How to Get the Best Learning Pod Facilitator

Learning pods are growing popular this school year, and it’s easy to see why. 

Learning pods, for those who don’t know, are small groups of students taught by pod facilitators. Under this model, students can experience the benefits of socialization and in-person learning, without the higher risks associated with fully reopened schools during a pandemic. 

One of the biggest benefits of learning pods is the learning pod facilitator. Facilitators (usually either a parent, sitter, or tutor) lead students through lessons, providing the supervision and structure that online learning often lacks.

If your child has recently joined a learning pod, you want to make sure that the learning pod facilitator is doing a good job. Even if this school year looks different, your child still deserves a quality education. Here’s how to make sure that your learning pod facilitator is the best they can be.

An educator reads to her focused and happy class. Learning pods should be an enjoyable and beneficial experience for everyone involved.

What kind of facilitator is the best?

We recommend tutors as facilitators. In fact, we have our own learning pod programs, run by tutors with multiple options for in-office or at-home learning, as well as premium packages that include extracurricular support. 

Tutors will be able to help your students more than a sitter. Tutors have experience with instruction and are familiar with effective methods for improving a student’s academic performance. Sitters and other general caregivers lack such training. Since the goal of learning pods is to emulate in-person schooling, it’s wiser to seek out a tutor or other educator to be a facilitator.

Parents may also be facilitators of learning pods. This can be effective depending on the students’ needs. However, many parents find facilitating stressful in addition to their other responsibilities, so hiring a tutor may be the right way to go, depending on a parent’s workload and availability. 

What should a learning pod facilitator do?

A good learning pod facilitator helps students keep track of the schedule and assignment deadlines. They also provide students with helpful worksheets and handouts. 

Your facilitator can accomplish these tasks in a variety of ways. For instance, Scholastic recommends that educators set up expectations with their students on the first day of class, so that students are aware of class rules and consequences. According to a checklist by Future Educators, good educators prioritize communication between them and their students to promote punctuality in assignments and attendance. ThoughtCo recommends that educators provide relevant study materials based around technology to provide different mediums of information for students. 

Essentially, facilitators for learning pods should be consistent and provide consistent, interesting lessons for their students. While their methods may vary, the best kind of facilitator connects with and adapts to their students’ educational needs.

Children pose for a picture at their desks in the classroom. If done right, learning pods should feel like regular school for the participating students.

Takeaways

Learning pods, if done well, are excellent replacements for in-person learning. Facilitators play a large role in the success of a learning pod, so picking your facilitators carefully and ensuring that they’re doing their job is paramount.

We believe that our learning pod facilitators and supervisors meet all these criteria and will provide an excellent educational experience for your child. Contact us to learn more about our learning pod programs.