Many state and local education-related publications have language that indicates that the notice of intent to homeschool and the portfolio reviews are required. 2) Block off the appropriate time for schoolwork on your work calendar and communicate these expectations to your manager and coworkers. The truth is that our kids (or any of us, for that matter) have never learned or gone to school (in person, hybrid or online) during a global pandemic. At those times, my kids were at the ages where they needed more hands-on help and their school workload was higher, so it worked well for us. (10% off), Sale Price $40.80 Organizing any extra items needed (for science experiments, for example) over the weekend for the entire week will also help make your work/homeschool days flow much smoother. Free Printable Homeschool Planners. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. 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. (20% off), ad by LinenLifeStore From shop LINDRAKI, Sale Price $42.00 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. Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. From shop SAUTHS, $75.00 Ad from shop TopBohemianDesigns Enjoy! 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. 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. From shop KiwiBirdFashion, Sale Price $38.40 https://www.talbots.com/plus-size-linen-palazzo-pants---lined-white/P192016920.html. Parents need to be able to bring concerns to educators and administrators when things arent working for them and their children. From shop FriendsFashion, ad by DesignerYao (n.d.). Original Price $76.99 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 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. ), So, with this conflicting guidance and information, what should you do? 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. 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. ), 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? The one thing that all of those spaces had in common was a dedicated space to store all of our supplies and work. Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript. Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. Awake and Mindful. Sellers looking to grow their business and reach more interested buyers can use Etsys advertising platform to promote their items. They are used to having their days and activities planned out for them months in advance. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/legal, HSLDA. Original Price $96.00 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. Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). 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. Ad from shop JairoCreative 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. From shop MSFASHIONBoutique, $50.80 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. 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. (50% off), ad by SimpsonGardens Original Price $129.76 Uncertainty and lack of direction and why can cause unnecessary stress and a lack of commitment. In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! 5) Choose activities to start your day off on a calm and positive note. Great! Original Price $99.60 Many sellers on Etsy offer personalized, made-to-order items. Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, Center for Disease Control (CDC). A lesson I learned the hard way many times is that they cant both be done (effectively) at the same time. The state regulations say that families MAY submit a Notice of Intent to homeschool and participate in portfolio reviews. No year, and no day, to be honest, looked the same for us, even when I tried to plan it to be the same, and my kids turned out just fine. Ad from shop womenlinenpants blisslinen You've already signed up for some newsletters, but you haven't confirmed your address. Typically, orders of $35 USD or more (within the same shop) qualify for free standard shipping from participating Etsy sellers. (n.d.2). Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, is providing a series of their meditations for free in the midst of the current situation. LinenCrush From shop OldLinenMill, Sale Price $65.08 Original Price $60.00 Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. Homeschool Organizations. 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. Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures. Ad from shop LinenCrush Retrieved March 19, 2020 from https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, Bestow. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/. $54.90, $109.80 If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. While many of the items on Etsy are handmade, youll also find craft supplies, digital items, and more. 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. Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. (50% off), ad by SAUTHS $116.79, $129.76 They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, Common Sense Media (n.d.). Softly brushed 8-oz. FREE shipping, ad by KiwiBirdFashion Smoothing the transition in our new reality. 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. $59.76, $99.60 Stay home and stay safe. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Earthcam. 1) Draw out a rough daily schedule (or weekly, if your daily work schedules vary), allocating specific times for work and for schoolwork. LINDRAKI Your next steps are: 1) Identify the age groups of the children you are educating and whether they need to be planned separately or if the plan and content can be the same. 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. 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. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. ), 4) If you choose homeschooling instead of distance learning, are you fully informed of any reporting requirements, regulations, etc. 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. $39.49, $78.99 $51.10, $73.00 Carter, Christine. Original Price $73.00 We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. 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. Coronavirus (COVID-19). Marc Zao-Sanders (2018) wrote an informative article on TimeBoxing, accessible here: Organizing your space is another aspect of your current situation that you have total control over. 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. Ad from shop SAUTHS You can then try to save each others sanity by intermittently saying or doing the things you know are on the card, so that everyone has a chance to keep their kids engaged, but quiet (because shhhwe have to hear what is going on, so we dont miss out on a bingo square!). (50% off), $102.00 While we await final proposals for opening of schools in the fall from states and local districts, we are all asking what if? What if schools open as usual in the fall at full capacity? Greater Good Magazine. With some states canceling in-person schooling for the rest of the academic year and others extending the closures for additional time periods or indefinitely, but messages coming from politicians that we need to re-open the country, we are in a state of wait and see. From handmade pieces to vintage treasures ready to be loved again, Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. 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. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? From shop womenlinenpants, Sale Price $51.00 ad by LenokLINENcom In work environments, especially when working on projects, everyone has clearly defined roles and responsibilities which are laid out on a project plan. Ad from shop BelleOutfit $30.90, $61.80 From shop TopBohemianDesigns, Sale Price $45.00 CommonSenseMedia.org. Original Price $61.80 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? Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site. 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. $82.50, $110.00 One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. (60% off), Sale Price $38.99 How might it impact their learning? Shipping policies vary, but many of our sellers offer free shipping when you purchase from them. Exclusions apply. DandelionDDesign 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. $46.50, $62.00 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. (50% off). Either way, you will need to allocate time for schooling for your children and for your work. 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.). When we homeschooled, for earlier years, where I had many conference calls, and the kids were younger, we used videos for most of the elective subjects and studied each subject almost every day. 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://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/, The new challenge to keep the kids occupied during conference calls is: FORT MAKING!!! 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. Game Reviews. (20% off), $750.00 Ad from shop PrivateTailor MSFASHIONBoutique Ad from shop SimpsonGardens Welltrainedmind.com. (70% off), Sale Price $40.05 If you have decided that you are not yet comfortable physically sending your kids back to a school building, thinking through some of the following questions might be helpful in deciding between distance learning (assuming this option is available/offered through your school) and homeschooling: 1) Do you want to choose your own curriculum, make your own lesson plans, etc., or do you want to assist your children in completing teacher-assigned activities? Ad from shop blisslinen 3) Clear out, setup and organize your dedicated storage area for your schoolwork and related supplies. Ad from shop Youga $58.80, $84.00 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. Kid-Safe Browsers and Search Sites. 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). From shop BelleOutfit, ad by LINDRAKI Roblox. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. $38.40, $48.00 Best of luck with this years educational adventures. The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. Discount will be applied at checkout. To commit to common goals, everyone on the team has to be aware of the goals, understand why those goals are important, and be aware and accepting of their role in helping the team attain those goals. Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Our children need to be able to disagree and question things when concepts or instructions arent clear to them. Valid 7/25/22 8/17/22 when you use your Talbots Credit Card. (2020). $49.20, $123.00 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 June 24, 2020, from https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, Digital Learning Collaborative. (60% off), ad by LinenByMN KiwiBirdFashion 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. Original Price $109.80 Almost three years later, I can tell you that it was the right choice for both of them, without a doubt. Learn more. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.headspace.com/covid-19, Khan Academy (2020).