Many students are currently attending school either entirely online, in a “remote” or “distance” environment, or through some form of “hybrid” experience where they attend one or two days a week, with the remainder online. This form of education poses challenges.
First, the very nature of remote learning minimizes contact with the teacher. It may be hard to ask questions – or some teachers may even prohibit it. And because teachers have less time outside of class and more students, it may be very hard to get some kind of personal response from the teacher if a student has questions or feels confused.
Second, much online learning tends to take the form of a “one size fits all” model when in fact many students have trouble following that size. If a math unit is presented one way and asked to be done in one way, and the student just doesn’t “get” that way, that student will have lots of problems in that class. Learning in real life is not “one size fits all” and this shows up glaringly in online situations.
Third, even with students going through a class schedule, students may find it hard to get into the swing of school from their bedroom or kitchen table. Without the physical shift of environment, many students just feel out of sorts and unsure how to make school work at home.
All of these issues may be bubbling to the surface now, and we imagine that many students may already be struggling with the material and even their grades.
We can help.
We have tutoring programs that provide instruction catered to the learning style of the individual student. We turn the curriculum for the class into a format the student genuinely understands. We provide organizational skills and structures so students can adapt the requirements of a class to their home learning environment. We offer a “hotline” for students to get quick responses to questions so they do not hang in doubt for days between assignments.
As much as the classroom has changed, much of the expectations for entry to college have not changed. Some schools have become “test optional” this year, but few of these schools have not said they will not give an advantage to those who do submit test scores – meaning that if you do not submit a test score, you may end up disadvantaged by your choice. The best route would be to continue to prepare and take the ACT or SAT to give yourself the best position possible when you submit your applications. Further, because of the seeming chaos, having guidance through the application process and assistance in those essays will be more valuable than ever. We offer comprehensive ACT and SAT prep courses as well as college application process programs.
We know during these unique times with difficulties seemingly at every turn, parents and students need expert help. Mackler Associates has been providing tutoring, test prep and mentoring services for nearly forty years, and we have the expertise to handle the current challenges. We encourage you to call us at (314) 434-4431 or email us at info@mackleradvantage.com to learn more about how we can help you.