Back to School Checklists for Online Students

August 2, 2022 byChristopher E. Nelson

5 min to read

A high school student smiling while holding a notebook

In an online school environment, parents, especially those of younger students, are expected to monitor that their student is understanding and completing their lessons. At Connections Academy®, the role is vital, and parents (and/or other responsible adults) are known as “Learning Coaches.”

Learning Coaches can expect to spend five to six hours a day helping an elementary school student or one to two hours a day with a high school student. The time and level of effort required of Learning Coaches varies according to the student’s age and ability to work independently. Students who don’t work effectively in an independent learning environment, or students with attention deficits, learning differences, or behavioral concerns, require more Learning Coach time and energy.

For Learning Coaches to be successful, we strongly encourage creating and following checklists. Checklists are especially important tools as online students and parents get ready to head back to school.

Back-to-School Checklists: Tools for Parents and Students

In his bestselling book The Checklist Manifesto, renowned surgeon and author Atul Gawande posits that life has become so complex that mistakes are virtually inevitable. Because we cannot plan properly for every eventuality, Gawande suggests that we create checklists. The World Health Organization followed Gawande’s advice and created a surgical checklist that has been adopted in more than twenty countries as a standard for care and has been heralded for saving lives in operating theaters.

Gawande says experts need checklists—written guides that walk them through the key steps in any complex procedure. Psychologist Carey Heller writes that a checklist is an extremely effective tool if used properly to assist neurodivergent children, adolescents, and even adults.

You are the expert on your child, and while we don’t have a step-by-step guide to raising them, we can help you get the new school year started off well. Below, we’ve sketched out a few back-to-school preparation checklists for parents and students. But first, here’s a short checklist for creating a checklist:

Do a “brain dump” and write out each of your tasks.
Organize and prioritize tasks, ranking your most urgent/important tasks so you can get those out of the way first.
Write out your checklist.
Check items off as you complete them to keep track of where you are and to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Add new items as they come up. There’s always more to do!

An online school family discuss their back-to-school checklist.

Back-to-School Checklist for Parents

The month before the semester begins is a great time to look ahead to the new school year:

Gather documents needed to enroll in online school (if not already enrolled).
Schedule needed checkups or doctor’s appointments.
Schedule kids’ haircuts.
Sign up for fall sports and other activities.
Create, clean, and organize your homeschool classroom.
Shop for school supplies. Check out our back-to-school shopping checklist.
Start meal-prepping for busy mornings and nights.
Ask your child how they are feeling about starting or returning to online school and address any concerns.
Set up a meeting, phone conference, or exchange emails with your student’s teachers to discuss their needs for the upcoming year.
Talk with your child about their daily school schedule.
Figure out a plan for balancing homework and play time.
Set rules for the time spent on TV, video games, and computers for non-school use.

Back-to-School Checklist for Students

For older students in middle school or high school who have taken on more responsibility for their education, here are some things to keep in mind before school starts:

Begin transitioning to a more regular sleep routine that aligns with the schedule you will keep throughout the school year.
Begin to wean yourself from social media and texting during productive hours.
Talk to parents about any school supplies you want or need.
Shop for school supplies or familiarize yourself with your new school supplies if you have already bought them.
Create a daily schedule/routine to fit in time required for classes, homework, extra- and non-curricular activities, and socializing.
Revisit your at-home classroom space. Consider any changes for the new semester.
Make sure the electronics you use for online classes (computer, Internet connection, printer, etc.) are ready to begin the new year.
Reach out to your instructors by sending an email to introduce yourself as soon as you receive their contact information.

A Learning Coach helps her student complete the daily online school checklist.

Learning Coaches’ Daily Online School Checklist

As your online student gets older, they will need less supervision. But for a successful school year with online students in grades K–5, we strongly recommend that Learning Coaches complete the following online school checklist each day:

Early in the Online School Day

Check WebMail messages and respond as needed.
Check the To-Do List on your Learning Coach Home Page and complete tasks.
Read announcements on Learning Coach and student home pages, Schoolhouse, and section message boards.
Review the Coaching Guide found at the bottom of your student’s lesson pages. (Must be logged in as a Learning Coach to access.)

During the Online School Day

Use the Coaching Guide as you help your student through lessons.
Oversee the completion of your student’s daily lessons as assigned on the Student Planner.
Ensure that your student participates in LiveLesson® sessions.
Verify lesson completion and check for comprehension.
Mark student’s completed lessons as approved.

End of Online School Day

Check WebMail messages and respond as needed.
Record attendance for each student.
Preview the student’s planner and personal calendar for the following day.
Note any overdue lessons and make a plan to catch up.

Check Off Daily Successes for Your Online Student

As we said, life can be unpredictable, so you should be prepared to add to or otherwise modify your checklists as you go along. Meanwhile, your children will do more on their own as they get comfortable with the new school year and as they grow and mature. As their parent and Learning Coach, you’ll get to witness their growth firsthand.

You’ll find that you don’t always have to be in the room, but you will need to monitor your child’s daily learning. Read more about the part you play as a Learning Coach. If you’re new to our online school family this year, take some time to get familiar with the wider range of Connections Academy resources we offer to support our K–12 students and their families.