Nothing like the start of a new year to get us all thinking about setting things straight and organizing our time. If you’re like one of the millions of parents who have opted for homeschooling during this pandemic, or even if you are a homeschooler in need of a new year reset, here are 5 tips for designing a plan that fits.
- Shift your thinking regarding schooling and learning.
You are not going to be able to reproduce schooling at home, especially while working from home. And to be honest, you shouldn’t try to. Schooling and learning are not synonymous. Your child is wired to learn in any setting, as long as the conditions to do so are provided. If you focus on creating an environment conducive to learning, you’ll be able to supplement (and even improve upon) the limitations of school. First, shift your expectations of what learning actually looks like.
2. Move from an hourly schedule to a flexible block schedule.
One benefit to being at home is rethinking how time is allocated. Rather than the restrictive and oppressive hourly school schedule, children can flexibly engage throughout the day, giving you more time for focused work when you use a block schedule. Maybe you employ a “power hour,” an uninterrupted, focused hour, that’s just for your work.
And it’s OK if you can’t isolate a completely focused block of time. Create that block anyway and set the expectation for yourself that you’re going to put your work as the top priority during that time. This non-negotiable time gives you the freedom to engage with the children at a time that works for you both — and gives your children the freedom and responsibility to manage themselves while you’re in your “power hour.”
Blocks of time can be chunked into the following categories — independent work time, collaborative time, family time. This provides flexibility in your schedule to manage work flows while also creating predictability and routine — which children need and crave.
3. Create physical space to complete work during your work block.
You can make a designated work area even if you’re sharing space with the children. Create distance by using visual cues like table or room dividers, plants, or furniture. Co-create signs with your children that say “Zoom Mode — On” “Do Not Disturb” or “Quiet Zone” at your work area. The creation of the signs could be a fun activity for little ones.
4. Carve out space for the children as well.
Children should have a designated space to work comfortably and quietly, but remember, this is not school, so don’t go ham about the appearance of what working looks like. Does your child prefer to sink into a couch, or sprawl out on the floor? That’s OK, and is actually one big benefit of learning from home. Allow your child the freedom to sink into learning the way that it works for them. Learning is not the result of sitting at a desk or sitting straight.
Here’s an example of a block schedule for working at home while homeschooling:
5. Trust Your Child
Probably the most important factor in the success of homeschooling is how your child engages with the process. And a child’s level of engagement is directly connected to the amount of autonomy you afford. We are all wired to want and need autonomy over our lives, and children are no different. In fact, in many cases having autonomy is the glue that makes learning accelerate.
“To help foster autonomy, discuss the schedule with your child and co-create how the day will run,” says Grace Brandstein, School Improvement Coach with the NYC Dept. of Education, “even younger children (PreK- 5) will have some opinions of what they want to learn and do in a day, so extend this decision-making opportunity to them as well.”
For older children (middle schoolers) who may crave and need a routine more aligned to school, a weekly schedule, like this one may be best. Still, opportunity for autonomy is essential, as this schedule embeds space for children to map out their intentions for their learning, and complete daily and weekly reflections.
Whichever approach you choose to adopt, the beauty of homeschool is that it is not school, so you have the freedom to make the learning experience tailored to your family’s needs. With a little bit of structure and a lot of open collaboration with your child, homeschooling will be off to a great start.