EXPECTATIONS FOR ONLINE LEARNING:
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO ONLINE LEARNING OPTION FOR THIS CLASS. However, in the event that the district changes their mind due to increasing Delta Variant cases, you will find a list of expectations below. Really, though, the expectation comes down to one basic principle: students should have the character to take on a great deal of responsibility for themselves. It’s an opportunity, really. As juniors and seniors, you are very near adulthood, and any chance to exercise your independence and self-governance abilities should be embraced. Here’s what that looks like:
First, you MUST communicate. If you have questions, have a technical issue accessing or submitting work, need help understanding instructions or a concept, have a family crisis or other extraordinary event that could affect your participation, or if you just have a hard time feeling motivated, YOU MUST REACH OUT AND COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEACHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You will find that we are reasonable, understanding people who are anxious to help you, but we have to know you need help. We also need to know you need help before the last minute. You will probably find we are a lot less enthusiastic about helping you with first-week work in the eighth week of class.
Second, you must learn to self-motivate and manage your time. This is a life skill you will need in college and/or careers anyway, so start now. Remember that in normal, face-to-face school, you would be spending 400 minutes every two weeks IN EACH CLASS. That’s a total of 3,200 minutes of school every two weeks. If your teachers expect ANY less time from you in online learning, you are in bonus territory. SO, schedule yourself 1,600 minutes a week for school, and enjoy the bonus time when you don’t need to use all of it.
Third, you must be proactive and creative in dealing with the difficulties of online learning. Remember that you are not the only one struggling, and that struggle creates growth. Everyone (including your teacher) finds it harder to work from home. There are distractions, family responsibilities, limited access to materials, and no one standing over your shoulder keeping you on task. Sure, some have more difficult circumstances than others, but everyone can choose how to respond to the struggle. If you get frustrated and give up, you have not only lost the academic learning and the grade, but you’ve lost the life skills and character growth that comes from facing the struggle head on and trying to come up with a solution. Most of these kinds of problems can be solved with a little effort, and the more problems you solve, the easier it becomes to solve new problems.
Fourth, offer help to others. We’re all in this together (as cliché as that sounds), and there will probably come a time when you need some support from a teacher, a parent, or a classmate. With that in mind, you should be willing to offer help and support to others whenever possible. Giving support keeps you connected and often increases your own motivation and learning.
Fifth, expect help, but don’t expect freebies. Sure, getting something for free feels good, but earning something feels much, much better. Freebies damage your self esteem and, frankly, others’ estimation of you. If you’ve done your level best, but still can’t reach a target, ask for help. If you haven’t done your level best yet, do that before you ask for help. You will be pleased at the reaction you get from teachers by showing them the effort and attempts you’ve made before seeking help. Some problems can’t be solved on your own, but the ones that can be should be.
In summary, you need to communicate, self-govern, work hard, solve problems, be helpful, and earn your learning. If you do those things, online learning can be successful in increasing your academic skill now and in developing your capacity to be successful in whatever you do in the future.