Calling it schoolwork for the toddler made her feel like she was getting to do something cool that her big sister was doing, while really just doing what she would have been anyway. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, HSLDA. Others split them into pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-5 and grades 6+. We also chose to provide our girls with education regarding proper behavior online, rather than feeling the need to constantly police them and their online activities. The truth is that our kids (or any of us, for that matter) have never learned or gone to school (in person, hybrid or online) during a global pandemic. 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. It is nice to have a separate table, countertop, or other area that you could leave your work out on all the time, but in most cases, this is not an option. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance? So, what options are there? The two most commonly tested subjects in standardized testing tend to be math and language arts, so when we homeschooled, we put the most emphasis on these two subjects, integrating the others as appropriate and as possible. Yours will too. Everything you need to organize your area is probabily already in your home. ), As you think through the answers to these questions and others, I would like to share about our personal experience with the transition from homeschool to public school in Connecticut only a few years ago. 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. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media, for example, provides a list of Kid-Safe Browsers and Search Sides, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites. They already do for other meetings and for lunch, right? Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. How might this impact your childs motivation to do their schoolwork? 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. 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). 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. On top of a foundation of trust is constructive conflict. This includes finding appropriate websites, movies, games, and applications, teaching your children about online safety and digital citizenship, and knowing how to distinguish between free, safe content and free, unsafe content. (2019). 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. 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. Digital Passport. CommonSenseMedia.org. Many parents are waiting for the school or school district to provide the details of the lessons your children will be assigned while they are out of school. You dont need to go crazy buying organizing supplies. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. These are all considerations when building a foundation of trust in a remote or distance learning team with all parties involved. Khan Academy has provided help and getting started pages for their content here: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, and the lessons themselves are accessible here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Scholastic has provided schedules and lessons here: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html. 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. (Dont forget to include what you used to keep your fort together tape, staples, clothes pins, etc. (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. (Also, in Connecticut, if your children were never enrolled in a public or private school, no notice of any kind needs to be filed. 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). Welltrainedmind.com. (2020). 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. Will you and your children be ok with this or able to handle any repetition or boredom by supplementing with other activities? In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! 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. 1) Draw out a rough daily schedule (or weekly, if your daily work schedules vary), allocating specific times for work and for schoolwork. The state, on the other hand, wants to have as much control and oversight as possible, in many cases. (2018). Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. 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. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall, as long as CDC guidelines for schools are followed (CDC, 2020)? These options are completed at a time and location of your convenience and have assigned teachers for all classes, as well as providing official transcripts and grades, just like on-ground/in-person school options. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, Common Sense Media. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.connectionsacademy.com/, CRHE. You can then try to save each others sanity by intermittently saying or doing the things you know are on the card, so that everyone has a chance to keep their kids engaged, but quiet (because shhhwe have to hear what is going on, so we dont miss out on a bingo square!). (n.d.). Considerations for Schools. You dont have to wait until plans for the fall are released to figure out what you are comfortable (and not comfortable) with. Many of our kids had packed schedules of school, sports, and other activities, with barely enough time to grab a sandwich in the car for supper. The first major hurdle for the transition was figuring out what grade they should be in. Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. When you get stressed or overwhelmed, just remember that surviving is all you and your family need to do right now, and the rest will all work out eventually. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, Focus on the Family. Trust that everyone is doing their best (whatever their best looks like on a given day) and trust that everyone has the childrens best interest at heart are a couple of others. So, how do we, as a team of parents, educators, and administrators, work together as a high performing team and not fall into the 5 dysfunctions of a team identified by Lencioni? This is when choosing distance learning through the school, working with the school on curriculum or even taking advantage of optional portfolio reviews, or employing a certified teacher in a pandemic pod could work out better than doing what we did with creating a custom curriculum. Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. 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. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). ), 4) If you choose homeschooling instead of distance learning, are you fully informed of any reporting requirements, regulations, etc. School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/legal, HSLDA. Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. While you are on a conference call today, have your kids stand next to your whiteboard or sit next to you coloring or doing some additional activity, and work with them to complete a bingo card based on what is said or done on your conference call. (Parents, dont be jealousyou can make forts, tooand even take your conference call from inside your fort, if you want to.). 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. There are so many different aspects and layers of trust, as well. They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. Roblox. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. 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. (n.d.). Almost three years later, I can tell you that it was the right choice for both of them, without a doubt. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, Headspace. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/, Montessori Northwest. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. What Are the Non-Core Subjects?. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, Grown and Flown. (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.) (n.d.). 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. Decorating Amazon boxes and used soup cans make great arts and craft projects and excellent organizers! Its important to have an honest conversation with your family and make the decision that is best for you, and to communicate that through these surveys. You will need to determine the best balance and schedule for your family based on the ages you are teaching, the subjects you have selected, and the modes you have chosen to use to teach those subjects. 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). Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. If you have decided that you are not yet comfortable physically sending your kids back to a school building, thinking through some of the following questions might be helpful in deciding between distance learning (assuming this option is available/offered through your school) and homeschooling: 1) Do you want to choose your own curriculum, make your own lesson plans, etc., or do you want to assist your children in completing teacher-assigned activities? 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. If you are teaching one child, you can skip this section. Focusonthefamily.com. 100 Things to Teach Your Teen While Youre Stuck at Home. 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. Although Im not fully convinced that this is the best approach to managing your time, the concept of Timeboxing is similar to the approach Ive recommended above. 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. For gratitude, an easy option to start your day would be to talk about three good or positive things. Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, Digital Learning Collaborative. An example of this is a new kindergartener starting homeschool in the first year of school eligibility. 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. If you want to really make it fun and engaging with everyone involved, you or the meeting organizer can make up a bingo card and send it out to everyone on the call. Best Kids Yoga Videos on YouTube. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. (n.d.). The best resource we have found for determining age-appropriateness of movies, games, applications and some websites is Common Sense Media, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. 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. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. Enjoy! What is Montessori Education? Our girls were homeschooled since Kindergarten, and I chose materials for each individual subject for each girl, and planned the curriculum and lesson plans myself throughout this entire time. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, Common Sense Media. Homeschool Laws By State. SheKnows.com. 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. There are a few things to consider. Making it clear that it was a big kid privilege to sit at the table with us to work on schoolwork was also helpful in motivating (relatively) quiet focus. The CRHE and HSLDA do a great job of keeping up with the current state regulations and how they are implemented (along with your legal rights and options as a homeschooler) (CRHE, n.d.; HSLDA, n.d.). When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler. The fourth consideration is the schedule of the subjects you have selected to teach. that you will be bound by? One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. You are the parent, and you know what is best for your children. Youre Probably Homeschooling Way More Than You Need To. 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. 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. (n.d.). Weathering the Storm. Everything else is a bonus. The one thing that all of those spaces had in common was a dedicated space to store all of our supplies and work. 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. We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. Common Core Resources: Textbook & Publisher Resources. ), 2) Do you (and your student) want the ability or option to participate in after school activities? Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). What Ill provide below is a brief overview of some of the options for planning the work, starting with four considerations for doing so. Instead of trying to convince your kids why they should be quiet and calm during your conference calls and hoping for the best, you might try giving them specific activities to keep them busy during these times. When we homeschooled, for earlier years, where I had many conference calls, and the kids were younger, we used videos for most of the elective subjects and studied each subject almost every day. (n.d.). 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/. 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. 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. Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/content/orgs/, K12.com. These are legally optional. It is important to remain aware (and equally appreciative for any help they provide) that the schools and school districts are not required to assist homeschooling families, and that submitting an intent to withdraw (and/or an intent to homeschool) does have a direct impact on their budget, as they are funded on a per-student basis. The key is not to be happy or unhappy about the approaches, but to be informed.
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