Florida is more strict, but does have umbrella schools that allow for smoother navigation of the requirements. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. (2020). They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. In the middle of the fall, we collectively decided that it was time for the girls to attend public school. Our children need to be able to disagree and question things when concepts or instructions arent clear to them. 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. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. 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. Educators need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. There are a few things to consider. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. Its challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page during a normal school year, but even more challenging during a global pandemic. (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 example, one was created by E. Gilliam, and is accessible here: https://www.conferencecallbingo.net/blog with the printable version accessible directly here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbwyrg21rbg79fj/conferencecallbingo.pdf?dl=0. Enjoy! A great list of them compiled by STEAMsational is accessible here: https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/. 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). 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. 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. (n.d.). It is important to remember this. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, Common Sense Media (n.d.). One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.connectionsacademy.com/, CRHE. 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 third consideration is the mode you wish to use to teach the subjects you have selected. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. 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. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. 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. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Earthcam. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. Having a dedicated space will allow you to put everything away in a neat and orderly fashion after every day, so that it is available and easy to access the following day. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, Digital Learning Collaborative. 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. (2020). (Note that this is not a comprehensive list.) (n.d.). 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). 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. Or, are you not comfortable sending your children to school at all until there is a vaccine, for example? https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/lencionis-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team-330d58b2cd81. While I worked and homeschooled, I had a variety of types of jobs, all technical/knowledge-working jobs, some with more flexibility than others. 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. (2019). An example of this is a new kindergartener starting homeschool in the first year of school eligibility. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. (These are usually set at the state-level and enforced at the district or school-level. (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.). 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. Just take a few deep breaths and enjoy the time you have with your kids, because they really do grow up so fast, and this pandemic and chaos will eventually pass. The public school administrators where we are were extremely helpful in working with us to determine the best placement. You will need to decide, based on your family values and rules about electronics and screen time, your work schedule and flexibility, ages of your children, and learning preferences and styles, what modes are best for you for each student and each subject. The second is what is being referred to as remote or distance learning, or, in our district, cooperative distance learning, which I think describes this option very well. You are the parent, and you know what is best for your children. 2) Block off the appropriate time for schoolwork on your work calendar and communicate these expectations to your manager and coworkers. Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? 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.). Stay home and stay safe. The key is not to be happy or unhappy about the approaches, but to be informed. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. See below for our experience transitioning our kids from homeschooling to public school and considerations/lessons-learned that you might find helpful. Common Sense Media. 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. Uncertainty and lack of direction and why can cause unnecessary stress and a lack of commitment. So, what options are there? (Remember to make the award something you can make, give or do with them at home, and that they can have or do after your conference call is over.). 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. 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!!! 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. 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. 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. Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Awake and Mindful. Marc Zao-Sanders (2018) wrote an informative article on TimeBoxing, accessible here: Organizing your space is another aspect of your current situation that you have total control over. Current Homeschool Laws. Smoothing the transition in our new reality. A lesson I learned the hard way many times is that they cant both be done (effectively) at the same time. (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.) You will need to research your options in your area if this is a deciding factor for you. There are actually more options than you would think, and you are your and your childrens best advocate. Connections Academy. 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. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/legal, HSLDA. If you are teaching one child, you can skip this section. If your student is overloaded with work, have them work with their teachers and administrators to request extensions or accommodations where needed. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance? Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. ), 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? While the kids play, you can plan your day(s). In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! You dont have to wait until plans for the fall are released to figure out what you are comfortable (and not comfortable) with. 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. 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. 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. Decorating Amazon boxes and used soup cans make great arts and craft projects and excellent organizers! Welltrainedmind.com. 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. 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. 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. (2020). K12. 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. A visual representation of the five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies is shown below. Homeschool Organizations. 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. Small wins go a long way. 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. What if schools are opened in a virtual-only format to start the school year and transition to blended or alternating schedule formats, or even full capacity later in the school year? (2018). Weathering the Storm. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, Common Sense Media. 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. Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html, STEAMsational. The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach. 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. How School Closures Can Strengthen Your Family. 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). ), 2) Do you (and your student) want the ability or option to participate in after school activities? (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.) at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind. (n.d.). How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. 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. They are used to having their days and activities planned out for them months in advance. The state, on the other hand, wants to have as much control and oversight as possible, in many cases. 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)? AnimalCams. (n.d.). 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. (n.d.). Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. 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). Grownandflown.com. Well, the best approach comes down to whether this is a temporary or long-term/permanent option for you and your family. 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. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. Digital Compass. How We Rate and Review. You will need to determine what is best for you and your children. 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. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. Awake and Mindful has collected five yoga videos for kids that might be one option for a calm activity to start off the day. Yours will too. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. (2020). If this was or is you, trust me, you are not alone. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. (Also, in Connecticut, if your children were never enrolled in a public or private school, no notice of any kind needs to be filed. (2018). These are all considerations when building a foundation of trust in a remote or distance learning team with all parties involved. Here are a few options, as examples: CDC. Parents need to be able to bring concerns to educators and administrators when things arent working for them and their children. We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. 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 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). Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. 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. In work environments, especially when working on projects, everyone has clearly defined roles and responsibilities which are laid out on a project plan. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, Grown and Flown. Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures. (n.d.). (n.d.2). Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures. Many state and local education-related publications have language that indicates that the notice of intent to homeschool and the portfolio reviews are required. 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. The ability to have an open and honest discussion with their teacher, administrator, or even boss, is a skill that will only help them in their future. Its important that parents, educators and administrators clearly define what the goals are and monitor progress toward those goals. 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. 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. 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.