Violeta Mece: Three ways students can be productive and happier during remote learning
Three ways students can be productive and happier during remote learning
By Violeta Mece
This is a difficult time for everyone, and we all are staying home trying to keep ourselves busy. I just had a video call with my nieces and nephews who now are home, very bored, sometimes upset and sometimes with no encouragement at all. This situation created because of COVID-19 is going to be over soon, but in the meanwhile, we need to do our best for our family, for our children. As Nietzsche would say, “When we are in need, not only we need to be patient, but we also have to love the situation we are in.” I am busy teaching many hours a week, and the parents of my students are continuously requesting me to give more homework to them. But is this the only right solution for the student: to have more homework? I am introducing to you three ways how which make our children more productive and happier while staying and studying at home.
Eating healthily
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- Firstly, I really believe that eating healthily is crucial for all students. A rich diet can really help students to learn better. That is because they will have a better memory, and they will also remain very focused. In other words, if they will eat food rich in proteins, fiber via all kinds of nutritional foods (such as kale, salmon, seaweed, garlic, shellfish, potatoes, liver, sardines, egg yolk, and fruits like blueberries, green apple), students will feel concentrated, will have energy, and won’t be at risk of obesity. Students who follow a good diet will achieve more. Eating healthy, and also sleeping enough, timely hours – waking up early is very beneficial. This is also one of the factors that contribute to a good mood.
Creative thinking
2. Secondly, the student should be given enough space in order to have time to explore his or her talent, and should be given the opportunity to do so. A student that has discovered any talent should spend time on their talent. For example, a student that loves guitar becomes a better learner and is happier when he spends time playing guitar. He will be happier even when he is learning another subject. This applies to adults just as well. If I, as an adult, am doing the job I love, I become a better person at home, also. They should not only do homework and work with the subjects in school, but they should also have some time for exploration, creative thinking. The students who have not discovered their talent yet; by exploring a lot, they surely will discover one. Youngsters should be exposed to different areas of interest in order to discover their passion. The happiness of the students affects their learning process. It’s known that happiness and positive emotions create dopamine and serotonin. When these substances are released into the brain they have positive effects on the memory and on students’ ability to learn. A talent can really change a student’s life. Together with passion, it can really make them greater in every aspect.
Sharing with their classmates
3. Thirdly, communicating with their friends, classmates, close people, is also very important for keeping a student’s mind focused. I personally give a lot of importance to friendships. Keeping contact with friends and classmates can positively influence academic achievements and can make the students more productive. Children can connect with each other through social media. One of the best things we can do in this situation it is to share with others. I think that nothing can replace the benefit of spending time (online meetings) with a best friend. Friendship is not just fun: friendship can help students to become better at cooperating. Children can help each other with each other’s assignments, also. They can share their challenges with their friends – their dreams, their hopes or their problems. Everything becomes easier when it is shared with a trusted person. For example, if a child is good at math, and his best friend is good at French, they can really benefit from each other. Talking and sharing with a friend reduces a student’s stress level, improves their self-confidence, and social interaction capabilities. Sharing with their classmates and best friends has a positive influence on a student’s mood. As adults, we also need to spend time with our children: we need to play with them, we need to read books to them, we need to exercise with them, and we also need to keep the family happy.
Violeta Mece, teacher
This situation is not the best one to be, but it can still be managed very well. We all need to take it positively; we all need to stay strong, healthy and to have the chance to try the things we could not before. We should display such positive attitude even more now our children at this time are experiencing remote learning. The spring has come: we cannot enjoy the spring physically, but we can make our soul feel colorful and happier so our children are going to feel that positivity. Keeping a good atmosphere at home is as important as eating healthy.
