For many parents and educators, it is difficult to stay positive about online schooling.  While some kids and adults take to it, its disadvantages are also overwhelming.  As one school principal told us last week, “Given the issues we face with Covid spread, online schooling is simply the lesser of two evils.”  Our inbox has been flooded with similar emails from school personnel and parents.  In most of those communications, this question is also asked, “Can the Gurian Institute help us?”

We can.  As the Spring online schooling took hold, the Gurian Institute began conducting action research to see what works and what doesn’t work.  We have subsequently developed training, workshops, and coaching delivered via Zoom (or other local online modality) that provide parents and teachers with assets for conducting education remotely.  Last month, we were not sure this new program would be needed, as it looked like many or most schools were going back to in person education.  Now, however, we believe this new program and these services are quite relevant.

Not surprisingly, most of the emails and communication we get from schools and parents contain questions about how to make online schooling work for boys especially.  As of this date, we have received 1 email about girls for every 10 about boys.  Teachers and parents both intuit brain development issues that make it necessary to not only utilize a good baseline for online schooling–one that fits all children’s brains, as much as possible–but specifically one that helps boys, and thus help parents and teachers of boys, with issues such as:

*access/availability

*absence/presence

*tardiness/consequences

*motivation/under-motivation

*communication/withdrawal

*follow-through/neglect

*homework/school work

*screen time/social media

*anxiety/depression

*relational issues/social emotional development

*trauma-response/Covid-trauma response

*math/science/technology

*language arts/literacy/reading

*behavioral issues/mental health

*learning disabilities/special needs.

The issues that exist in a regular in-person schooling exist in online schooling, and in many ways, they are amplified.   While the male brain in emerging adulthood might be well matched for online schooling, for children 16 or under, it is likely not well-matched.  In some ways, the female brain is well matched throughout the life-span, but in other ways, online schooling exacerbates girls’ issues with anxiety and depression, as well as individual learning issues.

If you are struggling with online schooling–whether from the school or parent perspective–please reach out to us at info@gurianinstitute.com.   Let us know your location, the number of students in your school (or home), the issues you are grappling with, and anything else you can about your child(ren)’s situation.

For some families, individual instructional coaching might be a good way to go, without training or workshops.  GI can help with that.  For others, a pod or group training session might work via a parent outreach model, perhaps divided over a series of evening or day sessions over a few weeks.  For teachers and school personnel, our professional development, training, and instructional coaching can be arranged to fit your PD times.  The Gurian Institute’s work fits federal, state, and local funding sources.

If at all possible, we work with you to provide training and coaching for both the school staff and the parents in the community.  This way, everyone is more likely on the same page.

Our Training and Coaching

The Gurian Institute’s Online Covid-School Training focuses on solving issues via the lens of how boys and girls learn best.   In our work, you learn:

*basic brain development for all kids

*how the male and female brains (though similar) also differ

*impact on how and why boys and girls learn differently

*how the male and female brain (including the gender spectrum) approach online learning differently

*strategies for teachers to help kids learn well online

*strategies for parents to help kids learn well online

*strategies for mentors, co-op teachers, and pod organizers

*how to protect boys and girls from excessive screen time

*strategies in specific content areas, e.g. math, science, language arts/literacy

*strategies for building resilience in children (and adults) during this time of crisis

*problem-solving for both teachers and parents on specific cases, questions, and areas of difficulty

*ongoing coaching as needed, both instructional and parent coaching.

In the latter, we help you via virtual and phone coaching as you request them.

In general, and if funding allows, Dr. Michael Gurian provides the first one to two hours of the teacher and/or parent training via Zoom (or other online modality used in your system).  Our Certified Trainers often provide the rest of the Strategies-Training and instructional/parent coaching virtually.   We will work with you to customize a program designed to fit your community’s, school’s, or home’s needs.

We Are Here for You

At some point, as soon as is possible, we need to go back to in-person schooling, especially for children birth to 16.  Some of you have already done so, but many places have not been able to do or or are going hybrid, and we are proud to add these new training and coaching services to our programming for you.  If you are back to in person learning right now and thus planning PD days or parent education at the school itself, please consider utilizing our normal services, all of which are detailed on www.gurianinstitute.com.  If you not back in person yet, we hope you’ll consider contacting us for this new customized service.  Learn more specifics at:  https://gurianinstitute.com/help-with-online-schooling-for-teachers-parents-and-mentors/.   Whatever your training and coaching needs, please write info@gurianinstitute.com to begin a conversation about utilizing the Gurian Institute’s programs and services.