Color Utility Blue/Black. Under armour Baby & Toddler Clothing 4T Size. 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. (2019). (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.). The one thing that all of those spaces had in common was a dedicated space to store all of our supplies and work. Youre Probably Homeschooling Way More Than You Need To. Low Stock. (Note that this is an unpopular opinion and not promoted or frequently supported in the traditional, long-term homeschooling community, though, so questions about this option in these traditional groups or distribution lists may not be met with the most positive reactions.) 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. (n.d.2). 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. US & CA only. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2173553/coronavirus-school-closings-keep-kids-busy/1/, Wiess, S. R. (2020b). 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. Under Armour Kids - Training Stretch Shorts (Big Kids). What is Montessori Education? 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. The fourth consideration is the schedule of the subjects you have selected to teach. Attention to results is the top and smallest portion of the pyramid. Under Armour Kids - Baseline Shorts (Big Kids). 2022 Kohls, Inc. KOHLS and Kohls brand names are trademarks owned by KIN, Inc. All rights reserved. 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). In sports psychology, life coaching and other venues recently, youve likely heard the term locus of control or phrases like control the controllables. Situations like the pandemic we are currently experiencing bring to light the true meaning of these phrases, as there is so much that is truly out of our control. Under Armour Kids - Prototype 2.0 Wordmark Shorts (Big Kids). It is also an opportunity for us to find ways for our kids to help around the house and to teach them new life skills that are no longer taught in schools. It is important to remember this. Common Sense Media. The second option is for grades 6-8, called Digital Compass, which is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass. 5) Understand and be honest and open about what you (and your student) can and cannot reasonably take on and complete given everything you have going on outside of school responsibilities, and be open to working with your student and their teachers and school administrators. For later years (grades 3-5 and 6-8) we elected to study math and language arts every day, and study science, history/social studies, art and music one day per week each, leaving the additional day (which happened to be Friday for us) for making up work we didnt complete earlier in the week. (n.d.). A few of the things that are currently within our control are: 1) our reactions to the current situation, 2) our attitudes, 3) our schedule and 4) our space. 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. (Parents, dont be jealousyou can make forts, tooand even take your conference call from inside your fort, if you want to.). If your student is overloaded with work, have them work with their teachers and administrators to request extensions or accommodations where needed. 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. Administrators have never run schools, districts or boards of education during a global pandemic. 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. The second consideration is the subjects you wish to teach. Under Armour Kids - OD Stretch Shorts (Little Kids/Big Kids). Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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? Free Printable Homeschool Planners. (2020). How might it impact their learning? (Dont forget to include what you used to keep your fort together tape, staples, clothes pins, etc. 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.). Color Black/Pitch Gray. Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings, Common Sense Media. Instead of trying to convince your kids why they should be quiet and calm during your conference calls and hoping for the best, you might try giving them specific activities to keep them busy during these times. 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. 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. For gratitude, an easy option to start your day would be to talk about three good or positive things. How We Rate and Review. Common Sense Media includes reviews of some books, as well. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. Stay home and stay safe. 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. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. For example, if you choose to homeschool or opt for distance learning to start with in the fall, will you want to send your children back to school (this year or in the future)? If you have chosen to homeschool instead of opt into distance learning through your school, and the option is temporary, you may wish to file the notice of intent to homeschool and proceed to work closely with the school to ensure the smoothest transition back into the school when the time is right. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). We cannot control what this pandemic has become or is about to become or the ripple effects it may cause. The activities in the basket could be anything from printed mazes, cut and paste activities, manipulative for counting, coloring books, etc. Montana requires a notice of intent to homeschool to be submitted to the local Superintendent of Schools, but does not require any other forms or portfolio review, etc. You will need to research your options in your area if this is a deciding factor for you. (2018). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/state-virtual-schools, HSLDA. Below, I will provide a few options and considerations for finding content for your children that is age-appropriate and safe for them, as well as being safe for you and your computer. View cart for details. In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. When trying to decide what is best, there are always multiple considerations. We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. Kid-Safe Browsers and Search Sites. 20092022 - Zappos.com LLC or its affiliates. Color Barley. (n.d.). Common Core Resources: Textbook & Publisher Resources. 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. Best of luck with this years educational adventures. (n.d.). https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/lencionis-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team-330d58b2cd81. (n.d.). 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. Note that this option and how it is implemented differs greatly per state. The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. Smoothing the transition in our new reality. The answer to this question can provide further guidance for what choice might be best for you and your family, on top of the obvious comfort level with sending them to a physical school building in August or September. When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler. Under Armour Kids - Prototype 2.0 Supersized Shorts (Big Kids). Awake and Mindful. Others may be planning their own lessons and activities. 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. Or, are you not comfortable sending your children to school at all until there is a vaccine, for example? Just take one step at a time and focus on one goal at a time. Age-Appropriate Chores. 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!!! One option is for grades 3-5, called Digital Passport, and is accessible here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-passport. Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. 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. A big lesson learned in this transition is that no matter what homeschool curriculum you choose, there will be differences in what they learn there and what is covered in the public school curriculum, thus, some material will be repeated and there will be gaps to be filled in other places. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2218929/how-many-hours-homeschooling-per-day/. For example, Connecticut only requires a notice of withdrawal, legally, but does recommend (only a recommendation, not a legal requirement) a notice of intent to homeschool and portfolio review. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? Color Black. Boys' Toddler UA Freedom Homeplate Tank Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Boxed Logo Short Sleeve & Joggers Set, Boys' Toddler UA Linear Big Logo Short Sleeve & Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Rowdy Bolts Surf Shirt & Volley Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Make Some Noise Short Sleeve T-Shirt, Boys' Toddler UA Hyper Woodland Surf Shirt & Volley Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Palm Camo Short Sleeve & Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Liquid Star Surf Shirt & Volley Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Rowdy Bolts Logo Short Sleeve & Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Liquid Surf Shirt & Volley Shorts Set, Boys' Toddler UA Beam Stripe Surf Shirt & Volley Shorts Set. You can research options for full-time online schooling, which some states offer for free (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2018). Current Homeschool Laws. These are ads for products you'll find on Zappos.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, Center for Disease Control (CDC). Many state and local education-related publications have language that indicates that the notice of intent to homeschool and the portfolio reviews are required. Color Black. Please enable JavaScript in your browsers settings to experience this websites full capabilities. Under Armour Kids - Stunt 3.0 Woven Shorts (Big Kids). Educators need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. Sponsored Result. The public school administrators where we are were extremely helpful in working with us to determine the best placement. Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). Weathering the Storm. 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. 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. 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. 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!). (n.d.). 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. Something went wrong. A lesson I learned the hard way many times is that they cant both be done (effectively) at the same time. 4) *BONUS* You can also take an inventory of what you have for school supplies (paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, glue, scizzors, stapler, tape, whole punch, etc.). Color Black/Black. Welltrainedmind.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. By providing your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If this was or is you, trust me, you are not alone. Color Black/White. Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures. 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. These are legally optional. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass, Common Sense Media. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/, National University Library. 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? Its also important to understand what is and what is not likely to happen in the next year curriculum and academic-wise and how that might impact you and your children. (n.d.). (n.d.). Shipping Orders $99+ | FREE Returns & Exchanges, FREE U.S. 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. 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. Looking at these from a more positive lens, as opposed to negatively identifying them as dysfunctions, the list of what teams need to thrive include: The foundation of working together as a group, especially in a stressful, unclear, unpredictable situation like remote learning during a global pandemic, is trust. Here are a few suggestions of where we might start: 1) Develop (and ensure everyone knows and understands) clearly defined goals. Well, the best approach comes down to whether this is a temporary or long-term/permanent option for you and your family. Color Utility Blue/laze Orange. 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. ), 4) If you choose homeschooling instead of distance learning, are you fully informed of any reporting requirements, regulations, etc. Yours will too. Awake and Mindful has collected five yoga videos for kids that might be one option for a calm activity to start off the day. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://www.headspace.com/covid-19, Khan Academy (2020). Under Armour Kids - Baseline Shorts (Big Kids). There are also many online tours of national parks, zoos, and aquariums. When you get stressed or overwhelmed, just remember that surviving is all you and your family need to do right now, and the rest will all work out eventually. You can use an existing bingo card, plenty of which are posted for free online. CommonSenseMedia.org. Considerations for Schools. 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. One way to focus and be able to sift through all of the options is to decide what modes you wish to use to teach each of the subjects you selected, and limit your searches to the selected mode for each subject. 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. Other paid options exist for states which do not offer state virtual schools, like K12, ConnectionsAcademy, although many others exist, as well (Connections Academy, 2020; K12, 2020). 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. 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. (This is in no way intended to imply that they wont help you, since we have always experienced the exact opposite, especially when in direct contact with teachers, administrators, etc. 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. What Are the Non-Core Subjects?. 30 Gratitude Games and Activities for Kids to Practice Thankfulness. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. We made a decision years ago to provide some independence and ownership of content decisions to our kids, specifically for movies, games, and apps. SheKnows.com. A visual representation of the five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies is shown below. Under Armour Kids - HeatGear Armour Shorts (Big Kids). If you are unsure, Common Sense Media is a great place to start. The two most commonly tested subjects in standardized testing tend to be math and language arts, so when we homeschooled, we put the most emphasis on these two subjects, integrating the others as appropriate and as possible. Color Graphite. Under Armour Kids - Sky Reaper Scales Shorts (Little Kids/Big Kids). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, Common Sense Media. (2020). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/content/orgs/, K12.com. Game Reviews. There are many misconceptions about homeschooling, in general, but especially with working and homeschooling. Some of the common misconceptions include: Lets attempt to address these one by one. 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. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, Scholastic. Thats all any of us can do, and the only way we are going to figure out what will work is for everyone to be comfortable communicating and providing constructive feedback when things are not working. Sponsored Result. We're sorry, JavaScript is required to shop Kohls.com. The key is not to be happy or unhappy about the approaches, but to be informed. In Connecticut, the only thing you are legally required to do is file with your local board of education a letter of Notice of Withdrawal. Connections Academy. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). How might this impact your childs motivation to do their schoolwork? School and schoolwork does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation. This is when choosing distance learning through the school, working with the school on curriculum or even taking advantage of optional portfolio reviews, or employing a certified teacher in a pandemic pod could work out better than doing what we did with creating a custom curriculum. Best Kids Yoga Videos on YouTube. Low Stock. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. Lets face it, we are all in survival mode right now, and trying to claim anything else would be misleading. (2020). Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. (These are usually set at the state-level and enforced at the district or school-level. On top of a foundation of trust is constructive conflict. However, we can control our reaction to it by staying safe, keeping our family safe, and following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2020) guidelines posted here: In my experience homeschooling and working full time (from various locations and time zones), the biggest lesson I learned was that I needed to be organized, but also flexible. 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. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites, Common Sense Media. 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. Many other options exist, just be sure that you are accessing them through sites that you trust. Administrators need to be able to raise concerns when they see inactivity and absences, to agree or disagree with reasons behind them, and then for everyone to be able to constructively discuss options for solutions, and even test out different solutions (and yes, sometimes fail and try something else). 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?

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