Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, Common Misconceptions about Working and Homeschooling, https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/, https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2173553/coronavirus-school-closings-keep-kids-busy/1/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews, https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/, https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers, https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/, https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html, https://awakeandmindful.com/best-kids-yoga-videos-on-youtube/, https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbwyrg21rbg79fj/conferencecallbingo.pdf?dl=0, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_school_closures_can_strengthen_your_family, https://hbr.org/2018/12/how-timeboxing-works-and-why-it-will-make-you-more-productive. 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. You will need to research your options in your area if this is a deciding factor for you. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. Literally blocking it off on your calendar and communicating your schedule with your bosses and colleagues will make sure you are all on the same page and that everyone will respect that time. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport, Common Sense Media. Note that this option and how it is implemented differs greatly per state. (2020). With everyone rushing around trying to figure out what they are going to do for the fall, it is important to also pause, step back, and consider how the plans you make for the fall fit into your future educational plans. Always be appreciative.). (n.d.). (n.d.). Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. It is important to remember this. 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. Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). 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. 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.

), So, with this conflicting guidance and information, what should you do? Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.connectionsacademy.com/, CRHE. 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. Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. Think about other ways that you can work to promote trust, constructive conflict, commitment, accountability, and attention to results as part of your students learning team and pick one item to focus on at a time. While the kids play, you can plan your day(s). 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. 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. There are a few things to consider.

Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://montessori-nw.org/what-is-montessori-education, Roblox. In the middle of the fall, we collectively decided that it was time for the girls to attend public school. 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!). ), 2) Do you (and your student) want the ability or option to participate in after school activities? The state regulations say that families MAY submit a Notice of Intent to homeschool and participate in portfolio reviews. (n.d.). For states who are planning in-person school options, many are still providing distance learning as an option, and homeschooling is always an additional option. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. 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. As parents, educators, and administrators, (and our children) we are all part of a team with a common goal of ensuring that our children are safe, cared for, and that their learning is promoted and supported in all ways possible. Focusonthefamily.com. ), As you think through the answers to these questions and others, I would like to share about our personal experience with the transition from homeschool to public school in Connecticut only a few years ago. Khan Academy has provided help and getting started pages for their content here: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, and the lessons themselves are accessible here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Scholastic has provided schedules and lessons here: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html. For gratitude, an easy option to start your day would be to talk about three good or positive things. Find a fort posted by someone else and draw a picture of their fort and estimate how many people you think could fit in their fort. These extreme stances come with equally strong language, which can be misleading to the new or uninformed, so it is important to make sure you fully understand the true requirements before making decisions, finalizing your plans, and submitting any notices or documentation. There are actually more options than you would think, and you are your and your childrens best advocate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Khan Academy. The first major hurdle for the transition was figuring out what grade they should be in. There are so many options available to teach every subject, and many are free. SheKnows.com. 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. Remember the CDC guidelines and be innovative in your organization and space planning. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. 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.

It is important to be fully informed of all legal and regulatory requirements prior to making your choice, so that you are making a fully-informed choice. Free Printable Homeschool Planners.

Roblox. 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. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft.

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. The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach. Yours will too. Science and art took the most preparation because we conducted experiments and made a variety of art and craft projects, so we split these days, so that they were not back-to-to back, allowing for some planning and preparation time in between. Harvard Business Review. So, how do we, as a team of parents, educators, and administrators, work together as a high performing team and not fall into the 5 dysfunctions of a team identified by Lencioni? Although Im not fully convinced that this is the best approach to managing your time, the concept of Timeboxing is similar to the approach Ive recommended above.

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. 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/. What if schools open in a blended format, where schedules are alternating day to day or am/pm? Are you comfortable sending your children to school in the fall, as long as CDC guidelines for schools are followed (CDC, 2020)? (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, HSLDA. (n.d.).

Stay home and stay safe. On top of a foundation of trust is constructive conflict. (2020). 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). Scholastic Learn at Home. You can research options for full-time online schooling, which some states offer for free (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2018). 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. Then, your stress levels went through the roof when it didnt all go smoothly with calm, quiet kids and dedicated focus for you. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? 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? Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. How We Rate and Review. (2020). 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. (Note that we do still have the requirement that they add us on all social media accounts so that we can monitor their activities there if we choose to do so.) 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. Trust that everyone is working toward a common goal, for example, is one type of trust. What Are the Non-Core Subjects?. (2020). 5) Choose activities to start your day off on a calm and positive note. Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. (n.d.). (2020). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/, Digital Learning Collaborative. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. Best of luck with this years educational adventures. (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.). Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? 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!!! (Remember to make the award something you can make, give or do with them at home, and that they can have or do after your conference call is over.). 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. (2020). at the schools themselves, but something to be aware of when asking them for assistance of any kind.

Starting your day with gratitude and calm activities has been said to start your day off on a positive note. How School Closures Can Strengthen Your Family. Many of our kids had packed schedules of school, sports, and other activities, with barely enough time to grab a sandwich in the car for supper.

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. Decorating Amazon boxes and used soup cans make great arts and craft projects and excellent organizers! (2018). 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. You are the parent, and you know what is best for your children. 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? (n.d.). 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. 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. Calling it schoolwork for the toddler made her feel like she was getting to do something cool that her big sister was doing, while really just doing what she would have been anyway.

Bauer, S. W. (2016). 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. Many parents are waiting for the school or school district to provide the details of the lessons your children will be assigned while they are out of school. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://welltrainedmind.com/a/what-are-the-non-core-subjects/?v=7516fd43adaa, Common Sense Media (n.d.). 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.