Unintended Homeschooler?
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| Have you been dropped into homeschooling out of the clear blue? |
Totally been there. Last week. Last month. Last year. And those years have turned into fifteen years of homeschooling four kids. We've schooled through, moves, deaths, cancer, attitudes, babies, teens, and now I can add a pandemic to the list! It doesn't always look pretty, but it can be done!
So, where do you start? Do you just crack open the computer on Monday and let them go to it? Welllll, I suggest maybe not quite.
I've put together the top three emergency tactics I would employ if I suddenly had a child at my table needing an education, but first:
It doesn't have to be perfect.
It doesn't have to look the same as anyone else.
It doesn't have to be forever!
3 Emergency Homeschool Tactics You Can Employ Today
1. GRAB A SLICE OF PERSPECTIVE
This is a short term adventure. COVID-19 will pass and schools will open and life will resume some sense of normal. Likely this is only for a few months until the end of the school year. But, your relationship with your child lasts forever. I strongly suggest you view this as more of . . . an adventure together, where you are both learning a new normal together, navigating uncharted waters together!
Grab a cuppa and take thirty minutes to think about how you would like this adventure to look in your house:
2. CREATE A DAILY ROUTINE
After your introspection sesh, think about how your family typically rolls. The temptation is to think that because you are "home" all the rules can go out the window, but trust me, that means so does all the work.
A routine reduces the effort involved in almost anything by at least half.
Think of all the things you do with hardly any thought throughout your day––like check Instagram 😉––or rather, brush your teeth, make coffee, drive to work etc. Homeschool works that way too. The same basic design everyday decreases effort, argument, and confusion, and increases work output, and good will : )
Start with just a couple of action items in the morning such as a wake up time, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and being at the table at a certain time ready to think about school. If that is happening everyday without too much pain, consider it a win and then add in the next thing.
If I were starting from scratch, a realistic plan for my house/children/workload/etc. (remember I have grades 7, 9, 12) might be:
Day 1
-Do all our morning stuff as usual and meet at the table at 9 a.m.
-Discuss the lay of the land: what needs to be done, materials we need, concerns, suggestions
-Break
-Get out the stuff we need, find places to work, start working with the technology and its inevitable crises
-Lunch
-Check in and see how things are going and what we should/could finish for today
-Continue for an hour or so and then,
-BE DONE. EARLY. CELEBRATE WITH A TREAT!
If I had littler children I would only do the morning and be done with a celebratory lunch. Day One done! YEY!! Is there a treat at the end of everyday? Maybe . . .
3. BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS 😊
Trust me, frustration, anger, quick words, they get no one anywhere. But they come oh-so-easily. I have a hot temper. There is still a mark on my wall from a math book. Sigh. The good news is, I next to never throw math books any more. Homeschool's been good for me!
My frustration typically comes from two places:
a) A child whom I perceive is not trying his/her best––or at all.
b) Me multi-tasking and not being available to help said child at the level they need.
Problem a)
Requires cool, level-headed consequences, which I have hopefully considered ahead of time.
"If you are not going to work on math, then you are not going to play Minecraft with your friends later."
Ideally spoken with zero emotion and with a track record of:
"I guess there is absolutely no way I'm going play Minecraft if I don't do my math!"
Depending on the kid, this is an everyday battle and requires stamina and deep-breathing on my part.
Considering rational, effective, enforceable consequences for your particular child before you need them will be time well spent! I promise.
Problem b)
Requires me to be present as much as is possible.
Hard to do if you have little ones who need you, or you are working from home. But as much as you can, just be available during school time. It will reduce the frustration level a ton, especially at the beginning as you are all getting used to a new normal. Rather than the idea of your being "interrupted" by school, allow the interruption to be that other thing if possible––even if you think they should be able to do it on their own : )
COUNTLESS are the number of times I have berated a child for not trying, but when I come alongside to help––I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT EITHER! Gah.
BONUS
4. SEEK OUT YOUR SUPPORT GROUP!
You are unique, your children are unique, your family is one-of-a-kind. Take some time to find some support that really works for you, individually. Homeschoolers are generally a helpful bunch and are happy to pass on both mental and physical resources.
Because learning at home has been on the rise for a few decades now, there are a gazillion resources for homeschoolers, plus there are bound to be dozens of new short term ones popping up to help through this crazy season. Dig in, grab on, hold on tight, even support someone else just by being part of a group!
************
Here is a quick list I've put together to give you some places to start clicking:
Local provincial/state homeschool groups
Here's a link to the British Columbia Home Education Association BCHEA Newsletter . There are wonderful helps here addressing the current issues.
Your local community homeschool group (you probably have one!)
Free Early Learning at Starfall – We create free and low-cost experiences whereby children can successfully learn through exploration. On the Starfall website and in Starfall classrooms, children have fun while learning in an environment of collaboration, wonderment, and play. We teach through positive reinforcement to ensure children become confident, intrinsically motivated, and successful.
Grab a cuppa and take thirty minutes to think about how you would like this adventure to look in your house:
- What are your goals?
- How do you imagine the days unfolding?
- What, exactly, are you expected to accomplish?
- What would a perfect day look like? (you won't get perfect, but might was well shoot for the moon and hit the barn, right?)
- How do you imagine this playing out in your relationship with your child?
- How do you think they are going to respond to learning at home?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- What are yours?
- What's the biggest challenge you can foresee?
- What's your best idea for meeting it head-on?
- Who all is involved in this? Partner? Siblings? Extended family? Pets?
I encourage you to straddle the fence between realistic and dangerously hopeful. You can do this. Your unique, beautiful family can navigate this together. It might even be great!
2. CREATE A DAILY ROUTINE
After your introspection sesh, think about how your family typically rolls. The temptation is to think that because you are "home" all the rules can go out the window, but trust me, that means so does all the work.
A routine reduces the effort involved in almost anything by at least half.
Think of all the things you do with hardly any thought throughout your day––like check Instagram 😉––or rather, brush your teeth, make coffee, drive to work etc. Homeschool works that way too. The same basic design everyday decreases effort, argument, and confusion, and increases work output, and good will : )
Start with just a couple of action items in the morning such as a wake up time, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and being at the table at a certain time ready to think about school. If that is happening everyday without too much pain, consider it a win and then add in the next thing.
If I were starting from scratch, a realistic plan for my house/children/workload/etc. (remember I have grades 7, 9, 12) might be:
Day 1
-Do all our morning stuff as usual and meet at the table at 9 a.m.
-Discuss the lay of the land: what needs to be done, materials we need, concerns, suggestions
-Break
-Get out the stuff we need, find places to work, start working with the technology and its inevitable crises
-Lunch
-Check in and see how things are going and what we should/could finish for today
-Continue for an hour or so and then,
-BE DONE. EARLY. CELEBRATE WITH A TREAT!
If I had littler children I would only do the morning and be done with a celebratory lunch. Day One done! YEY!! Is there a treat at the end of everyday? Maybe . . .
3. BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS 😊
Trust me, frustration, anger, quick words, they get no one anywhere. But they come oh-so-easily. I have a hot temper. There is still a mark on my wall from a math book. Sigh. The good news is, I next to never throw math books any more. Homeschool's been good for me!
My frustration typically comes from two places:
a) A child whom I perceive is not trying his/her best––or at all.
b) Me multi-tasking and not being available to help said child at the level they need.
Problem a)
Requires cool, level-headed consequences, which I have hopefully considered ahead of time.
"If you are not going to work on math, then you are not going to play Minecraft with your friends later."
Ideally spoken with zero emotion and with a track record of:
"I guess there is absolutely no way I'm going play Minecraft if I don't do my math!"
Depending on the kid, this is an everyday battle and requires stamina and deep-breathing on my part.
Considering rational, effective, enforceable consequences for your particular child before you need them will be time well spent! I promise.
Problem b)
Requires me to be present as much as is possible.
Hard to do if you have little ones who need you, or you are working from home. But as much as you can, just be available during school time. It will reduce the frustration level a ton, especially at the beginning as you are all getting used to a new normal. Rather than the idea of your being "interrupted" by school, allow the interruption to be that other thing if possible––even if you think they should be able to do it on their own : )
COUNTLESS are the number of times I have berated a child for not trying, but when I come alongside to help––I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT EITHER! Gah.
BONUS
4. SEEK OUT YOUR SUPPORT GROUP!
You are unique, your children are unique, your family is one-of-a-kind. Take some time to find some support that really works for you, individually. Homeschoolers are generally a helpful bunch and are happy to pass on both mental and physical resources.
Because learning at home has been on the rise for a few decades now, there are a gazillion resources for homeschoolers, plus there are bound to be dozens of new short term ones popping up to help through this crazy season. Dig in, grab on, hold on tight, even support someone else just by being part of a group!
************
Here is a quick list I've put together to give you some places to start clicking:
Local provincial/state homeschool groups
Here's a link to the British Columbia Home Education Association BCHEA Newsletter . There are wonderful helps here addressing the current issues.
Your local community homeschool group (you probably have one!)
Free Early Learning at Starfall – We create free and low-cost experiences whereby children can successfully learn through exploration. On the Starfall website and in Starfall classrooms, children have fun while learning in an environment of collaboration, wonderment, and play. We teach through positive reinforcement to ensure children become confident, intrinsically motivated, and successful.
The following list comes from Crystal Paine at the Money Saving Mom
She has tons of help for moms, budgeting, schooling etc. plus a great podcast on family life.
Free Educational Activities for Kids
** The starred links are ones that we have used and loved!
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