How to Homeschool While Working From Home

Mar 25

This post is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the world is having to navigate these wild times. Tune into my Global News segment.

This is not another downloadable schedule or curriculum. It is merely an opinion of how we should approach educating our kids while we try to make a life out of this new normal.

I first want to acknowledge the position we are all in. Some parents live in tiny apartments in a big city, and others have space in the country. Many parents have never worked from home before and are now forced not only to care for their children fulltime but to work and educate them as well.

Many don't have the time, network, or resources to think about what curriculum to use. They are too busy looking for another job while watching their kids, or applying for EI, or working from the kitchen table while dealing with tantrums, or counting dollars for groceries, or managing a stressful home.

Moms and Dads - You're doing a great job! There is no shame in not getting any of this right (what is right anyway?)

Please know that education does not just come from a textbook or a worksheet. It comes from life experiences too, like learning how to cook, clean, public speak, have a conversation, drive, be brave and resilient, learn on your own, read, home repairs, research, use a map, emergency preparedness, draw, self-control, compassion and so much more.

What is being asked of most of us is unimaginable and very complicated. We never signed up to homeschool, yet here we are with the weight of our nation's educational expectations on our shoulders. We are teetering on panic and longing for connection. Your kids feel that stress too. And let me tell you...

Kids out of routine are stressed with the main focus of self-preservation and learning a new normal. There is an adjustment period. Just like the first 1-2 weeks of school, we need to take things slowly.
Kids don't learn when they are stressed.

The best thing a parent can do right now is to focus on lowering the stress levels and not on patching together a flawless routine and curriculum. You can throw that out the window! This process could take days or weeks. But also know that a routine is still essential, whatever that looks like for you and your family.

I suggest that only after you are all calm and situated that you think about developing a homeschool schedule and 'curriculum’, if that works for you. You have to ask yourself, what is the priority here? Working and getting paid, or educating your kids, or stressing about doing both at the same time? If you can balance a little bit of both, great. If not, don't beat yourself up over it. Take each day as it comes.

If you feel as though you can work from home and homeschool, then here are some tips on how you can ease into it:

Set Expectations. Set the mandate and explain why we are all at home. Kids need to be over-communicated too so that they are aware of what's going on and how they can help in this situation. By setting the expectations, it makes this transition easier for everyone. But don't just say it once, remind them every day until they're saying it for you.
Implement a simple schedule. Plan your homeschooling around your work schedule. If you are teaching or guiding your kids with their work, then make THAT the priority over checking emails and doing your job. This is why scheduling is so important. You don't have to stick to the normal school hours. If nights and weekends work best to get their school work done, then embrace it. Finally, create a schedule that everyone can see. Print it or write it out and stick it on the fridge.
Divide and conquer. 50/50 - if you have a partner, review your weekly calendars on Sunday and every night before bed to make sure you are in sync. Time the parenting handoffs accordingly and remember ... we all have to make a sacrifice. If you are doing this all solo (hats off to you!), review your calendar with your kids at night so that they are all on board with the next day's agenda.
Create an easy curriculum. If the school doesn't provide you with anything, build your own. There are free resources online for this (We use VentureLabs for techy/entrepreneur work) and have our own books from Amazon for reading and writing. Youngs kids only need 1-2 hours of school work/day. Older kids can be self-guided but give them some instruction (and their own space to study). If you look at a typical school day, there is much time spent in transition, in breaks, lunch, and in-class management. You aren't doing that, so give your kids some grace. If all else fails, READ—lots and lots of reading and tonnes of writing.
Design a rewards system. Create a rewards system or something for the kids to work towards. Ex: building a fort in the woods or a cool science project. Create something that takes days to complete. It gives them something to work towards and keeps them occupied.
Use technology when you need it. This is tricky. We are tech-free during the day unless we need an iPad or computer for a learning project or when I need some quiet time (silence) for my work. On that, set expectations with your kids and the people on that call as to your situation. Given the circumstances, most people are accommodating. And if you have to turn on the TV more than you would typically, do it.
Make it fun. Education needs to be exciting, especially for young kids. Children retain information better when they are applying what they learned. I spent 35-minutes giving my kids a general overview of our major organs, and all they took away was that the intestines turn food into poo. Education is a marathon. Be patient.
Test appropriately. Unless upper-grade level kids require a more formal assessment, use the time at the end of each day to ask them questions on what they learned. They can recite their work and the funny things that happened during the day. This can be done for all ages.
Encourage more chores. Now's a great time to teach your kids more responsibility around the house. Give them more tasks to do. Life skills are just as important as math skills.
Relax! If you are all healthy and happy, just go with the flow. There is no right way to do this, so make the most of it. We are uncertain when schools will open again, so prepare for this momentary new normal. And where you can, so long as it is within your boundaries of self-isolation, ask for help. Lean on your kids' teachers, your community, and other online groups that can give you some inspiration and advice.

A worst-case scenario is that schools are out for the remainder of the year. But we don't know that for sure, and shouldn't focus on the things out of our control. A best-case scenario is that schools will open again in 2-3 weeks. So, your kids would only be behind by a month. It's a wait-and-see time, so take it easy. Don't be so hard on yourself. No matter what, your kids will still thrive if they are loved and nurtured.

So in the meantime, take it day-by-day.

Photo by Josh Applegate

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