How “Pandemic Pods” are Changing the Remote Learning Game

This article is sponsored by Tutor Doctor Frisco-McKinney-Prosper.

As the new school year commences, many families across North Texas face tough decisions about their children’s learning environment. Sending the kids back to in-person classes can be challenging or impossible based on local restrictions or health concerns.

At the same time, many parents struggle to find a solution that balances at-home learning for their kids and their full-time job. Since schools switched to e-learning in March, nearly every parent has experienced the stress of having to teach school, work full time, cook, plan activities, manage the household chores, etc. Parents are looking for teaching support and want their children to succeed in their school assignments. 

No matter which path your family chooses, you’ll likely face several challenges, restrictions, and a new routine that’s far from ordinary. If you’re feeling uncertain about the future of your child’s learning experience, Sandy Tutwiler of Tutor Doctor wants to introduce you to a unique solution for socially-distanced learning: Pandemic Pods.

What’s a Pandemic Pod?

Pandemic Pods, also known less ominously as Learning Pods, offer families a chance to enjoy the benefits of e-learning with the all-important social aspect of school that many children have missed since March.

Pods have formed in response to COVID-19 because parents want to give their children a social learning experience in a safe environment. Each ‘pod’ contains two to four children or teens in the same subject-level or grade-level. You can choose to create a virtual pod where students meet over video chat or a small scale in-person pod with your qualified tutor and the pod members only.

Learning Pods give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child. Families are banding together to ensure their kids get the best learning experience possible during times of uncertainty.

— Sandy Tutwiler, Owner & Education Consultant – Tutor Doctor

Instead of taking on the financial burden of one-on-one tutoring for your child all schoolyear, share the private tutoring costs with a few other families. This collaborative model allows you to support each other while creating a highly beneficial learning space for your students.

What Are the Benefits of Group Tutoring Sessions?

Learning pods offer a safe alternative to crowded classrooms without sacrificing the social aspect of learning. Kids learn from each other more often than we may realize. When they have a chance to engage with each other, they learn to see things from a new perspective, brainstorm solutions, and even learn from each other’s questions.

Pods are also great for children who may be shy or hesitant to speak up in class or even during online e-learning calls. Asking the instructor a question with only a few other kids listening seems a lot less intimidating than addressing a classroom of 15+ other students. 

Since learning pods operate with such a small instructor-to-student ratio, you can personalize them to fit various learning needs. Pod tutors can cover the following:

• Introduce asynchronous learning lessons
• Re-teach or enhance learning on core subjects
• Offer guidance and answer questions on assignments or homework
• Keep students engaged and on-task

Parents of elementary-age children will love Learning Pods because those who opted for the synchronous virtual learning option won’t have to worry about the number of hours their children will have to be learning online. 

How Can My Children Join a Learning Pod?

Perhaps the best thing about Learning Pods is their personal nature. You won’t even have to worry about placing your kiddo in a pod with students they may not get along with because parents can create the pod themselves!

That means your children can learn alongside classmates from school who have the same learning style as them. Plus, you’ll probably be your teenager’s new hero if you can reunite them with the best friends they haven’t seen in months!

Suppose you’re looking for more e-learning or Learning Pod information. In that case, there is even a Facebook Group called Pandemic Pods, where thousands of parents across the country have teamed up to find resources to help with their children’s learning for this upcoming year.

Tutor Doctor plans to launch at least four learning pods this fall with qualified tutors offering support for asynchronous virtual learning by taking over the primary responsibility for teaching.

For older children in elementary school, Tutor Doctor provides support during the day to ensure students are following the virtual learning schedule, providing guidance where needed to support questions about new concepts, and providing homework support. Schedule a Consultation with Sandy’s team to determine if Learning Pods are the right solution for your child.