Location: Your House

Health concerns have changed how kids are taught.
Schools all over the country are limiting student-teacher contact, either with virtual classrooms or a mix of in-person and online instruction. It's easy to predict the effect of this. Teaching—and learning—will become more difficult. Virtual classrooms and a mix of in-person and online teaching. It's easy to predict the effect: teaching—and learning—will be more difficult.

Now more than ever, tutoring can pick up the slack.
Don Diehl provides needed support in this time of restricted contact and social distancing. One-on-one teaching has always been best, because it allows focusing on a student's individual problem areas. Don has routinely seen his students go from below grade level to good and even to the top of the class. One-on-one teaching has always been best, because it can address individual problem areas. Don Diehl has routinely seen his students go from below grade level to good and even to the top of the class.

Don now offers remote tutoring.
Kids at home work with him by computer, tablet, or phone. Don can now help kids from around the country. Student-teacher connection is still vital, even if it isn't in person.

A two-device approach is best.
This can be two computers, a computer and tablet (like an iPad), or even a tablet and phone. Apple devices have a built-in video-telephone app called FaceTime. Android phones and tablets have a similar app called Duo. Two computers or a computer with another device. Apples come with a video-telephone app called FaceTime. Android devices have Duo.

Don and his student can see each other on the video app.
They access online websites or shared documents on the second device. Don has a whiteboard behind him as he works, just like in a regular classroom, and the student can watch him on the app while they discuss the material on the second device. This method can work with one or two students at a time or even a small group. They access websites or shared documents on the other device. Don uses a whiteboard, just like in a regular classroom. This method can work with a single student or even a small group.

A single device is also possible.
Zoom and Google Meet are videoconferencing apps that allow screen sharing. Don can control the student's screen and be in control of what they're looking at. Or the student can control both screens. Again, this can be done with one student or a group. Zoom and Google Meet are video apps that allow screen sharing. Either Don or the student can control what they're looking at. Again, this can be done with one student or a group.

During the school year:
Don helps students with their teacher-assigned classwork. He keeps in touch with teachers and parents whenever possible, so everyone's on the same page. He monitors homework and class assignments, supports the day-to-day learning students are doing in class, and can clarify lessons, instructions, and material they haven't understood. Don helps with teacher-assigned classwork. He keeps in touch with teachers and parents so everyone's on the same page. He monitors homework and assignments, supports lessons given in class, and can clarify what students haven't understood.

Math, science, and language arts:
Don uses the IXL website, which provides hundreds of practice lessons for each grade level and topic, K through 12. Don and his students can access it at the same time, and he uses it as source material when no specific classwork has been assigned. Don uses the IXL website, which provides practice lessons for each grade and topic, K through 12. Don and his students can access it at the same time, and he uses it as source material when no specific classwork has been assigned.

Reading:
Don and his students use the Raz-Kids reading website to read fiction and non-fiction online together, both in English and Spanish. They discuss vocabulary, plot, background information of all kinds, and character development as they go. Raz-Kids has an extensive online library of books in both languages and built-in comprehension quizzes for each book, which Don uses to check a student's understanding after reading. Don and his students use the Raz-Kids reading website to read online together, both in English and Spanish. Raz-Kids has an extensive library of books in both languages and built-in comprehension quizzes for each book, which Don uses to check a student's understanding after reading.