Tips and Tricks for Surviving Virtual Learning

What the experts at CHS have to teach you  - By Zabrina Chant

HAVE you been falling behind on your classes online? Do you feel stressed and don’t know where to go for help? I can help you! There’s a few different resources that are still available even virtually!! Here’s some advice from some people in our school.
 Mary Peeling is a guidance counsellor at Canterbury has 5 tips for learning virtually. To make learning virtually easier for students they need to:

1. Decrease the distractions around you, put that phone away!!
2. Have a quiet work space by yourself and have only school related materials around
3. Do your work on a chromebook and not your phone, it’s a huge distraction!!
4. Being prepared for your classes will make your classes easier, you’ll be ready for lesson
5. Ask for help when you need it, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher they are there to help you succeed 

    Guidance is still happening. To book a virtual appointment click this image and a guidance appointment form will pop up on your screen. Fill it out and wait for the next guidance counsellor who is available. 
     "If you want to talk to someone other than your guidance counselor you can call helplines or the service bureau," Mrs. Peeling said. "Everything you say is confidential unless it’s harming yourself or others.” 
     But if you are having troubles in a certain subject almost every day the department leaders have a google meet for anyone that needs help between 2-3pm. "Ask your teachers if you don’t have the class code for the google help meets," Mrs. Peeling said.
     According to Mrs Peeling “all grades are struggling with learning virtually vs in person but it depends on the students themselves. Someone who is normally struggling in a class in person is struggling way more now that it’s virtual. Some students have increased their grades because the students that would miss school before don’t miss school and they are completing work on time.”
     Christos Pantieras is a visual art teacher at Canterbury. Mr. Pantieras has advice for people who are struggling with classes, the pros and cons of learning virtually in art, and how learning virtually has affected his teaching. His advice to everyone is:

1. Speak to your teachers we’re all here to help, we can modify and discuss the work if it’s to much
2. Reach out to guidance if you’re struggling with anything
3. We’re all going through this together and it'll end soon!
4. Be present attend your virtual classes or you’ll miss out on important things

    “Learning art virtually has many pros and cons and it has become easier for some and harder," he said. "Learning virtually limits the projects we can do, not all students have the same materials at home or they have none, think about equity and think about what students use in their everyday lives for materials to do certain projects.”
     Mr Pantieras elaborated on the subject. “Learning art virtually has made my students pay better attention in class, the pace is good all students are keeping up with their work, students have become a huge reminder for me and they treat me like a person when I forget to record a lesson or miss something, students are more encouraging towards each other and they have all become super supportive."

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"Learning art virtually has many pros and cons and it has become easier for some and harder (for others.)"
- Christos Pantieras

     He explains “teaching art virtually is definitely different than in person teaching. If the school year started online it would’ve been easier because then we could’ve prepared art baskets for students at home. I have to think about how to do lessons online and also think about how to keep the students engaged and interested. Student engagement has become harder and it’s harder to see how people like the work I planned. Preparation is different and I have to think about what materials students have. I embrace social media platforms like google classroom. My skills have increased and I’ve learned more things I can use to make my teaching better for students.”
     Guidance counselor Kelly Carlson has some advice for learning virtually. To make school easier for students they need to: 

1. Have a routine or schedule for each day including class + break. 
2. Get away from your work space 
3. Do something active to clear your head so you focus on the next lesson.
4. Do something productive on your break.
5. Do something physical on your break.
6. Too much resting is not good and working too much isn’t good either you need a break.
7. Communicate with your teachers and ask questions

     If students need support for school work Mrs Carlson said they can talk to their teachers, learning support, student success, guidance counselors, trusted parents or guardians, trusted adults and peers. If you need to talk to someone about your personal life you can contact a family doctor, counselor/therapist, crisis lines and mental health professionals. People outside of school you can reach out to are: the Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line, School Mental Health Ontario and the Kids Help Phone.
     "Not all grades are affected the same," Mrs. Carlson said. "It depends on the type of learner the student is. There is no clear answer to who is affected more when some students have IEPs or learning disabilities and not everyone learns the same way." 
     Amariah Delgado is a grade 10 at Canterbury and she expresses how she feels about learning virtually. “I find virtual learning more difficult than in person because there is no set schedule and I have a harder time waking up in the mornings, in person learning makes me motivated to get up in the mornings and physically go to school,” Amariah explained.
     “I like how the teachers don’t randomly pick on students to answer questions or to read things out loud, I’ve become comfortable with asking questions on a meet vs in person," she said. "I don’t like learning virtually because there’s less motivation for me to do my work compared to when you’re actually in school.”
     How do you feel about learning virtually, I asked her.
     “It’s definitely a lot easier to just wake up and join a call but distractions are the real issues because I have siblings and family that visit often which causes the internet to freeze up” Amariah replied.    
     If you were stressed learning virtually and didn’t know where to go to be able to talk to someone now you’ve learned everyone is here to help you and want to make learning virtually easier for you. Remember all the tips and places you can go to get help so school is successful!