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. 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. 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. 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. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance?

), 4) If you choose homeschooling instead of distance learning, are you fully informed of any reporting requirements, regulations, etc. 3) Clear out, setup and organize your dedicated storage area for your schoolwork and related supplies. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, Scholastic. 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. 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. 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. doux soufriere

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. 1947 Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. 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. Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. 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. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. 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. 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. Some of the common misconceptions include: Lets attempt to address these one by one. 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. We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. 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. A visual representation of the five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies is shown below. While the kids play, you can plan your day(s).

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. 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. What can your student do to promote these team functions also? Age-Appropriate Chores. When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler.

2) Block off the appropriate time for schoolwork on your work calendar and communicate these expectations to your manager and coworkers. These are legally optional. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. Carter, Christine. There are a few things to consider. 3) Identify the delivery mode you want to use for each subject and each child. The second option is for grades 6-8, called Digital Compass, which is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass. 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 March 16, 2020, from, Zao-Sanders, Marc. (n.d.). (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). Well, the best approach comes down to whether this is a temporary or long-term/permanent option for you and your family. 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. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. Think about other ways that you can work to promote trust, constructive conflict, commitment, accountability, and attention to results as part of your students learning team and pick one item to focus on at a time. Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. There are so many options available to teach every subject, and many are free. (Parents, dont be jealousyou can make forts, tooand even take your conference call from inside your fort, if you want to.).

Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, is providing a series of their meditations for free in the midst of the current situation. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox. 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. 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. (Remember: If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there. Greater Good Magazine. 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. 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. 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.

Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, Common Misconceptions about Working and Homeschooling, https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/, https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2173553/coronavirus-school-closings-keep-kids-busy/1/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers, https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/, https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html, https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbwyrg21rbg79fj/conferencecallbingo.pdf?dl=0, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_school_closures_can_strengthen_your_family, https://hbr.org/2018/12/how-timeboxing-works-and-why-it-will-make-you-more-productive. What is Montessori Education? (Also, in Connecticut, if your children were never enrolled in a public or private school, no notice of any kind needs to be filed. Remember the CDC guidelines and be innovative in your organization and space planning. (This is a big deciding factor that can save or cost you a lot of time and stress.

You dont need to go crazy buying organizing supplies.

In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! 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. (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.). (n.d.). Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. 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. Florida is more strict, but does have umbrella schools that allow for smoother navigation of the requirements. 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. 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. 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. 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. How School Closures Can Strengthen Your Family. 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. (2020). (2018). There are many options for finding safe content online for kids. (Note that this is not a comprehensive list.) 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. Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. ), 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 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!). SheKnows.com. Focusonthefamily.com. Schedules created and posted in a common location provide clarity to everyone involved and help the parents avoid questions like what are we doing today? and what subjects are we working on today? There are many free printable planners and schedules available online. 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. 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). (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/content/orgs/, K12.com. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. If you are teaching more than one child, you will need to decide, based on their ages, maturity levels and possibly reading levels, whether you need to plan separate work for each, or whether you can plan once and have them all working on the same work. (n.d.). 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. 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. Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, Center for Disease Control (CDC).



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