Since our family began our homeschooling journey, almost three years ago, we (both parents) have also been working full-time jobs (alternating between working from home and the office). No, we are not entrepreneurs nor do we have the complete flexibility to set our own schedules, but this homeschool/work situation is what we have decided is currently best for our family. We’d be lying if we said that this has been an easy task and we definitely understand the angst from many families who are being forced into this situation! We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to think through our decision and figure out what worked best for our household. Now that we’ve passed many of the “potholes” in our path, we want to share some tips that have worked for us, in hopes that they also work for you..
Here are Seven Tips for Homeschooling While Working From Home:
- Adjust your homeschooling schedule
If you are homeschooling your children, there is no rule, law, or “best practice” that says you must homeschool on specific days or at specific times. Do what works best for your family. If evenings are the best time for your family, then evening school it is! If you have a 5-day workweek then you just found two days to dedicate to homeschooling (there’s nothing wrong with learning on a Saturday or Sunday or any other day).
If you are “schooling from home”, unless your school or district has specific rules on when you have to provide instruction (or participate in virtual sessions), the same advice applies to you. If your school does have specific rules for schooling time, I am curious of how they enforce this, given the varying schedules of parents and/or guardians. This sounds like an excellent time to research your state’s (or country’s) laws for homeschooling and file that paperwork!
- Focus on one child per day
Many families, with multiple children, are concerned about how they will teach children, of varying ages and with different levels of need. This can be especially scary for parents/guardians of children with learning or behavioral disabilities. Instead of attempting to teach all of your children, every day, try teaching one child per day. On a child’s “non-instructional” day(s), they can spend their time practicing/applying the lessons that were discussed during their instructional time or participating in a fun activity, of their choosing or yours.
I know that many families are determined to implement as much structure as possible, but learning can literally take place anywhere and with anything (for example, both of our boys love to read and play board games but they have also learned to spell and/or define words by playing Roblox). Please don’t stress out yourself or your children by trying to recreate school at home. Smaller class settings, which your children have now, are what every school advocates for or advertises so this can be the time when your children truly flourish!
- Rearrange your work hours
If (and this is a big IF) you have the flexibility to change your work hours or days, this could help with juggling some of your instructional vs telework time. Some employers allow their employees the opportunity to spread their weekly shift across a 6- or 7-day schedule (instead of the “traditional” 5-day work-week). If you have flexibility in what day(s) and time(s) you work, I would highly recommend utilizing this option. An example that I sometimes implement is waking up early and working on “work stuff” until my sons wake up, then dedicating a large chunk of the mid-morning to early-afternoon to them, and then going back to “work stuff” until I have finished either all of my tasks or hours. Another example, if you co-parent and there are specific days where your children are with their non-primary parent, maximize the time that you work on the days that your children are not with you so that you are able to dedicate more time to your children when they return. There are a multitude of ways to make this work, if you have flexibility in your work schedule.
- Outsource some or all of the lessons
If this fits your budget, this can be an excellent way for your children to interact (virtually, during this pandemic) with other adults and/or children. This is also helpful for parents that are concerned about teaching subjects for children at higher grade levels. If you conduct a quick search, you can find a plethora of online homeschool co-ops, virtual classes (e.g., Outschool), online tutors (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors), or homeschool pods.
If these resources do not fit your budget, you might still be able to particpate! Have you considered bartering your services? You might be able to lead or tutor a math class, in exchange for a Science or Language Arts class. If you’re a social media influencer, maybe a tutoring company will offer a certain number of tutoring hours in exchange for you advertising their services to your followers. You might be able to build or update a homeschool co-op’s website, in exchange for classes for your child(ren). Or, you might be able to offer other services such as: cleaning a home, providing child care, cooking meals, etc. Don’t overlook your skills and abilities and others’ willingness to “pay” for them by educating your child.
- Set it and “forget” it
Don’t actually forget your children, but, provide them with the instruction and/or tools that they need, either the night prior or the morning of, and allow them to work on their tasks while you are working on yours. This strategy can be applied well with older children because, at a certain point, children are able to navigate their electronics, read/follow instructions, and work independently.
- Have realistic expectations!
I have seen many families set their homeschool schedule and allot an outrageous amount of time to every single subject, every single day. Please do not attempt this schedule!! Many families are concerned about their children “falling behind” but this tactic will only lead to stress, anger, frustration, and/or burn-out. Homeschooling does not have to last all day! Every subject does not need to be taught every day! Your children will not become experts on a topic on the first day that topic is introduced!
Childhood development experts have determined that a child’s attention span is approximately two to five minutes per year of age. For example, a 5 year old should be able to maintain focus on a task for at least 10 minutes; a 10 year old for at least 20 minutes. Of course, that length of time increases as the child gets older; varies if the child has an interest in what is being shared or presented; and can potentially be affected by attention (or other) disorders.
- Try Unschooling
Last but not least, if your method of homeschooling (or schooling at home) has not been successful, try Self-Directed Education (aka Unschooling). Unschooling is a method of home education where children take control of their learning. It is not a specific curriculum; it is not highly-structured; and it requires a large amount of trust in the fact that your child’s natural curiosity, along with some of your guidance, will allow him to learn all of the subjects he’s “supposed to know” (and so much more)! For more information on Unschooling, please check out our posts here or here (or read this website or try this one).
Although every situation is unique, we hope that these tips can provide some relief for your family. We realize that many children have already begun their school year but there is still time to adjust, if needed. If your children have not yet begun their schooling at home, this is the perfect time to set your plan.
unschoolingindc.com 