Overcoming Public School at Home Difficulties During Coronavirus Quarantine

by Chandler Crouch

Everyone is compelled to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. With classes being suspended, we have realized that transitioning from the public school setting is not a walk in the park. It is even way different than homeschooling. And we, as parents are trying to figure this out.

Children are accustomed to being in public school. Now coming home, the whole world has changed. And now, parents need to embrace this totally new concept.

Maintaining Emotional Stability

Know that your reactions are going to feed your child's reactions. So if you're freaking out, they freak out too because they feel it.
Cut yourself a break from social media. It only shows picture perfect moments that make you doubt yourself.
Find success in the day. Celebrate small wins with your spouse or kids and know that you are doing the best you can.
Give grace. Give yourself grace, give the teachers grace, give the kids grace.
Focus on the fact that this is an incredible time to spend with your family.
Give up control and let them lead. Change their perspective by being creative.
Establish a schedule or routine but do not engage with power struggle. Walk away until your kids are ready to move forward.
Use technology to your advantage to save your sanity.

Homeschooling Different Children

Children have varied learning styles. They can learn at different settings-- at home, at school or even while playing.
Do not put so much stress on yourself about trying to make sure that your kids learn everything they're supposed to learn and do everything they are supposed to do. They will learn just by being around you.
Come up with general school hours that would work for them. If you're an early morning family, do early mornings. If you're if you're a night owl. Push it a little bit later.
Give the first hour and a half to one kid in the next hour and half to a different kid. Offer them a list to be done for the day and let them choose.
Allow them to choose their environment. Some kids need a desk and a quiet space, others learn better by moving.
You do not need to be the teacher always. You don't have to teach everything. There are lots of people who have great content online.

Challenges in Transitioning to Public School at Home Setting

Kids who thrive off a structured environment can easily be bored when they get interrupted.
Some kids may feel like they need to sit at home on their computers. Have them lay in a chair with a tablet versus the desk or them eat whenever they want.
Parents say that the syllabus content is way too much to accomplish in a day, others say it is just enough.
Teaching kids in different age groups with different learning styles is different from teaching kids in the same age group at school.
Technological challenges like:

Internet connection issues
Having trouble with logging into online classes
Having several kids at home but they only have one computer or laptop to share with.

Screen time versus online learning. Screen time is for leisure. It is the eyes looking at a screen. However, virtual learning is just like learning in the classroom. They do their lesson, generalize then take a break.

Takeaways

The secret is figuring out what is best for you.
There are a lot of answers, but you just have to pick one and roll with it.
Enjoy your time, make memories every day, start a little family journal.
Parents should be patient, kind and courteous to our teachers. They are working around the clock to make sure that lessons run as easily and smoothly as possible.

Resources

Speakers:

Mindy Williams (Pro Mom & Realtor)
Brooke DeLuna MS, LPC (Professional Coumselor)
Amanda Hopper (Homeschool Mom)

Websites:

For counseling - https://brighterpossibilitiesfc.com/
Children books: Epic reading www.getepic.com
Scholastic (not usually free) - https://www.scholastic.com/home/
ABCmouse - https://www.ageoflearning.com/8a08850bc2=T1290355973.1585148191.6738
Khan Academy for math- www.khanacademy.org
Prodigy for math - play.prodigygame.com
Cool math games - https://www.coolmathgames.com
Neok12 for math, reading, science, social studies - https://www.neok12.com/
Squiggle park for reading - www.squigglepark.com
Storyline for reading - https://www.storyline.net/
wordville for reading - https://wordville.com/readingcomp/
K12 reader for reading and writing - https://www.k12reader.com/grade-level/grades-k-12/
Mystery Doug for science - mysterydoug.com
National Geographic - kids.nationalgeographic.com
History for kids for social studies - www.historyforkids.net
Typing club for writing - www.typingclub.com
Mad libs for kids - https://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/writingcorner/storybuilder/
English worksheets land - https://www.englishworksheetsland.com/
E- learning for kids - https://en.e-learningforkids.org/
PBS learning media - https://klrn.pbslearningmedia.org
Highlights kids - https://www.highlightkids.com/activities
Fun brain - https://www.funbrain.com
Smithsonian online exhibits - https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/online
Smithsonian education - http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/index.html
Audible is doing free kids books - https://www.audible.com/
The Academy of active Learning Arts and Sciences - http://aalasinternational.org/rtol/
Achieve3000 - https://achieve3000.com/community-resources/remote-learning-2020/
Adobe - https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/covid-19-education-labs.html
Amazon - https://edhesive.com/amazon/free_access
American Museum of Natural History - https://www.amnh.org/explore
Babbel - https://welcome.babbel.com/en/student-discount/ offering 3 free months of language
High school SAT prep
Google Earth
Lunch doodles with Mo Willems - https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems?fbclid=IwAR2I2cft3pn3zaEPUhD1PtoNYeLKTiDoHya8zsIhgFSlexurriGLDNIJSlg