Skip to main content
Stride Insights Logo
STRIDE CORPORATE
Text
GO
Filter
Menu
Career Exploration District Solutions Education Policy & Advocacy K-12 Education K12-Education Social Responsibility
Back to All

3 Ways to Meet Students’ Emotional Needs

Perspectives | May 27, 2021
Share

Originally published on eSchool News - May 27, 2021

By Leah Cantrell, Virginia Virtual Academy Lead Teacher

Educators need to meet the emotional needs of virtual students after a wholly unexpected year--here's how to do just that.

The 2020-21 school year brought a lot of new students to online school who otherwise may not have even tried it. Many families were unsure of how their local districts would handle new guidelines brought by COVID-19, and others felt most comfortable going with an existing virtual school with years of experience.

With these sudden changes in their lives, students may feel more anxious and unmotivated to learn. I’ve seen this firsthand as a middle school teacher at an online school in Virginia. Since the start of the pandemic, it’s increasingly important to protect our students’ emotional well-being, so that it is conducive to learning the curriculum we work so hard to provide them.

Below are some ways schools can help ease the stress level and improve the emotional health of students navigating online learning.

1. Ease frustration by supporting students. This probably goes without saying. If students feel like they’re failing all the time, especially if online school is a brand new setting for them, depression and anxiety will spike. 

Some students may need a little more time and attention than others, and it may not always be school-related. Advisors should support students with non-curriculum-specific challenges, like time management, and work as a liaison between the family and teacher when the student has specific needs.

2. Get personal–and creative. The pandemic has no doubt made a social impact on students, and it can be isolating. When face-to-face contact is limited, it’s important to think outside the box when getting to know your students and navigating their emotional needs.

For example, one of my fellow teachers implements “brain breaks” for about 60 seconds in the middle of a lesson, where students are selected to share something unrelated to the lesson. This could be talking about their pet or even their hobby with classmates. Some students are not as open about sharing their story, so we also host virtual BINGO, book clubs, and talent shows. Give students projects to pour themselves into, like a student mentor program, literary magazine, esports team, or art club coloring book.

There is a misconception that online learning is impersonal, but it doesn’t have to be if we provide students with the right resources.

3. Caution families to be realistic. Just as a “traditional” brick-and-mortar setting is not for everyone, virtual learning may not be a perfect fit either.

Advise families to be realistic about how independently their student can work, and how much the parent is willing and able to check on student progress. Online learning works best when there is a three-way partnership among teacher, student, and parent. This means that the parent assumes more responsibility than they might be used to if they are coming from a different setting. The parent will act as the “hands and feet” of the teacher, who may be trying to communicate with the student, but who is not always present and able to make the student complete work.

This level of collaboration greatly improves online learning and ensures that students are motivated both inside the (virtual) classroom and out.

A post-pandemic world has forced us all–educators, parents, and students–to deal with growing pains. At the same time, it’s also pushing us to provide more opportunities for students to succeed in any situation. With a strong support system and plenty of non-academic activities to choose from, online school can offer a well-rounded experience while students find their stride again.

For more information about Virginal Virtual Academy, please visit vava.k12.com

Related Articles

Read more >
article-placeholder-thumb
Category Name | Date

Article TItle

Description

Read More
Date

PARENT AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Enrollment Help
855.686.3515

Technical Support for Computers & Online School Support for Approved Families
HELP.K12.COM | 866.512.2273

INVESTOR SUPPORT

For more investor information please contact us.

MEDIA RESOURCES

For media inquiries please check out our Media Kit or contact press@k12.com

LIFELONG SOLUTIONS

  • Stride Career Prep
  • K12 Tuition-Free Online Public Schools
  • K12 Private Academy
  • The Keystone School
  • K12 Learning Solutions
  • George Washington University Online High School
  • Galvanize
  • Tech Elevator
  • MedCerts

MEET STRIDE

  • Visit Stride Corporate Site
  • Mission & Vision
  • Leadership & Board
  • News
  • Careers
  • Careers at Galvanize
  • Careers at MedCerts
  • Careers at Tech Elevator

K12 Inc.’s corporate name change to Stride, Inc., is effective as of December 16, 2020. Stride trades on the NYSE under the symbol LRN.

Copyright © 2020 Stride, Inc. All rights reserved. The Stride word mark, logo and other marks referenced herein are trademarks of Stride, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and other company names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Privacy Policy    |    Accessibility    |    IP Policy    |    Terms of Use    |    Download Adobe Reader

Let’s go to Careers at K12.com

Formerly K12, Inc., Stride careers currently reside at K12.com. Explore open opportunities, our culture and more.

VISIT CAREERS AT K12.COM
Loading... please wait Loading...please wait
Loading finished Loading finished