out of this study time. For many of us, this is a time of financial uncertainty, and free resources are a tremendous benefit. Khan Academy has videos and practice resources for every subject and grade level. Testing companies like the College Board, which administers AP and SAT exams, and the ACT provide free tests and practice questions through their websites for preparing high school students whose timelines for college can’t be postponed. Kahoot and Quizlet have crowdsourced games and flash cards for additional practice in a fun setting. The Chrome Music Lab is a great resource for digital music education. And, of course, sources like YouTube and even Minecraft are offering educational opportunities for students which might provide a nice break from Canvas quizzes and written assignments. A search of any of these resources should guide you to them.
While there is a lot of course content to navigate, and a tutor can help easily analyze and organize material, taking a little at a time, setting a schedule, and changing up the materials to include some fun is a great way for families to keep going week to week. We hope you have begun to find a rhythm that works for you and your family, and we are here to help if needed. Ultimately, many students experience academic disruptions at different times in life. Remarkably, this is one all students, parents, and educators are experiencing together. Our children will catch up, they will continue their educational journeys having learned many unique lessons, and we will all emerge stronger together.
Katherine Sadler
Total Advancement Tutoring
To learn more about Katherine and Total Advancement Tutoring, check out her website and follow her on social media:
Location: 5608 5th St, Katy, TX 77493
Website: totaladvancementtutoring.com
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Facebook: @totaladvancement
This post was sponsored by Total Advancement Tutoring.