Rolf for interviewing these local experts for us!Īnd here are some additional resources to help: I think we can all agree that whatever help with structure and organization we get right now, relieves stress and helps us be more productive and engaged. They also enjoy having a schedule they can check off when something is done and/or having a schedule with must do (blue), should do (orange), or choice (green). They suggest having a schedule posted, something that they can easily see while in school. Interestingly, every other suggestion they gave had to do with help scheduling or understanding when to do what. They mentioned that they like having fun breaks between assignments, and a consistent "reward" like 10 minutes of games/videos, drawing, stuffie time, or a virtual friend meet-up. Third graders from James Johns Elementary shared their expert advice on staying motivated. Horn’s best advice is to “try to find ways for to have as much choice as possible while completing school work.” With how little choice and control is available right now, Ms. Her first grader needs to physically write since he is still learning that skill, but using speech-to-text to get the letters removes the worry of spelling and lets him "do it himself!" Which is also very important to many students. Her 4th grader uses it to get her thoughts out. Horn with her own kids is using speech-to-text for writing assignments, since writing is the most challenging for her children. a kid may not be motivated to write a paper, but if they could do a podcast instead, that might be the push they need! Hopefully their teachers are already allowing this, but if not, she stresses communicating with your child’s teacher and working with them to create workarounds that play to your student’s strengths. Ms Horn, a Middle School teacher and parent to a 1st and 4th grader learning from home, suggests giving students multiple ways to do their work (video, writing, drawing, etc.). So we asked some experts - teachers and students - how they motivate, and stay motivated, to learn! Finding the joy in school and keeping engaged can be really hard for students. We know that distance learning from home has been hard on kids and their families.