Taking on the Role of a Teacher
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The 2020-2021 school year is nearly upon us. Some districts are a mere five weeks away from sending their children back to school – either in person, virtually, or a combination thereof – and for parents all over, anxiety is setting in. Virus statistics indicate that minors are typically not seriously affected by COVID-19, if they contract it at all, but that fact may not alleviate the stress surrounding the decision to send children to a traditional school when the time comes.
As of July 24, 2020, states are sticking with the “safer at home” approach to mitigating the virus, alongside standard social distancing and PPE guidelines, which still finds scores of working adults remoting into their offices. As a parent, it can be hard to reconcile sending children into a crowded public building where social distancing will likely fall to the wayside in the excitement of a new school year, all while you telework in your PJs.
Parental guilt aside, we are still learning about the lasting effects of contracting the virus; even after recovery, there may be symptoms and complications in the future. Some school systems are anticipating an increased interest in homeschooling. It makes sense – after being in quarantine together, your home can be the safest place for the whole family.
If you are considering homeshooling this fall, you should know that you are not alone. There are a plethora of resources designed to assist parents in their new role as teachers. You will need to follow the regulations for registration, withdrawing from the public school system, testing and benchmark mandates and curriculum – just to name a few. As you weigh your options, it might help to connect with local homeschool groups (safely, of course) to ask questions and get a feel of what a typical homeschool set-up looks like. There are plenty of homeschool groups on Facebook that would be happy to welcome you into the community and share their tips and resources.
I asked some of my local homeschool friends what they would tell someone who is new to the homeschool game, and here’s what the most common answers were.
Create an environment suitable for learning. This might mean you have to separate siblings, prevent outside distractions, and be open to getting a little messy. Traditional school is full of art supplies and materials designed to spark creativity and imagination in learners. Your setting should be no different. Plan for paint, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, and glue – to name a few.
Plan, plan, plan. This is near and dear to my heart which you know from reading my posts (like this one). You must have a plan for day-to-day activities, lesson plans, excursions, and benchmarks. While there is plenty of room for flexibility, starting with a solid plan early on will help your child stay on track. Just because you plan, doesn’t mean you have to follow a strict 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. schedule. You are not trying to recreate school, rather you are reimagining the school environment that fits your family’s needs. Typically, this means just a couple of hours of school time instead of a full day. You might even find yourself doing school for a couple of hours in the morning, a couple more in the afternoon and finishing with reading time.
Ask for help. Just because you are in your home doesn’t mean that there isn’t help available (remember the homeschool groups I mentioned above? This is where they come into play.) Ask around your neighborhood to see if there are other families who choose to homeschool.
Don’t be too rigid. You can follow a curriculum and still do plenty of “outside the box” activities. Field trips are encouraged, but so are things like outdoor play, going on a scavenger or nature hunt, and let your children suggest learning activities that appeal to them.
For those of you in the DMV, here’s how some local counties are addressing the return to school (including how to locate homeschooling requirements.)
Are you taking the plunge into homeschooling? Maybe you are already a seasoned homeschool pro. Either way, I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below, or send me an email.
Krista Kyte is a personal finance blogger and personal banker with over 17 years of experience in the financial industry. Krista is passionate about helping our members understand their financial situations. She writes tips that will help consumers reach and maintain financial security, and start living the life they’ve always wanted.
