Quarantine Schooling

And just like that, the entire nation is homeschooling....

Well, not really.

More like quarantine schooling, or crisis schooling, or chaos schooling....

Even veteran homeschoolers like myself are struggling.

You see, when you homeschool, it is a choice.  Its not something forced upon you in the midst of a global pandemic.

You take time researching curriculum, joining co-ops, signing up for classes and activities.

You are prepared  (sort of....)

But I don't think anyone was prepared for this.

All that to say, if you suddenly find yourself quarantine schooling, you are not alone.

While no doubt your head is spinning and you are sorting through numerous emails, suggestions anxieties and fear, I want to remind you that you can do this!

Even after 10 years of homeschooling, my head is spinning.  My kids outside classes and activities have been modified or cancelled, competitions shut down, trips not taken.... it's been rough!.

And there are moments where I am completely overwhelmed with staying home.  All the time.  With my kids.

And I do this already.  By choice!

But we don't get our activity breaks anymore, our routine is all wonky now  and we  really miss our community and friends.

It's hard.  But hard doesn't mean bad.

I have never regretted homeschooling my kids.  Doubted my ability?  Absolutely.   Locked myself in the bathroom and cried?  More than once.  But regret?  Nope.

My prayer is that, even though this season is hard, you would find joy in your newfound time, that your relationships with one another would grow and that you all would have FUN!

So, with all of that, I want to offer up some ideas and tips I have picked up along the way. Take what you want from this, ignore it all if you want, but I hope it helps a few of you sort out what to do and how to maneuver the next several weeks.


Structure:
I am a big believer in having a dedicated space and a little bit of structure.
Have a dedicated space - even if its in a closet or corner - for school stuff.
This allows a space for the mess of learning - you won't constantly be cleaning up all the school stuff  off the table for lunch or looking for books in the living room - if there is a dedicated space to put all the stuff, it'll be a great help. Having a spot where all the school stuff lives will help keep everyone organized. or more organized.  Or organized-ish....

And having some sort of predictable routine that everyone can get into will help.
Start each day with a walk or some sort of exercise, or do chores first thing in the morning before everyone loses steam and gets cranky - make it work for your schedules and your family.
Sit down together, plan it out together, and make it adjustable (because as you get in a groove, it will change) and be flexible - there are days where school just doesn't happen:  maybe we are tired, maybe we are moody, maybe we just need a break - allow for flexibility.  But giving kids an opportunity to know what is going on and what is expected can help the transition.

Also, do what you can together - Read a book aloud, allow your younger children to color while they listen, do science, take a walk, do an art lesson - see what things you can combine to lessen the overall load.
And have kids work independent on what they can - handwriting, journal writing, independent reading, typing, online work - and if you have multiple children, you can stagger this independent time with your kids so while one is working independently,  you can work one-on-one with another.

And don't try and do everything in the same day.  Do science on Friday, art on Wednesday - mix it up!  But don't feel like you have to do it all every day!  Pace yourself.  If you are stressed out, the kids will be stressed out.  This is crisis management here, not Yale. Fight the temptation to have high expectations - if things start falling apart with meltdowns (from parent or child), take a step back.  Focus on connection.  Play boards games, do crafts, read together or do a puzzle. (and guess what?  all that stuff is learning!)

Learning:
I promise you, they are learning.  Learning does not happen just in textbooks.  And life learning is just as valuable as book learning.  Learning how to cook, clean, do chores, care for siblings, show compassion, be patient, navigate emotions - these are all life long tools we all need!  So, know that no matter how many math problems they do (or don't do) the measure of success won't be in how many worksheets they complete, but in the person they become.

 Think of the person you want your child to be when they grow up - what are your hopes for them?  For me, of course I want my kids to be educated - but more than knowing the quadratic equation, I want them to be kind, know how to help, be able to care for themselves and others - my main goals aren't necessarily academic - so, even if you accomplish nothing academically, you loving and nurturing you child through this crisis will be more than enough.

What to do:
My biggest advice when I talk to potential homeschoolers is this:  "find what you are comfortable with, then do that - if you are comfortable with it, you will be able to adapt it as you need."
Here's the truth about homeschoolers - they are passionate about their curriculum choices - you'll hear terms like classical education, Charlotte Mason, un-schooling, Montessori, and on and on the list goes - so if you ask a homeschooling friend for advice, you might get an earful.

But truth is,  what works for one family, may not work for yours. So take the advice (even mine) with a grain of salt and see what looks doable for you and your family and schedule.

If you are having to work from home, online might work better, but if you are wanting to be more hands on, perhaps project based learning would be more your speed.  If you feel overwhelmed, start with the basics and add things in as you feel comfortable.

 Here's the thing - no one is going to judge you (well, that's a lie, I've been judged tons - but your people, your tribe, the people that are in your circle and in your life, they are with you.  They know you.  And they are probably just as overwhelmed as you).

Resources:
Ok, here is what you probably really want - resources

Here are some sites and things I like to use for my kiddos:

General Education Websites:

BrainPop is a fun, engaging website with educational videos for different subjects - right now they are offering access for free - this includes access to BrainPop Jr. which is for younger students.

ABCya is a fun website, especially for younger kids - it won;t replace actual instruction,  but it might give you a few minutes of sanity without making you feeling guilty since it is "educational"

Starfall - same as ABCya - not so much for "education" but a good sanity saver.

Khan Academy is a resource we use a lot in our home - especially for my older kids (mid-high/high-school) and my oldest really enjoyed doing Pixar in a Box. Khan Academy isn't fancy, but it gets the job done.

Outschool - I have never used this site personally, but have friends that have and they really liked it.  Outschool offers a wide variety of online classes - live and flex - the classes do cost, but they are offering financial assistance during this time.

Confessions Of A Homeschooler - This was the blog I went back to time and time again when I first started homeschooling.  She has a lot of great printables, organization tips, and general advice.  This site is especially great for younger kid resources.

Worksheets:
Teachers Pay Teachers is one of my favorite resources - I use is ALL the time to find fin and interesting assignments  - one of my favorite sellers is The Book Umbrella - they have novel studies for tons of books.  If you do only ONE THING for school - have your kids read or read to them - (also, audio-books IS reading!  We utilize Audible, Hoopla, Libby etc. for digital books ALL THE TIME) and if you want to throw in some vocabulary, comprehension and writing, these novel studies are a great way to get it all done at once.  They do cost money, but there are several free resources on Teachers Pay Teachers as well.

Education.com has created printable learning packets for parents and has lots of worksheets

Scholastic has offered up a lot of resources for grades K-12

Science:
Mystery Science was a huge hit in our house.  They have offered up tons of free content for families right now and I have done these lessons with a group of 8 kids, ages 5-13 and they were all engaged and having fun.

Nature Matters: get outside and have some fun!  My friend, Dr. Jenny has incredible resources to get your kids outside and into nature

Mark Rober is hands down our favorite you tuber - he is family friendly and has great content like "can you fill a pool with Jello?" or making the worlds largest super soaker - he's awesome.


Art
Deep Space Sparkle I get a lot of our art lesson ideas from this site - easy to use and she even has several video tutorials as well so kids can follow along with her (and the pressure to teach art is off of you!)

Cassie Stephens is known as the Mrs. Frizzle of art teachers.  She has great content on her blog for your budding artists, with themed weeks, video tutorials and tons of silly fun.

Movement/PE/Exercise 
Go Noodle  I use Go Noodle for brain breaks all the time.  If the kids start lagging or dragging, we will call a time out and do a few Go Noodle vidoes to get the blood moving again.  This is alos a great way to get some jiggles out if the weather is bad.

Cosmic Kids Yoga - is something I have not personally used, but several friends recommend it -  exercise is a great way to start the day and get everyone on the same page.

Alphabet Exercise Cards - I used these cards all the time when my kids were younger - I printed them off and laminated them and used them as part of our morning routine - each kid would pick a card and they would lead that exercise.

Life/ College
Life Launch Academy If you have high-schoolers getting ready to launch out in the world, my friend Shelly is a great resource to help them. This Academy is designed to help both students and their parents as students prepare to leave the nest and Launch their Life. They also offer powerful online courses for students in grades 6-12 in important Life and Career related topics designed to help them live their best future!

College Advising and Planning My friend Glenda knows everything there is to know about college - well, maybe not EVERYTHING, but she knows a lot.  Glenda works with students in order to help them find potential career fields and provides a customized list of schools based on the student's specific academic, social, and financial needs




I hope to keep adding to this list as I can - please reach out if you have questions or just need some reassurance.  This life is messy, but God is good.

-Melissa