Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, Common Sense Media. The first consideration is the age levels you are teaching. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. 5) Choose activities to start your day off on a calm and positive note. 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. 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. It will make your planning much easier and less stressful if you acknowledge right now that you are one person and cannot be an effective fulltime teacher for 8 hours and full time worker for 8 hours, nor do you need to be. Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? 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. One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. 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 one thing that all of those spaces had in common was a dedicated space to store all of our supplies and work. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, Focus on the Family. There are actually more options than you would think, and you are your and your childrens best advocate. The state regulations say that families MAY submit a Notice of Intent to homeschool and participate in portfolio reviews. Educators need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. (These are usually set at the state-level and enforced at the district or school-level. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.connectionsacademy.com/, CRHE. 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. Grownandflown.com. 2) Develop open lines of communication between parents, educators and administrators. 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). There are a few things to consider. Everything else is a bonus. 2) Identify the subjects you would like to teach each of the children. 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. 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. If your student is overloaded with work, have them work with their teachers and administrators to request extensions or accommodations where needed. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). State Virtual Schools. The second option is for grades 6-8, called Digital Compass, which is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass. We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. (2020). 5) Understand and be honest and open about what you (and your student) can and cannot reasonably take on and complete given everything you have going on outside of school responsibilities, and be open to working with your student and their teachers and school administrators. Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. 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. 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. 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. (2018). Greater Good Magazine. 3) Identify the delivery mode you want to use for each subject and each child. 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. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance? Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. A visual representation of the five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies is shown below. (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.) (Remember: If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there. Retrieved March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. They are used to having their days and activities planned out for them months in advance. Others may be planning their own lessons and activities. 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. 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. As parents, educators, and administrators, (and our children) we are all part of a team with a common goal of ensuring that our children are safe, cared for, and that their learning is promoted and supported in all ways possible. schoolwork has to follow the school day/week schedule, the schoolwork has to only include academic subjects, the kids have to be working on academic work the entire time, socialization is an afterthought when homeschooling, the kids are responsible for schoolwork and parents need to continue all of the housework. (n.d.). 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. Decorating Amazon boxes and used soup cans make great arts and craft projects and excellent organizers! A lesson I learned the hard way many times is that they cant both be done (effectively) at the same time. 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. Or, are you not comfortable sending your children to school at all until there is a vaccine, for example? Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, Common Sense Media (n.d.). You are the parent, and you know what is best for your children. Lets face it, we are all in survival mode right now, and trying to claim anything else would be misleading. Without clearly defined roles and goals, it is difficult to hold team members accountable for their contributions to the team and to the teams success. at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind. Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. AnimalCams. As homeschoolers, they worked at their own pace in different subjects, which was great for their education and learning, but made the transition to an age-based grade-level determination a challenging one. 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. (Note that this is not a comprehensive list.) Before you start, identify an award they will earn if you get a bingo and/or if they black out the entire card by meeting the criteria of each bingo square on the entire bingo card. 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. (2020). A template for this can be found on many of the CT homeschooling group websites or Facebook pages. 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. 30 Gratitude Games and Activities for Kids to Practice Thankfulness. Some organizations group activities in the following age groups, for example, Kindergarten to grade 2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. You will need to determine what is best for you and your children. These can be accessed here: https://www.headspace.com/covid-19. One way to focus and be able to sift through all of the options is to decide what modes you wish to use to teach each of the subjects you selected, and limit your searches to the selected mode for each subject. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.roblox.com/, Wiess, S. R. (2020a). On top of a foundation of trust is constructive conflict. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, HSLDA. There are also many online tours of national parks, zoos, and aquariums. 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. Its challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page during a normal school year, but even more challenging during a global pandemic. 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. Game Reviews. What Ill provide below is a brief overview of some of the options for planning the work, starting with four considerations for doing so. What if schools open in a blended format, where schedules are alternating day to day or am/pm? 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. Minecraft Official Site. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which gives a simple, straightforward way to think about what is needed for teams to function well and to thrive. For those that had more meetings than others, I allocated the time for the meetings first, and then figured out what schoolwork I could fit in. Smoothing the transition in our new reality. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). (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. Harvard Business Review. No one knows what the right answer is to any question or problem right now, BUT, we can all try things, fail, get back up, and try something else. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. (n.d.). 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. 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. There are many options for finding safe content online for kids. (2020). 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. (n.d.). (2018). School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. 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. If you have chosen to homeschool instead of opt into distance learning through your school, and the option is temporary, you may wish to file the notice of intent to homeschool and proceed to work closely with the school to ensure the smoothest transition back into the school when the time is right. 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. 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. There are so many different aspects and layers of trust, as well. 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. 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. How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. What is Montessori Education? Awake and Mindful has collected five yoga videos for kids that might be one option for a calm activity to start off the day. 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. ), 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? Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, Common Sense Media. (This is a big deciding factor that can save or cost you a lot of time and stress. For gratitude, an easy option to start your day would be to talk about three good or positive things. If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. Welltrainedmind.com. 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. Common Sense Media includes reviews of some books, as well. 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. 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. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. These are accessible here: https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/. Everything you need to organize your area is probabily already in your home. Always be appreciative.). They also expect to have to make up for missed learning in the fall for this last spring, especially for the younger students in lower grades. 4) Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and identify how each will be held accountable and how opportunities for improvements will be identified, evaluated, and implemented. Best Kids Yoga Videos on YouTube. Either way, you will need to allocate time for schooling for your children and for your work. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. Awake and Mindful. 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. Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, Center for Disease Control (CDC). 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. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. ), 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. Trust that everyone is working toward a common goal, for example, is one type of trust. 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. 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://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft. Parents need to be able to bring concerns to educators and administrators when things arent working for them and their children. (Many states do not allow homeschoolers to participate in activities at the public school, but some states do. (Dont forget to include what you used to keep your fort together tape, staples, clothes pins, etc. The third consideration is the mode you wish to use to teach the subjects you have selected. Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures. They had to tell us the recommended ages by Common Sense Media, parents and kids and were only allowed to watch movies, play games or download/use apps that were 2 years over the lowest age recommended out of the three. Almost three years later, I can tell you that it was the right choice for both of them, without a doubt. (n.d.). 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. (n.d.). The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach. (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.). 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. How might this impact your childs motivation to do their schoolwork? To step back and take a look at what this truly means, it is helpful to have a lens through which to view this team and the relationships and responsibilities of the members of the team. SheKnows.com. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online.