During a recent conversation with my husband we discussed the different approaches we find ourselves using with our individual children in regard to their daily lessons. We acknowledged the areas that could use improvement on our part and discussed the importance of their emotional and mental health and well-being overall. Noting different emotional and behavioral changes in each of them over time we talked about the role we play in helping them to navigate their feelings in a healthy way. The dialogue made me feel good afterward. I placed my hand on his and said, “thank you for being a dedicated parent.” He placed his on mine, grabbed it and said, “Ditto!”
Why did I share that story? I shared it because conversations like that are at the root of what it takes to make the most of facilitating learning at home not just amid our current Coronavirus quarantine, but anytime.
Home school v School at Home
What many parents are experiencing right now is being called homeschooling. I believe it would be more accurately called school at home. Students are being expected to fulfill the same standards. Home schooling & Un-schooling get you out into the world--libraries, museums, parks, farms, art studios, dance studios. Literally everyday you can let a thought provoking conversation lead you to discover something new. For us, learning isn't this set in stone plan of lessons that have to be taught to satisfy standards. It's one of the things we enjoy most about the way our tribe learns.
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences
In conversations with family members that have children in public school and even my niece that attends a public university it sounds like teachers are laying the workload on very thick. I know that they are undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to keep students busy and engaged as they learn at home. What likely hasn’t been taken into account is the adjustment that transitioning from learning in class to learning virtually will be like for a lot of students. Teachers have had to pivot and find new ways to keep their students from falling behind. If you're curious how you can survive the next couple of months, here are a few tips.
Tips to Help You Navigate School at Home
*Remember there is no one size fit all when it comes to learning.
Don't just do school work.
While you have your learners at home with you for this extended period, find out what their passion projects are. What would THEY like to learn, in addition to the things that they have to learn. Perhaps your aspiring chef just needed more time at home to get good at that cake recipe they’ve been wanting to try. There is science, math, language, reading comprehension and more in the act of baking.
Set a schedule for your day, but be flexible.
While your child(ren) may be used to the routine that attending school has set, your school day does not have to look like the typical school day. If you end up needing more breaks than you have scheduled it will be okay. Setting realistic goals about what can be accomplished in a day will save you a world of headache.
Do something that grounds you all.
Be it yoga, meditation, a dance party, or a walk around the block—if it brings a sense of peace and calm to your household do THAT before you knock out the school lessons.
Designate an area for school at home.
Your child(ren) are likely used to learning in a classroom environment. Doing school from home may mean big distractions. See if setting up an area that is just for learning can help your learners focus.
Tag team those kids!!
My husband is the Math guy in this house and I hold ELA down. We have our strengths and have established an understanding with the children that they can ask either of us any question, but we may pass the alley oop to the other parent if we can’t explain it without further confusing the child. If you are a single parent you may have to get creative, but if you have a support system that can't be physically available due to social distancing use the technology currently at your fingertips to reach out for virtual assistance from a cousin, an aunt, or a family friend.
Take the time to understand your child’s learning style.
Some children work better independently while others may need additional help. Your child’s teacher may not be able to always adjust her lesson plans to accommodate every child’s learning style. But maybe you can. There are:
visual learners who are partial to seeing and observing things including pictures, diagrams, and written directions.
auditory learners who learn better when information is reinforced by sound. They likely prefer reading out loud to themselves or in class.
kinesthetic learners are tactile learners. They learn best by doing. They may also struggle to sit still, especially in a familiar place like their home. If they can move about and still be productive, try not to be so strict about having them sit down to get through their work.
reading/writing learners learn best with words. They may be particular about note taking and may excel at translating abstract concepts into words.
If you've previously seen your child struggling, but they seem to be thriving during this quarantine time where one on one direction or self directed learning is all they have, perhaps you can explore this as a more long term option (if it fits your families dynamic).
Give yourself a break.
Don’t compare yourself to others. All of our situations are unique to our lives. Figure out what works best for your family. Best is whatever causes the least amount of stress, but gets your daily goals accomplished.
There's no substitute for mom.
You don’t have to replace your child’s teacher. Use this time to teach your child some family history and you can cover a number of subjects over the course of a day. Make a family recipe and you can surely knock out some language arts and math and then some. Don't forget recess. Right now we can all use some fresh air so don't forget some kind of recess. If you can't get outdoors, open the windows, throw on YouTube and do a family workout. It's a stress reliever for us--most days.
COVID-19 don't last always.
This too shall pass. Be light with yourself. Some days you’ll get your whole to do list knocked out, other days not so much. It will be okay. Whether you call it home school or school at home. It’s not for everyone, but we do what we have to do for our children. Be encouraging, be patient, and be understanding. Find a support group on Facebook. Virtual support is better than no support. Right? Stay in your child’s teachers’ emails if you need more help.
If you are the parent of a senior, I’m willing your child’s local school officials can find a way to remedy some of their disappointment. Be extra encouraging to them! Big love to the class of 2020! Remember, you got this!
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