Homeschooling During Isolation? Our Top Tips!
Homeschooling during isolation due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can seem a daunting task. However, no one (not even teachers) is expecting you to be able to give your children a school-like education at home. There are certain things you can do to ensure your children keep up to date with what they would be doing in the classroom. Here are top tips for homeschooling during this isolation period.
Stick To A Routine
For the first week or so, being off of school can feel like everyone’s dreams have come true. Staying up late, lie-ins, eating candy for breakfast all seems great but it can get old pretty fast. Establishing a new ‘isolation routine’ will help in keeping your kids in a structured day. This will not only help everyone know what they’re supposed to be doing at certain times throughout the day, but it will also soften the blow when schools reopen.
We’re not saying to map out intense lesson plans or have a strict timetable, but sitting down with your kids and explaining that a new routine has to be established to adapt to this new way of living. For example: outline a wake up time, have breakfast, set aside an area to do schoolwork etc
Use the Resources Available
Speaking of lessons, you might find yourself very daunted by the idea of suddenly being a teacher to your kids. Take a deep breath, and get Googling! There are plenty of amazing resources being put into place by various organisations to make homeschool during isolation that little bit easier. The likes of Gill.ie, CJ Fallon, and edco are making their online resources free during this time. Twinkl.ie is also a great resource, it’s a website established by teachers so the curriculum is very accurate. Older children may be able to keep in touch with their teachers via email and video calls, this information will be available on their school website.
Communicate
When it comes to homeschooling children who have been in mainstream schools, it can be difficult to assert teacher-like authority. Instead of a daily battling over what they’re going to learn, sit down and ask them what they would like to learn over the next few weeks. Ann Devitt, assistant professor in education at Trinity College Dublin, spoke to the Irish Times about homeschool and said “They’ll [the children] be much more bought into the process if they are feeling that they have some control over what is being asked of them.” Sit down and make a plan with your children. Set different goals and targets, and help them achieve these. It might take a week, it might only take a day but it’s important to stick to the individuals child’s pace.
Take Breaks
During this time of social distancing it’s vital that we keep apart in order to keep everyone safe. So allowing the kids out to play with other kids in the neighbourhood is a no no. Instead, get siblings to take breaks from their homeschooling at the same time. No siblings? No problem. Take a break from working at home at the same time as your child. Eat lunch together, socialise, head out to the back garden, if possible, for a bit of fresh air. Go for a walk outside if not, but make sure to keep the 2 metre distance between you and others.
Designate Areas
When your kids are being schooled from home, you’re possibly working from home, and you're mainly staying in your home in the evenings and weekends it can feel very claustrophobic. We suggest designating certain areas of your home for different things. If you have a spare room and a desk why not make this the classroom? No desk? No problem. The kitchen table is your new work space! There’s nothing wrong with the kids using the sitting room or their bedrooms as their classroom just make sure devices and TVs are switched off.
Give yourself a Break!
If you are working from home, trying to homeschool one or more children while entertaining younger ones, it can be really tough. And on top of that, perhaps you are doing all this on your own with no support from family and friends as perhaps you might have had before this current situation. Education happens in many, many ways so try and not feel under pressure to complete any schedules set out by the school - this seems to be the advice from the schools themselves. Your children will probably return to school with many new skills learned at home during this time. And it is very important to remember that you can be silly too and have LOTS of fun and enjoy this new life with your children for as long as it lasts. If you do interesting things at home take lots of photos and keep a Corona Diary, but above all else, this is a time to keep your children safe, healthy and hopefully happy!
Our health and safety really is the main priority during these uncertain times. Jinga Life is here to help you become proactive in you and your family’s health. You can sign up now to start tracking and recording your health and wellbeing.