If any of you are like me, you started your working and homeschooling balancing act by trying to explain to your children how important work is, and how you have to focus (and they have to be quiet) while you are on work calls. We ended up placing them in lower grades than the work they were working on as homeschoolers, both because of their ages and because we knew the work would be easy for them, allowing them to focus on the major personal and social transition with less stress. The answer to this question can provide further guidance for what choice might be best for you and your family, on top of the obvious comfort level with sending them to a physical school building in August or September. However, we can control our reaction to it by staying safe, keeping our family safe, and following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2020) guidelines posted here: In my experience homeschooling and working full time (from various locations and time zones), the biggest lesson I learned was that I needed to be organized, but also flexible. Common Sense Media includes reviews of some books, as well. (2018). Some states and districts are surveying parents to find out their comfort level with the options listed above (or others, depending on the state and district). 
(n.d.). Common Core Resources: Textbook & Publisher Resources. Also, be sure that you are fully informed about what activities are offered or not offered for any who opt into remote or distance learning through the school, as this likely differs on a district by district or school by school basis. If you are homeschooling on your own, you and your children might be the only members of the team, but for others remotely schooling via distance learning options provided through their school or district, there are many other members of the team, as well. When trying to decide what is best, there are always multiple considerations. Its important that parents, educators and administrators clearly define what the goals are and monitor progress toward those goals. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. (2020). It is also an opportunity for us to find ways for our kids to help around the house and to teach them new life skills that are no longer taught in schools. Everything you need to organize your area is probabily already in your home.
Kid-Safe Browsers and Search Sites. Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/, The new challenge to keep the kids occupied during conference calls is: FORT MAKING!!! If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.roblox.com/, Wiess, S. R. (2020a). A few of the things that are currently within our control are: 1) our reactions to the current situation, 2) our attitudes, 3) our schedule and 4) our space. What is Montessori Education? (These are usually set at the state-level and enforced at the district or school-level.
Organizing any extra items needed (for science experiments, for example) over the weekend for the entire week will also help make your work/homeschool days flow much smoother. Yes, movies sometimes work, but how about something possibly more fun (for you and for them)? Other paid options exist for states which do not offer state virtual schools, like K12, ConnectionsAcademy, although many others exist, as well (Connections Academy, 2020; K12, 2020). Harvard Business Review. Thats all any of us can do, and the only way we are going to figure out what will work is for everyone to be comfortable communicating and providing constructive feedback when things are not working. We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. If your remote/distance learning/homeschooling is only planned to be temporary, keeping as close to the curriculum their classmates are learning in school will make for the smoothest transition when the time comes for them to go to school and join their classmates again.
https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/lencionis-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team-330d58b2cd81. There are so many different aspects and layers of trust, as well. Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. Welltrainedmind.com. KEY POINT: You do not have to replicate your full workday and the full school day, so give yourself a break and get rid of that expectation right away. Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. This is a great time to have the conversation with your manager about the priorities of the work currently assigned to you, the hours they expect, or require, you to be available, and where flexibility does (and does not) exist in your schedule, workload and work-related responsibilities. Florida is more strict, but does have umbrella schools that allow for smoother navigation of the requirements. 2) Develop open lines of communication between parents, educators and administrators. For gratitude, an easy option to start your day would be to talk about three good or positive things. Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. While you are determining how much time you want to dedicate to your work, also consider if there are specific days or times of day that you have regularly scheduled meetings, deadlines for regular work, or other time-specific restrictions.
Retrieved March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. Literally blocking it off on your calendar and communicating your schedule with your bosses and colleagues will make sure you are all on the same page and that everyone will respect that time. Administrators have never run schools, districts or boards of education during a global pandemic. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. On a sports team, each team member (player, coach, manager) has to understand their role in the teams success to be committed to being the best in that role that they possibly can, thus maximizing their contribution to the team and the teams progress toward that goal. If you would like to explore this option, a great start is to review your state on both the CRHE and HSLDA websites, start searching for local and regional homeschool associations (the HSLDA has a great resource for this, as well), and begin searching for curriculum options (which can come in fully pre-packaged curriculum options to fully customized curriculum that you pick and choose from resources on publishers sites and Amazon.com book sales, for example) (HSLDA, n.d.2). A great list of them compiled by STEAMsational is accessible here: https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/. Digital Passport. I was in the same situation as many of you, having to figure out what to do to keep the toddler busy while working with the preschooler. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, Focus on the Family. (Also, in Connecticut, if your children were never enrolled in a public or private school, no notice of any kind needs to be filed. How We Rate and Review. (Note that we do still have the requirement that they add us on all social media accounts so that we can monitor their activities there if we choose to do so.) With the quick pivot to distance learning in the spring, and the large disparities with technology access and related issues, the schools and districts are still working to get some students caught up on their work from the spring. Carter, Christine. It is important to be fully informed of all legal and regulatory requirements prior to making your choice, so that you are making a fully-informed choice. In these times, I found educational videos that could fill the spaces, where my children could still be learning, but I was able to focus on the meetings and my work. For example, if you choose to homeschool or opt for distance learning to start with in the fall, will you want to send your children back to school (this year or in the future)?
So, what options are there? As of now, you at least have an idea of how much time you want to allocate to work and to homeschooling and have identified an area where you can store and organize schoolwork and related supplies. In sports psychology, life coaching and other venues recently, youve likely heard the term locus of control or phrases like control the controllables. Situations like the pandemic we are currently experiencing bring to light the true meaning of these phrases, as there is so much that is truly out of our control. (Note that this is an unpopular opinion and not promoted or frequently supported in the traditional, long-term homeschooling community, though, so questions about this option in these traditional groups or distribution lists may not be met with the most positive reactions.) The public school administrators where we are were extremely helpful in working with us to determine the best placement. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.headspace.com/covid-19, Khan Academy (2020). Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. Weathering the Storm. No year, and no day, to be honest, looked the same for us, even when I tried to plan it to be the same, and my kids turned out just fine. Your child or children will be perfectly fine with a couple or a few hours of school-related work and other fun, educational activities while you focus on work. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. Stay home and stay safe.
Bauer, S. W. (2016). You dont have to wait until plans for the fall are released to figure out what you are comfortable (and not comfortable) with. Science and art took the most preparation because we conducted experiments and made a variety of art and craft projects, so we split these days, so that they were not back-to-to back, allowing for some planning and preparation time in between. Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? (Remember: If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. K12. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. (n.d.).
Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals.
(2020). At this point, state and local boards of education are doing the best they can with the little information they have to plan for something none of us have ever had to deal with before. Others split them into pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-5 and grades 6+.
If your student is overloaded with work, have them work with their teachers and administrators to request extensions or accommodations where needed. Awake and Mindful has collected five yoga videos for kids that might be one option for a calm activity to start off the day. Many other options exist, just be sure that you are accessing them through sites that you trust. A big lesson learned in this transition is that no matter what homeschool curriculum you choose, there will be differences in what they learn there and what is covered in the public school curriculum, thus, some material will be repeated and there will be gaps to be filled in other places. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html, STEAMsational. (n.d.). For other jobs, like when I administered analytics servers, I had more flexibility to design my work day around the desired school schedule. State Virtual Schools. In fact, they have created a launch page for the current times, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Common Sense Media. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. Examples of delivery modes include DVDs, online learning games, online video lessons, printable lessons, workbooks and textbooks, fully online classes, and instructions posted online that allow you to create your own. Find a fort posted by someone else and draw a picture of their fort and estimate how many people you think could fit in their fort. If you want more information prior to pursuing this option, your best bet is likely to reach out to the school or district directly for more information about what the portfolio review might look like, what kind of support and guidance you can expect from them, etc.
Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures. 1) Draw out a rough daily schedule (or weekly, if your daily work schedules vary), allocating specific times for work and for schoolwork. (Various factors played into our decision, but one major factor for us was for the girls to have the option to participate in sports, clubs and other activities, and we were living in a location where they were districted into good schools.). These extreme stances come with equally strong language, which can be misleading to the new or uninformed, so it is important to make sure you fully understand the true requirements before making decisions, finalizing your plans, and submitting any notices or documentation. CommonSenseMedia.org. Awake and Mindful. What if schools open in a blended format, where schedules are alternating day to day or am/pm? The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach.
The first consideration is the age levels you are teaching.
Educators need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. Montana requires a notice of intent to homeschool to be submitted to the local Superintendent of Schools, but does not require any other forms or portfolio review, etc. Scholastic Learn at Home. For parents looking online for content for their children, who may not be familiar with different websites, movies or apps, or unsure how to tell what might be safe or age-appropriate, this post is for you.
While I worked and homeschooled, I had a variety of types of jobs, all technical/knowledge-working jobs, some with more flexibility than others. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/, Montessori Northwest.
Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. Below, I will provide a few options and considerations for finding content for your children that is age-appropriate and safe for them, as well as being safe for you and your computer. With some states canceling in-person schooling for the rest of the academic year and others extending the closures for additional time periods or indefinitely, but messages coming from politicians that we need to re-open the country, we are in a state of wait and see. Or, are you not comfortable sending your children to school at all until there is a vaccine, for example? To avoid things becoming disorganized, piling up, getting dirty during meals, etc., it is best to dedicate a shelf or whole bookshelf to the schoolwork, books and all related equipment. Game Reviews. 100 Things to Teach Your Teen While Youre Stuck at Home. (n.d.). Looking at these from a more positive lens, as opposed to negatively identifying them as dysfunctions, the list of what teams need to thrive include: The foundation of working together as a group, especially in a stressful, unclear, unpredictable situation like remote learning during a global pandemic, is trust. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, Common Sense Media (n.d.). Its challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page during a normal school year, but even more challenging during a global pandemic. (n.d.). Lets face it, we are all in survival mode right now, and trying to claim anything else would be misleading. at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind. Trust that everyone is working toward a common goal, for example, is one type of trust. We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. It is important to understand the risks and the comfort level you have with those risks, and, depending on the approach taken, the health risks for your children and for you (and for everyone in your household). However, with everything clearly defined and with trust, constructive conflict and commitment, holding each other accountable for their respective parts becomes much easier, and does not need to involve finger pointing or other negative non-constructive behaviors. ), 3) Do you think you might want to send your students back to school in person either some time this year or in future years? When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler. Smoothing the transition in our new reality. Youre Probably Homeschooling Way More Than You Need To. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Earthcam. For example, Connecticut only requires a notice of withdrawal, legally, but does recommend (only a recommendation, not a legal requirement) a notice of intent to homeschool and portfolio review. As part of a successful, high-performing and well-functioning team, we have to work together as a team toward common goals, just like a sports team or a project team in an organization. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. (Parents, dont be jealousyou can make forts, tooand even take your conference call from inside your fort, if you want to.). Free Printable Homeschool Planners. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from, Zao-Sanders, Marc. (n.d.). In Connecticut, the only thing you are legally required to do is file with your local board of education a letter of Notice of Withdrawal.
Focusonthefamily.com. The most effective approach I found was to create a basket of schoolwork for the toddler and let her choose her schoolwork from the basket. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, Grown and Flown. While we await final proposals for opening of schools in the fall from states and local districts, we are all asking what if? What if schools open as usual in the fall at full capacity? The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home.
3) Clear out, setup and organize your dedicated storage area for your schoolwork and related supplies. (This is a big deciding factor that can save or cost you a lot of time and stress. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken.
(2020). (n.d.). While the kids play, you can plan your day(s). We homeschooled in many different locations, including a multifamily house where we had a full room dedicated to homeschooling, my parents house where we had an area in the basement, our family members kitchen counters, and even an RV, when we traveled around the US. (2019). In the middle of the fall, we collectively decided that it was time for the girls to attend public school. Then, your stress levels went through the roof when it didnt all go smoothly with calm, quiet kids and dedicated focus for you. You can make, download and print your own bingo card at sites like BingoBaker, accessible here: https://bingobaker.com/ Yet another alternative is to keep your call off speaker, but let your kids mark off the square on the bingo, and you tell them when the criteria has been met.
In my classroom, I start my classes off by having my students volunteer to Tell me something good. The good things could literally be anything, and they have ranged from I had a good breakfast this morning, to My football team won last night. If you want to add variety or switch things up a bit, the Bestow Team created a list of 30 gratitude games and activities for kids, accessible here: https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/. It is also very important to note, especially when you are reading and researching your options, that there are two extremes to the homeschooling debate or conversation, especially in Connecticut, but it is likely evident elsewhere, as well. In all honesty, because we got sick of answering the question of Can we watch? questions, we came up with a specific rule to guide their choices. What Are the Non-Core Subjects?. Minecraft Official Site. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance? Grownandflown.com. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox.
Digital Compass. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, Common Sense Media. Accountability is the forth level in the pyramid identified by Lencioni, and aligns closely with constructive conflict and commitment. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/. (This is in no way intended to imply that they wont help you, since we have always experienced the exact opposite, especially when in direct contact with teachers, administrators, etc. For states who are planning in-person school options, many are still providing distance learning as an option, and homeschooling is always an additional option. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. Hopefully, you have found this content helpful, and are on your way to planning a (relativelythey are our awesome kids, after all) calm, fun and enjoyable adventure educating your children at home while working. Uncertainty and lack of direction and why can cause unnecessary stress and a lack of commitment. Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. The traditional homeschooling community is extreme in their desire to be unregulated and to have full freedom to educate their children however they wish, with minimal or no governmental intervention or oversight. To commit to common goals, everyone on the team has to be aware of the goals, understand why those goals are important, and be aware and accepting of their role in helping the team attain those goals. There are a few things to consider. (n.d.). You dont need to go crazy buying organizing supplies. Your next steps are: 1) Identify the age groups of the children you are educating and whether they need to be planned separately or if the plan and content can be the same. For those who are not experienced or knowledgeable about publishers used for K-12 education, the National University Library System has a list on their website, accessible here: https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. 4) *BONUS* You can also take an inventory of what you have for school supplies (paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, glue, scizzors, stapler, tape, whole punch, etc.). Others may be planning their own lessons and activities. While you are working on a schedule more customized to you, your kids and your work schedule, two companies, Khan Academy and Scholastic, have recently provided lesson plans and activities free for children who are now staying home due to school closings. But, there is also so much that is fully within our control. When you are planning your days, you will first need to decide how much time you want (or need) to spend with your focus dedicated to your work (in meetings, for example), and how much time you want to spend homeschooling your child (or children). This can be important if you are deciding between temporarily homeschooling your children and opting into distance learning (especially in middle school or high school grades). What Ill provide below is a brief overview of some of the options for planning the work, starting with four considerations for doing so. You can choose to homeschool your children with you being the primary teacher (as opposed to distance-learning where you are assisting your children with work assigned by their teacher). See below for our experience transitioning our kids from homeschooling to public school and considerations/lessons-learned that you might find helpful.
Best of luck with this years educational adventures. (2020). The standard subjects tend to include math, language arts, science, history or social studies, art, technology, health, physical education, and music. How might it impact their learning? Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Khan Academy. One is that everyone (or nearly everyone) you work with is in the same boat right now, so they understand the need to balance, and you shouldnt be shy about sharing what you are trying to accomplish. Greater Good Magazine. In work environments, especially when working on projects, everyone has clearly defined roles and responsibilities which are laid out on a project plan. Note that this option and how it is implemented differs greatly per state. (2020). Given the current closure of public schools, many publishers are providing content online for free, as well.
Everything else is a bonus. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, Common Sense Media. (2018). Decorating Amazon boxes and used soup cans make great arts and craft projects and excellent organizers! You will need to determine, based on the number and ages of children, your work schedule, and any other constraints, what subjects you want to teach and can manage to do so with minimal stress. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall, as long as CDC guidelines for schools are followed (CDC, 2020)? Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/content/orgs/, K12.com. Our children need to be able to disagree and question things when concepts or instructions arent clear to them.
One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. (n.d.).
To this day, we stand by that rule and have had very few issues. The rule for our girls was that they had to look at all movies, games, and apps up on Common Sense Media and bring them to us prior to asking the question of whether they could play, watch or download something. 3) All members of the team should remember that discomfort leads to growth and work on being ok with being held accountable, with hearing feedback that they dont really want to hear, and with giving honest, constructive feedback to other members of the team when things arent working well. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2173553/coronavirus-school-closings-keep-kids-busy/1/, Wiess, S. R. (2020b). Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures. An alternative is to make your own bingo card that might be more age-appropriate, like one with silly words or um and uh, for example, that might be easy for little ones to pick up on during the call. It is important to remember this. Parents need to be able to bring concerns to educators and administrators when things arent working for them and their children. You will need to determine what is best for you and your children. This is not true, legally. The fourth consideration is the schedule of the subjects you have selected to teach. Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. The pause for them is a huge change and requires adjustment, but provides an opportunity for us, as parents, to teach them how to slow down and be ok with being bored or finding their own activities. School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. 3) Identify the delivery mode you want to use for each subject and each child. Educators have never taught during a global pandemic, much less taught remotely or taught some students remotely and some in person at the same time. Its also important to understand what is and what is not likely to happen in the next year curriculum and academic-wise and how that might impact you and your children. How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. For later years (grades 3-5 and 6-8) we elected to study math and language arts every day, and study science, history/social studies, art and music one day per week each, leaving the additional day (which happened to be Friday for us) for making up work we didnt complete earlier in the week.