When back to school, for many students, means a laptop at the kitchen table parents are looking to new options to hold kids accountable for actually absorbing the material. This is where new ideas are coming into play for tutors.
Christy Sharon is the executive director at Sylvan Learning Center, and she's also a mother who understands how tough this new normal can be.
"I had a child that was all of a sudden working from home and I had to manage my full time job and so it was very difficult," says Sharon.
She's used this experience to ease stress for the families who use Sylvan's tutoring services both in person and online.
"We're taking on some of that burden of making sure the children are getting direct instruction from a certified teacher. The teacher is always seeing that student face to face over the screen and when we're sharing the digital content we're using a mirroring device so we're still able to see the student, they can see us but we can also both see the work on the screen," says Sharon.
Back in the Spring, Sylvan began hiring additional teachers to take students on at all hours of the day. This school year they're diving in with new programming for those who need a little more structure getting through those virtual days.
"Those classes are being held Monday through Thursday in the morning Lafayette, Broussard and New Iberia. They're half day programs so the kids come in the morning, get their work done, and they're ready to go home and enjoy the rest of their day," says Sharon.