Imagine this: it’s 10pm and you’re trying to finish up a writing assignment. You were feeling pretty confident about your ability to complete it, and you thought you understood the instructions perfectly. You weren’t stressed about it, so you put it off until now.
But suddenly—you’re stuck. You aren’t sure what you’re being asked to do. You can’t find examples in your lessons. There’s no exemplary work to model it after or help you get started. Your parents and older sister are asleep. In fact, your eyelids are starting to get heavy, too. Your classmate isn’t answering his texts. What are you going to do?
Maybe you can relate to that scenario. It can be stressful to know you need to finish something but feel stuck. You could sit there trying to figure it out on your own…or you could ask for help.
Learning to ask for help is a life skill. Whatever you do in life, whether it’s a construction worker, finance executive, engineer, or chef, you will need to ask for support sometimes. This is especially true when you are just starting out in your career. It’s vital to ask for help during your school years, too.
In an online school, asking for help looks a little different. It’s not like you can just raise your hand. It’s not like you can go up to your teacher’s desk or stop by their room during lunch.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Reach out to your teacher
Your teacher is there to help you! Naturally, this is your first stop when you need help.
Emailing your teacher is easy:
- Go to your course
- Click “Tools”
- Select “Classlist”
- Click on your teacher’s name to send an email
Use email etiquette: greet them politely, write in complete sentences, and use a respectful tone.
Include your question(s) in the body of the email.
Look at the table below. One side has high-quality questions, and one side has questions that are less effective. Can you tell which side has great questions?
| I’m confused about the Volume of 3D Shapes Assignment. | How do I get started on the Volume of 3D Shapes Assignment? |
| How do you do the Poetry Assessment? | Can you break down the Poetry Assessment into steps? |
| For the lab report, this is what I did: _______. Is that right? | Here is what I’m thinking for the lab report. Can you let me know if I’m on the right track? My draft is attached. |
| I can’t find any examples for the polar ice caps. What do I do? | Which lessons can help with the research paper on the polar ice caps? |
If you said the right column has the better questions, you’re correct!
You’re more likely to get the help you need if you ask specific questions. Let your teacher know what you need and which assignment or assessment is stumping you.
Reach out to classmates, friends, and family
You can ask classmates through messaging, discussion boards, or homeroom for help when you are stuck. They may have had the same questions and might already have figured things out.
This may spark a friendship where you help each other in different areas!
Just remember: Getting help does not mean copying someone’s work. If someone else does the thinking or the work for you, you lost the chance to learn.
Friends and family are also great sources of help. Your parents and grandparents most likely had to learn the same content that you’re working on now! They may need a reminder by looking through the lessons themselves, but they can be a source of help when you need assistance. Older siblings, cousins, or other family members are also great people to ask for help.
Speak to Guidance
The Guidance Department is always there to help you navigate school.
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you struggling to keep up or unsure how to finish your assignments?
The Guidance department is a great resource. Mrs. Drennan has weekly office hours posted in your Guidance course. Sign up and chat with her—she has lots of additional resources available.
Use supplemental content
The internet is a huge library of resources to help you learn! However, not every website is credible. You’ll need to use discernment when researching and supplementing your content.
Websites associated with universities, museums, or educational organizations are great resources. They typically end in .org or .edu.
YouTube has excellent educational channels, which specialize in certain subject areas. There are several out of Ontario, which means the learning goals, topics, and course vocabulary will align to what you’re learning at CVS.
Your teacher may have go-to websites to recommend to you, too.
Other support options
At CVS, we have some additional areas of support built in:
- Teacher feedback: Every Dropbox submission receives feedback from your teacher. This feedback will help you understand your mistakes and make improvements. Always read your feedback and reach out to your teacher if anything does not make sense.
- Math Help: There’s a widget in your math course where you can sign up for a 1:1 session with me, Ms. Bain, your Mathematics Department Head. We can work through a tricky concept or make progress on an assignment. I’d love to help you!
- Video Calls: Sometimes, teachers are able to meet with you over video call to offer help. All you have to do is ask.
Asking for help is so important. And, over time, asking for help will get easier as you practice. You do not need to stay stuck. Reach out. Use your resources. We’re here to help.
