Bridge Charter Academy Getting Started |
New to remote learning? If you are new to remote learning or home based education, you might be feeling a bit nervous or overwhelmed. That is a completely normal feeling! The benefit of joining our tuition-free, personalized learning charter school is having access to support and help every step of the way. You can do this! Did you know that remote learning is quickly becoming one of the most popular alternative education options? There are many reasons why parents are desiring more for their children than what traditional public schools can provide. Here are some common responses we hear from families about why they are choosing our program: “We want to play a more active role in our children’s learning.” “I’m dissatisfied with the education and topics presented in the traditional public school systems.” “We’re seeking more freedom and autonomy.” “I have a child with special needs that isn’t flourishing in the public school system.” “My child is advanced and not being challenged in traditional public schools.” Our school is designed to serve home-based students and we are passionate about personalized learning. We’re excited to partner with you to make learning rigorous, fun and and motivating for each of your individual children. We understand that every family is unique. Bridge Charter Academy and our staff will work with you to find the type of curriculum that fits best for your family. Here are some next steps we recommend to start thinking about:
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of this figured out yet. We can discuss these topics in more detail during your enrollment meeting. You can also use our “New to Remote Learning: Detailed Next Steps” to start gathering ideas. Another benefit of being part of BCA is being able to reach out for additional support from an amazing group of parents in the parent center during your cohort time. We look forward to supporting and empowering you to become a confident and competent teacher of your children! |
New to Home-based Education: Detailed Next Steps Choosing Curriculum: BCA offers a yearly allotment to cover the cost of curriculum and activities. Some families want a computer based curriculum and others prefer a more book based, pencil and paper method. Many families pick and choose a combination of the two. We have lots of resources as well as a recommended list of tried and true options. We’re here to help you make the best decisions for your specific goals and needs. Curriculum ideas:____________________________________________________________________________ Organizing your space: Setting aside a space in your home, whether that be the kitchen table or a separate room in the home, is key to helping create a successful learning environment. Make a place to learn and keep all books and learning tools close by. Having an organized space is a huge key to success. If you need ideas for how to do this, please reach out to your Learning Coordinator or reach out to parents during your cohort time. Ideas for your space: _________________________________________________________________________ Making a schedule: Every family has very unique needs and goals. What works for one family will not work for another. Take time to think about your own lifestyle and how homeschooling will look for your situation. Will you have a set daily schedule? Will you do some subjects a little each day or will you group them into chunks of learning? Are you doing any extracurricular activities? Can you do any audio tapes/lessons while you are traveling in the car? If you don’t know how to start, talk to your child’s Learning Coordinator. Ideas for our schedule: _______________________________________________________________________ Figuring out your teaching style: Take some time to think about what values you have and what kind of style your family would thrive with. Some families want a very clear program that is already laid out for them. Others might want something more loosely structured so that they can have room for their own creativity and ideas. Some families really enjoy hands-on learning that might involve many outings into nature. Some prefer more concrete learning times with specific topics and start and stop times. Some do the majority of schooling in the morning with a more open afternoon. There is no right or wrong way to do it, so don’t be afraid to try one way and then make changes as you go. Our style: __________________________________________________________________________________ Determining the way your child learns best: Children can learn best in many different ways. For example, children can be visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, as well as many other learning styles or a combination of them. Finding what best suits your unique child’s learning style and interests will be very valuable. This is also something Bridge Charter Academy can help you identify. How my child learns best: _____________________________________________________________________ Setting some realistic expectations: Just like our children, we as parents are learning too. We are learning how to teach our children. We will make mistakes. We will find that something we are trying isn’t working and will need to adapt. Give yourself and your children grace as you go through this process and realize that mistakes are wonderful learning opportunities that are an essential part of growing. If you are feeling overwhelmed then that is a great sign to reach out for help. We are here to support you and help you whenever you need. Encouraging reminder: _______________________________________________________________________ |