Small wins go a long way. What we sometimes forget, though, is that our kids are, as well. 
Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/, Montessori Northwest.
When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler. 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 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). 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. Others may be planning their own lessons and activities. Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. 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. (n.d.). Homeschool Laws By State. 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. (2020). Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, Grown and Flown. 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. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, Headspace. Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. (2020). Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). Every other Wednesday. 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. (2020). 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. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from, Zao-Sanders, Marc. For other jobs, like when I administered analytics servers, I had more flexibility to design my work day around the desired school schedule. You can research options for full-time online schooling, which some states offer for free (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2018). An example of this is a new kindergartener starting homeschool in the first year of school eligibility.
Best of luck with this years educational adventures. You dont need to go crazy buying organizing supplies. The state regulations say that families MAY submit a Notice of Intent to homeschool and participate in portfolio reviews. The ticket revenue goes toward prizes and generous donations to local organizations.
Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. Current Homeschool Laws. (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.) Yours will too. Our children need to be able to disagree and question things when concepts or instructions arent clear to them. 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. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020).
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. Game Reviews. 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. 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. 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. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). In my personal opinion, consistency in accountability, especially for online learners, is fundamental to their success, I believe, but it takes everyone involved being on the same page to maintain an appropriate level of accountability. State Virtual Schools. Awake and Mindful. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Harvard Business Review.
There are also many online tours of national parks, zoos, and aquariums. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2173553/coronavirus-school-closings-keep-kids-busy/1/, Wiess, S. R. (2020b).
Retrieved March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. 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. 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/. 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.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. (n.d.). See below for our experience transitioning our kids from homeschooling to public school and considerations/lessons-learned that you might find helpful. 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 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind.
Please provide your verification details which will be used for claim procedure. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. It is important to remember this. Given the current closure of public schools, many publishers are providing content online for free, as well. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. 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. 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. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html, STEAMsational. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox. Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the worlds most pressing humanitarian challenges. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.headspace.com/covid-19, Khan Academy (2020).
(2018). Age-Appropriate Chores. All movies, for example, have ratings from Common Sense Media, as well as a kids rating and a parents rating, but even more helpful are the details provided by Common Sense Media behind their specific rating. Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. 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. 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. Well, the best approach comes down to whether this is a temporary or long-term/permanent option for you and your family. Carter, Christine. Homeschool Organizations. The first consideration is the age levels you are teaching. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, Common Sense Media. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? There are so many options available to teach every subject, and many are free. With new picnic tables in place, including a table designed for handicap access, the pavilion is ready to be used by local residents and visitors to Meredith. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. These can be accessed here: https://www.headspace.com/covid-19. Or, are you not comfortable sending your children to school at all until there is a vaccine, for example? 5) Choose activities to start your day off on a calm and positive note. 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). How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. How We Rate and Review. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels. Remember that you have options and that considering the short term and the long term will help smooth any future transitions for you and your children.
