They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, Headspace. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? 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. (Remember: If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there. ), So, with this conflicting guidance and information, what should you do? These are accessible here: https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/. While I worked and homeschooled, I had a variety of types of jobs, all technical/knowledge-working jobs, some with more flexibility than others. Harvard Business Review. 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. 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). (n.d.). 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. that you will be bound by? 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. 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. ), 4) If you choose homeschooling instead of distance learning, are you fully informed of any reporting requirements, regulations, etc. Best of luck with this years educational adventures. The CRHE and HSLDA do a great job of keeping up with the current state regulations and how they are implemented (along with your legal rights and options as a homeschooler) (CRHE, n.d.; HSLDA, n.d.). 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. (n.d.). (n.d.). The first consideration is the age levels you are teaching. Parents need to be able to bring concerns to educators and administrators when things arent working for them and their children. Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, is providing a series of their meditations for free in the midst of the current situation. 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. Will you and your children be ok with this or able to handle any repetition or boredom by supplementing with other activities? Stay home and stay safe. Digital Passport. Yes, movies sometimes work, but how about something possibly more fun (for you and for them)? You can research options for full-time online schooling, which some states offer for free (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2018). One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. Accountability is the forth level in the pyramid identified by Lencioni, and aligns closely with constructive conflict and commitment. 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. Focusonthefamily.com. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox. Awake and Mindful has collected five yoga videos for kids that might be one option for a calm activity to start off the day. One way to focus and be able to sift through all of the options is to decide what modes you wish to use to teach each of the subjects you selected, and limit your searches to the selected mode for each subject. Small wins go a long way. 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/. Our children need to be able to disagree and question things when concepts or instructions arent clear to them. 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. (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.). Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Khan Academy. These are all considerations when building a foundation of trust in a remote or distance learning team with all parties involved. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. Others may be planning their own lessons and activities. Yours will too. 2) Develop open lines of communication between parents, educators and administrators. 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. 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. You will need to determine what is best for you and your children. 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. In work environments, especially when working on projects, everyone has clearly defined roles and responsibilities which are laid out on a project plan. 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. The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach. There are so many different aspects and layers of trust, as well. Lets face it, we are all in survival mode right now, and trying to claim anything else would be misleading. How School Closures Can Strengthen Your Family. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. How Timeboxing Works and Why it Will Make You More Productive. As you wrap up the day, after allowing your kids to play and relax for the first day, take three deep breaths and smile, knowing that you completed some planning and organizing, and that you are on your way. Common Core Resources: Textbook & Publisher Resources. Always be appreciative.). 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. at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind. For other jobs, like when I administered analytics servers, I had more flexibility to design my work day around the desired school schedule. The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. 30 Gratitude Games and Activities for Kids to Practice Thankfulness. Then, your stress levels went through the roof when it didnt all go smoothly with calm, quiet kids and dedicated focus for you. Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/lencionis-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team-330d58b2cd81. (2020). Everything else is a bonus. SheKnows.com. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.roblox.com/, Wiess, S. R. (2020a). Retrieved March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. 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. We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. But, there is also so much that is fully within our control. Florida is more strict, but does have umbrella schools that allow for smoother navigation of the requirements. The standard subjects tend to include math, language arts, science, history or social studies, art, technology, health, physical education, and music. Montana requires a notice of intent to homeschool to be submitted to the local Superintendent of Schools, but does not require any other forms or portfolio review, etc. Considerations for Schools. (2018). Many state and local education-related publications have language that indicates that the notice of intent to homeschool and the portfolio reviews are required. On a sports team, each team member (player, coach, manager) has to understand their role in the teams success to be committed to being the best in that role that they possibly can, thus maximizing their contribution to the team and the teams progress toward that goal. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/content/orgs/, K12.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. Homeschool Organizations. If you are teaching one child, you can skip this section. 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. Coronavirus (COVID-19). Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. 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. 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 have chosen to homeschool instead of opt into distance learning through your school, and the option is temporary, you may wish to file the notice of intent to homeschool and proceed to work closely with the school to ensure the smoothest transition back into the school when the time is right. 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. 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. Digital Compass. 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. There are many options for finding safe content online for kids. You will need to determine the best balance and schedule for your family based on the ages you are teaching, the subjects you have selected, and the modes you have chosen to use to teach those subjects. 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. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. Current Homeschool Laws. School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, Grown and Flown. Uncertainty and lack of direction and why can cause unnecessary stress and a lack of commitment. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. (2020). 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)? Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, HSLDA. If yours has not done so, or you would like to supplement the work provided to your kids, there are many approaches to doing so. Best Kids Yoga Videos on YouTube. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.connectionsacademy.com/, CRHE. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/. (n.d.). It is important to remember this. 100 Things to Teach Your Teen While Youre Stuck at Home. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. 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? Also, be sure that you are fully informed about what activities are offered or not offered for any who opt into remote or distance learning through the school, as this likely differs on a district by district or school by school basis. 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. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, Common Sense Media. Our girls were homeschooled since Kindergarten, and I chose materials for each individual subject for each girl, and planned the curriculum and lesson plans myself throughout this entire time. On top of a foundation of trust is constructive conflict. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, Scholastic. 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. Roblox. 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. If you are homeschooling on your own, you and your children might be the only members of the team, but for others remotely schooling via distance learning options provided through their school or district, there are many other members of the team, as well. This includes finding appropriate websites, movies, games, and applications, teaching your children about online safety and digital citizenship, and knowing how to distinguish between free, safe content and free, unsafe content. 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. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. ), 2) Do you (and your student) want the ability or option to participate in after school activities? 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. (2018). The key is not to be happy or unhappy about the approaches, but to be informed. 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. Its important that parents, educators and administrators clearly define what the goals are and monitor progress toward those goals. See below for our experience transitioning our kids from homeschooling to public school and considerations/lessons-learned that you might find helpful. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, Digital Learning Collaborative. Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. 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. A lesson I learned the hard way many times is that they cant both be done (effectively) at the same time. 5) Choose activities to start your day off on a calm and positive note. In the middle of the fall, we collectively decided that it was time for the girls to attend public school. 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. Smoothing the transition in our new reality. 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. AnimalCams. 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. 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. (Note that this is not a comprehensive list.) 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. Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall if they are physically opened for attendance? Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. In these times, I found educational videos that could fill the spaces, where my children could still be learning, but I was able to focus on the meetings and my work. (2020). 1) Draw out a rough daily schedule (or weekly, if your daily work schedules vary), allocating specific times for work and for schoolwork. K12. The last thing we need is to waste time searching for books, pencils, paper and other supplies while we are trying to work and homeschool. If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. ), 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? You will need to research your options in your area if this is a deciding factor for you. There are many misconceptions about homeschooling, in general, but especially with working and homeschooling.
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