Tips for Remote Home Schooling During Emergencies
Tips for remote homeschooling and attending school from home for parents thrust into remote learning due to the closing of public schools in your home state during pandemics like coronavirus/COVID-19, quarantines, because of emergency situations and epidemics. Tips for remote learning or attending school from home during the coronavirus outbreak
WHY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED?
The governors in numerous states across the United States announced this week's major changes to schools in response to new coronavirus concerns. Public schools across the United States announced closures through the end of March affecting thousands of families and students. More than 30,000 K-12 schools in the United States are being shut because of worries about spreading the coronavirus, affecting at least 20 million students, most of whom will be asked to shift to online learning.
Today I will cover how to organize school work at home, how to focus on schoolwork at home and how to work on school assignments in your own home.
YOU WILL BE OKAY!
I have been a homeschool parent for over a decade now and I want to personally reassure anyone thrust into the new world of homeschooling or online schooling that you will be okay! Teaching your children at home or remote schooling might not look like what you think it will. Remote schooling and remote learning can be as simple as sitting on your sofa and reading together. It will be okay if school classes stretch into summer for a few weeks.
Keep in mind that all of these changes are hard enough on our children so it really is up to us parents to be as relaxed and calm as possible during this very difficult time in the world. The world has seen hard times before, and this won’t be the last hard thing the world experiences either. Life will return to normal, but in the interim, keep in mind that parents are very capable of teaching their students remotely with the help of their community and school districts. Who knows, you may even really enjoy homeschooling and have a great time with your family and children during these few weeks of remote learning at home!
Right now there is no need to panic because you will be provided the curriculum to follow in order to remote homeschool at this time. There will not be a need to research the curriculum. You will basically be getting assignments from teachers via emails likely or school platforms. Your child will also likely be turning in their assignments via emails or images or school platforms. Parents will have the full support of teachers and school districts to help to turn this short-term remote schooling period while public schools are closed.
TIPS for Remote Schooling from Home
Here are some TIPS for Remote Schooling from Home to help your children with online classes, video conferencing, or remote learning for this short term temporary homeschooling period during this emergency situation in the United States.
Keeping on A Schedule
I can’t stress this enough. you are NOT on vacation. If your children normally woke up at 6 am to catch the bus or be driven to school. They should still be getting up at 6 am, getting dressed and getting ready to begin their day at home remote learning with you as their teacher. If they will be participating in online classes, video classes, video conferencing classes, your children should be ready to begin their school day at home. If you have a great attitude towards remote schooling at home during this emergency situation, so will your children. Staying motivated to complete everything on the daily schedules.
Another great tip is to actually stick to your child’s school schedule. If they change classes every hour, have your child transition to a new subject. This will alleviate boredom and distractions as well. Stick to the regular study times as if they were actually in their own schools.
One aspect of schooling at home that will greatly surprise any new parent to homeschooling — Schooling at home is MUCH FASTER than schooling at school. Your child is not going to need the full 50-60 minutes per subject and will likely be done with school each day in a couple to a few hours. Think about it- you will only have your children to teach and they will only have themselves learning — instead of a full classroom of students all distracting each other. Realistically, your new homeschooled student will be done each day within a few hours.
Do not attempt to stick to a full eight hours of homeschooling each day, because I can tell you in all honesty - I have never schooled any of my children for eight hours in one day. Most days, we are done by lunchtime.
It is totally true that “you get out what you put in.”
Remove Distractions
All televisions should remain off during school time at home. All cell phones, tablets, radios, music, and devices should be put away unless used as a supplement during school time. Schoolwork will go a lot faster without any disruptions or distractions.
Guidance From Your Child’s School
It doesn’t matter if your children are in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle school, or in high school, simply use these tips for your learning level and remote home school needs.
Your home public or private school might already have detailed plans in place to teach online for your students. The public schools may even require students to work online during this short term emergency. Help your children as much as possible in setting up video conferencing, accessing e-learning portals for classes, reading emails from teachers, submitting assignments via portals or emails or taking pictures of completed assignments, and submitting to teachers. Your children may only be “encouraged to read assignments: or work on homework that is assigned.
You will likely need a good and dependable way for your children to access their assignments each day. If you do not have wifi in your home, perhaps utilize libraries if they are open or local coffee shops. Cellular phones are also an option for video classes.
You are your child’s biggest advocate at this time in encouraging the follow through on all homework encouraged or assigned!
Set up a School Area in Your Home
You do not need a special room or classroom in your home to remote home school your children! You can simply work at a dining room table, a kitchen table, or even at a desk in your child’s room. If your children are in preschool, kindergarten, or elementary school, if you have a small table in your home, that would work great. If you have an office, you can school your middle school or high school student in the home office. If none of those situations work for your family, you can sit on a sofa with a television tray too! If you drive around a lot, your child can even school in the car!
However, just make it a strict rule that while your children are “in” school whist remote schooling at home, that whatever room, chair or sofa you have designated as school is where they are sitting during school time., Being at home can lend to numerous distractions. My kids sit at the kitchen counter and my counters have absolutely nothing on them to distract them. Sometimes they sit at their desks, but I close the blinds all the way so they can’t look out the windows (I know, mean mom).
How To Make a Homework Schedule
I am attaching the spreadsheet and also the pdf of the homework schedule I use. I get assignments from my children’s teachers each week and I compile those assignments into a weekly spreadsheet that I then print for them. The assignments are listed by day of the week so each day, they simply cross off the assignment once they are done and move on to the next subject. This spreadsheet is easy to navigate and easy to fill in with the assignments you receive from your child’s teacher (or create yourself)!
Please visit my curriculum store to download the FREE Homework Schedule.
Stagger Learning Levels
There are different levels of supervision required by parents for different ages and grade levels of your children. I am schooling multiple kids of different ages and stages is HARD. not going to sugar coat it, since you are thrust into this home school situation because of the emergency situation for the short term, Homeschooling multiple children at different levels is HARD.
The best advice I can give to you for homeschooling different ages and grade levels is to stagger your children’s schedules. Your elementary or middle school student can start on some independent study while you are working on the worksheet with your preschoolers or vice versa. While your little people are napping, work with your older children at school.
Keep this in mind while working with your children during the day:
Grades Kindergarten through Grade 3 NEED their parent at their elbow working with them.
This means, you the parent, the new homeschool teacher should be sitting next to your child helping them understand concepts and complete work to the best of their ability.
Grade 4 students need the parent to be a Hovering Parent.
This means the parent will check in frequently to ensure your child understands the assignments correctly. You may have to help your child brainstorm paper and project ideas or simply how to break a task down. In addition, it is a good idea to proofread assignments and papers and help your child see errors they may not have noticed. Help your child study and manage their time and make sure they are completing their best work.
Grade 5 and Grade 6 students need the parent to be an Assign and Check Parent.
This means it is the parent’s job as the homeschool teacher to basically be the same as the Hovering Parent but also prepare the student for any exams or tests.
Middle School Students
This age needs parents to help establish the new at home school schedule and work out an academic schedule along with the daily schedule. But most of all-monitor your new homeschooled student. You, the parent, the new homeschool teacher are on call for the school schedule. You check-in at the beginning of the day and check out at the end of the school day at home.
High School Students will basically need their parents to check-in
at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week to ensure assignments are getting completed. Ask your child for a “Friday report.” What’s going well? What’s going badly? What changes need to be made?
It is important that at each level you, the parent, the new homeschool teacher, are also helping your child have a healthy relationship with technology. Make sure that you are working with your students to develop good time management habits that involve technology-free times while studying to avoid distractions.
Schedule Free time and Play
Your child likely has a designated free time during school whether it is recess, lunchtime, or gym. Be sure to give your own child a bit of free time during the day as well. Go outside for 20-30 minutes for some free air and perspective. Take a short walk for some exercise. Head to the park for lunch. You will need a bit of a breather and downtime during the day and so will your child.
HAVE FUN
This is a very stressful time and the situation now in the United States and the rest of the world. However, take this extra time with your children as a special bonding experience. You will be able to say when they are older, remember that time I homeschooled you and laugh and soak in all the great memories.
Don’t be dismayed at this special time with your children. Don’t be negative about this homeschooling experience with your children. Enjoy it, take it in stride! You have been thrust into a unique situation that is only short term. HAVE FUN!
Supplemental Lessons
I have been creating a supplemental homeschool curriculum for my own children for years. This FREE supplemental curriculum is housed in my curriculum store available to anyone who would like to utilize it during this short term homeschool situation.
The Central Nervous System Science Lesson Plan
Science Projects
Election Unit Study
Paul's Missionary Map Project
History Units
The Battle at Bunker Hill Worksheet
Writing Poetry FREE Printable
Art Units
Homeschool Curriculum
I’m interested in homeschooling.
How do I get started?
Curious and want to learn more about homeschooling? START HERE:
5 Easy Steps To Start Homeschooling
Whether you have been thrust into remote learning with your children at home by homeschooling due to an emergency or a pandemic outbreak, like the current coronavirus/COVID-19, because the public and private schools have issued closure in your area — YOU can be prepared with these simple Tips for Remote Schooling During Emergencies!
What can I do to help my child’s learning if the school is canceled?
Fortunately, there are sp many educational resources accessible from your own home today. Actually there are more resources available today than ever before. Here is a list of free educational resources students can utilize at home while schools are closed. I currently use these resources as a supplement!
Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/) – Khan Academy offers free courses of all grade levels for subjects. These are recorded classes where students can learn at their own pace.
PBS LearningMedia (https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/) – PBS LearningMedia provides students with free lesson plans, videos, and games.
TEDEd (https://ed.ted.com/) – TEDEd brings lessons that are shareable animated videos.
PowerMyLearning Connect (https://powermylearning.org/learn/connect/) – PowerMyLearning Connect offers free content in all core subjects and electives.
BrainPOP (https://www.brainpop.com/) – BrainPOP provides animated interactive lessons, quizzes, and games for subjects and electives.
Lumosity (https://www.lumosity.com/en/) – Lumosity offers free games.
Duolingo (https://www.duolingo.com/) – Duolingo offers 30+ foreign languages.
EVERFI (https://everfi.com/partners/k-12-educators/) – EVERFI offers free supplemental lessons.
