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. Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). (n.d.). 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. Digital Compass. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. But, there is also so much that is fully within our control. 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. (n.d.). I present to you the conference call activity challenge for today (03/17/2020): Conference Call Bingo (with your kiddos)! Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. What can your student do to promote these team functions also? They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. (n.d.2). The second option is for grades 6-8, called Digital Compass, which is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass. Coronavirus (COVID-19). Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. The pause for them is a huge change and requires adjustment, but provides an opportunity for us, as parents, to teach them how to slow down and be ok with being bored or finding their own activities. 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.
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 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). 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. 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. 3) Clear out, setup and organize your dedicated storage area for your schoolwork and related supplies. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from, Zao-Sanders, Marc. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.roblox.com/, Wiess, S. R. (2020a). Welltrainedmind.com. 
Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance?
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. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. 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. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. Carter, Christine. 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. Small wins go a long way. Always be appreciative.). These are all considerations when building a foundation of trust in a remote or distance learning team with all parties involved. Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. K12.
These are accessible here: https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/. 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. 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. 
If you are teaching one child, you can skip this section. ), 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, Focus on the Family. (2019). 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.
There are also many online tours of national parks, zoos, and aquariums. 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/. Bauer, S. W. (2016).
To this day, we stand by that rule and have had very few issues. 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. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, Headspace. 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. You are the parent, and you know what is best for your children. 2) Develop open lines of communication between parents, educators and administrators. (2018). Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Khan Academy. For other jobs, like when I administered analytics servers, I had more flexibility to design my work day around the desired school schedule. They already do for other meetings and for lunch, right? Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library.
Roblox. 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 need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. (n.d.).
What we sometimes forget, though, is that our kids are, as well. Digital Passport. Either way, you will need to allocate time for schooling for your children and for your work. 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? There are actually more options than you would think, and you are your and your childrens best advocate. A template for this can be found on many of the CT homeschooling group websites or Facebook pages. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. (n.d.). Common Core Resources: Textbook & Publisher Resources. 3) Identify the delivery mode you want to use for each subject and each child. 30 Gratitude Games and Activities for Kids to Practice Thankfulness. 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. ), 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 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. 
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. If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. Scholastic Learn at Home. School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. 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. 4) *BONUS* You can also take an inventory of what you have for school supplies (paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, glue, scizzors, stapler, tape, whole punch, etc.). 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. Looking at these from a more positive lens, as opposed to negatively identifying them as dysfunctions, the list of what teams need to thrive include: The foundation of working together as a group, especially in a stressful, unclear, unpredictable situation like remote learning during a global pandemic, is trust. (2020). While the kids play, you can plan your day(s). (n.d.). Current Homeschool Laws. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. 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. With everyone rushing around trying to figure out what they are going to do for the fall, it is important to also pause, step back, and consider how the plans you make for the fall fit into your future educational plans. (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.).
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. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). (2020). If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. A visual representation of the five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies is shown below. Stay home and stay safe. (2020).
What if schools open in a blended format, where schedules are alternating day to day or am/pm? (2018). 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. The fourth consideration is the schedule of the subjects you have selected to teach. 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? SheKnows.com. You dont have to wait until plans for the fall are released to figure out what you are comfortable (and not comfortable) with. 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. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, Scholastic. 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. See below for our experience transitioning our kids from homeschooling to public school and considerations/lessons-learned that you might find helpful. 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. (2020).
Smoothing the transition in our new reality. 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.
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. Everything you need to organize your area is probabily already in your home. 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. 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)? The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox. Uncertainty and lack of direction and why can cause unnecessary stress and a lack of commitment. 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). How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. Connections Academy. (Note that this is not a comprehensive list.) You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. What Ill provide below is a brief overview of some of the options for planning the work, starting with four considerations for doing so. The reality is that we need to accept that nothing is going to be perfect in this imperfect situation, so for the perfectionists out there (like myself), if we are surviving and our families are surviving, we are doing the best we can, and that is good enough. 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. 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.
Weathering the Storm. (Many states do not allow homeschoolers to participate in activities at the public school, but some states do. What is Montessori Education? 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. 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. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). (n.d.).
(n.d.). The key is not to be happy or unhappy about the approaches, but to be informed. The one thing that all of those spaces had in common was a dedicated space to store all of our supplies and work. 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. (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.). 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. 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 March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. 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. 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. Administrators have never run schools, districts or boards of education during a global pandemic. 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. Common Sense Media. The first major hurdle for the transition was figuring out what grade they should be in. 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. There are many misconceptions about homeschooling, in general, but especially with working and homeschooling. You can research options for full-time online schooling, which some states offer for free (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2018). 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. State Virtual Schools. 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. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.headspace.com/covid-19, Khan Academy (2020). Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. Age-Appropriate Chores. If this was or is you, trust me, you are not alone. Awake and Mindful.
Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. The first consideration is the age levels you are teaching. 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. We made a decision years ago to provide some independence and ownership of content decisions to our kids, specifically for movies, games, and apps. Homeschool Laws By State. Grownandflown.com.
Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. 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. (n.d.). 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. 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). 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. Another point to consider is that you have every right to make the time spent educating your children as high a priority as any other meeting, so schedule it.
There are many options for finding safe content online for kids. (n.d.). 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. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort.
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. 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. Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, is providing a series of their meditations for free in the midst of the current situation. ), 2) Do you (and your student) want the ability or option to participate in after school activities?
- Winix True Hepa Filter
- Portable Ramps For Walkers Near Me
- Outre Melted Hairline Uk
- Mexican Heart Wall Decor
- Turned Table Legs Unfinished
- Best Soothing Cream For Irritated Skin
- Magazine Printing Services Near Me
- Distance From Sedona To Antelope Canyon
- Disassemble Ps5 Controller
- Apartments - Newport News
- Emerald Pendant Charm