POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Distance learning is part of the "new normal" for students across the country, but the transition has not been easy for some.

We spoke to Polk County parents and teachers about what educators and families can do to ease the transition and make the new medium for learning work. Here's five recommendations they shared:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Parent Layla Hewitt said she’s found her daughter's teachers at Highland City Elementary to be very responsive. 

“If you have that relationship with the teacher where you can get involved more I think it will go easier for you,” said Hewitt. 

Three district teachers who we spoke to said they’re responding to texts and emails at all hours from students and parents, including in the middle of the night. 

“If they’re reaching out, I think it’s a great time to respond and that’s just me personally, because I think it’s important because parents are working until 1 and 2 in the morning,” said Dr. Vincent Miller II, a math teacher at Winter Haven High School and Polk County’s 2020 Polk County Teacher of the Year.

“For me, it’s been hard to try to balance when to stop working," said Erin Lavelle, who teaches Language and Literature to eighth graders at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy. "You might get on early in the morning but you’re not getting off at 3 or 3:30 p.m. because I feel like if those kids get on [later] that may be the only time they’re on for that whole day.” 

2. Use video conferencing apps for lessons that are visual

Highlands City Elementary math teacher Jennifer Horvatin said she does one-on-one Zoom sessions with her students who are having trouble understanding mathematical concepts in her lessons. 

“It’s really hard for you to explain something mathematically with shapes and volume without having a visual, so I get on Zoom a lot with my kids. We do two days a week where we meet for an hour,” said Horvatin.  

3. Make YouTube videos for students to make lessons more interactive

The teachers said many of their students miss their voice and interacting with them. YouTube allows for the teacher to still incorporate their personality and teach in a similar fashion as they would in the classroom.

Also, the teachers said they utilize discussion boards so students are able to respond and talk to each other about what they’re learning. 

4. Teach basic computer etiquette

Miller learned some of his students lacked basic computer skills when one of them sent him an email with the body of the message in the subject line.

He went over how to send an email, how to log on to applications and save the passwords, etc. 

5. Be Flexible

Everyone is learning how to adapt to the new situation. One of the teachers said she wasn’t lowering grades for work as long as it was turned in.

Another said he’s allowing his students to complete their work by May 17, while another said she will allow her students to redo their work as many times as necessary until they understand the mathematical concept at hand.

They encouraged parents and students to find out what their teacher’s policy was.

The district has set up a helpline for students and parents having technology issues related to distance learning. Tech help is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at (863) 614-1600.