The Learning Center Is Helping Virtual Learners & Parents

Virtual learning on platforms like Zoom has escalated tremendously this year mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing offices, workplaces, and even schools to shutdown. With a vast amount of people able to adjust by working from home, there are still numerous parents struggling to go to work when their children remain at home performing virtual schooling. Kids are required to be monitored during virtual schooling so parents who can't work remotely are stuck being out of work completely.

Joelle Grossnickle, a Maryland and Virginia certified teacher with a Master of Arts in Teaching, has launched The Learning Center, LLC in the comfort of her Knoxville, Maryland home. Grossnickle is now serving as children's "home school" advisor and facilitator providing direction and oversight in completing digital and hands-on assignments.

Grossnickle found it difficult to renew her teaching contract due to COVID-induced hiring freezes, but was looking for new opportunities to use her professional background and teaching abilities. In the beginning of August 2020, she got the idea for a business that wasn't needed before virtually taught schooling. However, time was running out before the new school year would begin. "All these parents that I knew with school aged kids are complaining saying how am I going to work from home or be, you know, a teacher at my own school if my kids are doing school from home," Grossnickle says.

With two teacher certificates, Grossnickle decides to start a business where she hosts kids who are learning virtually from the comfort of her home. This would not only be beneficial for the kids having the extra attention but also allowing parents to focus on their remote jobs and/or be able to leave for work. After the business logo was created, getting registered through the state, promoting on social media; Grossnickle's lawyer called her. "She said I really think this falls under daycare and you need a daycare license to do this." After three days, she decides to pursue a childcare license. "Some people said it takes five to six months. I started it on August 7th and I had it in less than six weeks," Grossnickle says. The Learning Center was planned to open on the first day of the 2020 school year. However, due to working toward a childcare license, Grossnickle had opened The Learning Center on September 21st, 2020. All tuition payments that are being paid to The Learning Center can now be used as a tax deduction for parents since it's considered childcare.

The Learning Center is set up in two groups. One group is on Monday's and Tuesday's and another on Thursday's and Friday's. Wednesday's are closed to focus on cleaning. Kids currently attending range from 3rd through 7th grade. The great thing about this specific business is kids can still feel like they are 'going to school' by being present in another environment rather than their home. At The Learning Center, there is also a required outdoor recess in the morning and afternoon. In addition to being in smaller groups, it allows the one-on-one encouragement and assistance with their assignments and even homework. Grossnickle mentions her determination to always make sure the kid's homework is complete before the weekend. This relieves the kids and parents to go spend more time doing what they want to do. "I leave a lot of written documentation everyday when the kids go home to their parents. In this subject, we completed and submitted this and this project is due on Tuesday; giving them a heads up on paper so they don't need to look through their kid's account to see what needs to be done," Grossnickle explains. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, safety protocols are in place for those who are attending. All kids are socially distanced at least six feet apart and there are daily temperature checks.

"When education doesn't look how it used to, we have to change how we look at education," Grossnickle says. Contact Joelle at The Learning Center via email at tlcfredco@gmail.com or call (240) 626-7894. Visit their Facebook page here.