Students may be working from home for medical or disciplinary reasons, or they may be working to complete courses that don’t fit in their regular school day schedule. Imagine Learning's virtual instructors will provide proactive instruction and communication and will partner with a school or district mentor to ensure students are meeting milestones and are motivated to succeed.
Research has shown that a student’s engagement within the first two weeks of the course is a tremendous predictor of success in the course. It is critical to communicate often with your students and the instructors during this time.
Imagine Learning’s Partnership Advisors are happy to consult with you to help establish goals and policies for your program.
Consider the following ideas to keep students motivated for success when you don’t see them in person.
- Confirm that students have a computer, internet access, and the right software and plug-ins right away.
- Identify who at the school will serve as the mentor, working with students and their families to answer questions, check in on progress, etc.
- Determine if the mentor will make home visits to provide additional instruction and motivation – or if students will meet with the mentor at school throughout the course.
- Host an orientation on-site where students and families can meet your program’s mentor, learn the expectations for success, and agree to your policies and procedures.
- Make sure students have a clear understanding that if they aren’t successful learning from home, they may have to return to a more traditional path of study.
- Be creative about ways to keep kids engaged in their courses and your program; send out a newsletter announcing accomplishments or celebrate successes with a party on-site.
- Hold students accountable for their progress, attendance, and learning.