How is everyone going to cope with effectively home schooling?

iammumtoone

I am single mother and a key worker, work is busier and more stressful than ever.  In theory my child could still go to school but in practice that is not going to happen. I am hoping to be able to work from home but we only have one PC which I will be using all day to work, the work the school are setting is on-line.  I also have to shop for two over 70s households who I am trying to keep isolated.
I can't see how I am going to fit in the time to sit with him to do all this homework at a time when the PC will be free (evenings only after an extremely stressful day whilst trying to work and entertain a child).

olgadapolga

Have you asked the school if they could lend you a laptop or other computer?

iammumtoone

olgadapolga said:

Have you asked the school if they could lend you a laptop or other computer?

No and I wouldn't want the responsibility of it anyway if they could. My child has ADHA and possibly ASD this is a very stressful time with all the changes to him, it would very likely get broken during a meltdown. 
I am going to speak to them on Monday to explain the situation but even if they send paperwork for him to fill out, he will not sit independently and do it. He will need me to supervise over him whilst it is being done (I suspect this is a common thing parents need to do with homework).

rach_k

If you'll be working from home on your normal home PC, ask your work if they can lend you a laptop to work from, then your child can use the home computer.  

Savvy_Sue

rach_k said:

If you'll be working from home on your normal home PC, ask your work if they can lend you a laptop to work from, then your child can use the home computer.  

Which would be a better option anyway from a data protection point of view. 

How old is your child? Sub-text: how much does his FORMAL education matter right now? Would it be worth concentrating on his self-esteem, social skills, practical things like food prep, art etc. (I say that knowing that one of mine would have strongly resisted any art whatsover ...)

If you are a key worker, and he is already upset by the changes, is it worth re-considering your decision not to send him to whatever 'school' option is available? Although whether that will be open to you if you can WFH is questionable: I have a colleague who has been told that as she is a keyworker but her DH is not, she cannot send her children to the childcare settings still open. 

maman

Why won't he be going to school? It really sounds like with his diagnosis plus you being a key worker he should qualify on both counts. Surely that's why schools are staying open? 

iammumtoone

maman said:

Why won't he be going to school? It really sounds like with his diagnosis plus you being a key worker he should qualify on both counts. Surely that's why schools are staying open? 

He wont be going to school as I can't get him to go. He had months and months of preparations for the change from primary to secondary, this change is also massive for him. He only has one friend who is now staying at home, he has no idea of what will be happening at the school, who will be in his class, who the teachers are etc. To get him to go would take weeks of preparation which the school are not prepared to help with as they don't want children there, the official advice is only go if it is really necessary. They don't recognise really necessary but also need help to be able to make it happen. 

MovingForwards

Do you have a printer at home?

If so, print a load of things maths, English, stories, colouring pictures and do your best.

It's not going to be easy for anyone trying to homeschool, let alone homeschool and do their job.

Are the two 70 odd year olds in isolation from you and your kid? If not, see if they can help a little bit with the homeschooling.

In the interim, keep pushing the school and anyone else involved in your kids education to find a solution to get the prep done and help him back into school.

Mrsn

maman said:

Why won't he be going to school? It really sounds like with his diagnosis plus you being a key worker he should qualify on both counts. Surely that's why schools are staying open? 

Yes and no.... we are no longer schools as such but now childcare providers. No curriculum will be taught in the hours that we will be open going forward.

With your sons condition I could see why it would be tempting to send him however all staff are being put onto a rota whereby it cannot be guaranteed the child will see a familiar adult at all times. This is to lessen the exposure to the staff and hopefully keep us as safe as possible too! Regarding the work that has been set honestly right now I wouldn’t be pushing it. You have an enormous amount of pressure on your plate, he is not being disadvantaged as such because a lot of the children in his age group will eventually go back to school in that same position.

Please take care of yourselves in this very stressful and unknown situation.

Misslayed

I think this is very good advice for any parent working from home, with children off school.

March 19 at 9:03 PM

This post below was made by a primary school principal on a fb group that I am a member of, and I am sharing it with permission. 
As a teacher and parent it sums up my thoughts and feelings on the situation we currently find ourselves in. 

Covid Distance Learning Q&A

**Usual disclaimer, I'm a school principal but I speak only for myself. Others may have different ideas**

I'm seeing a lot of threads online with the same general theme, so I wanted to just given a schools perspective on it all and answer some FAQs. Also happy to answer any questions people have that I can answer.

Lots of people feeling stressed, overwhelmed and under pressure by the work being sent home for kids. I hope this can help with that somewhat.

Few points to note first :

1) This is not homeschooling. This is an unprecedented emergency situation impacting the whole world. Let's keep perspective. Homeschooling is a choice, where you considered, you plan for it and you are your child's school teacher in whatever form you choose . This is at best distance learning. In reality, it's everyone trying to separate their bums from their elbows because none of us know what we're doing and what's right and wrong here.

2) You are, and always have been, your child's primary educator. If you decide that your child isn't going to engage with anything sent home and is going to spend the entire period playing in the dirt, or baking, or watching TV, that is your choice. That is your right. It is clear in the constitution. There is nothing to stress or feel guilty about.

3) Schools don't know what they're doing either. They got no notice, no prep time and we're told 'continue to plan lessons as normal and just send them home' as if that is in any way possible. If it were, we'd all be out of a job very quickly. I won't rant about my thoughts on the Dept on this, but suffice it to say your school is winging it.

4) It is absolutely not possible to facilitate distance learning with a primary aged child and work from home at the same time. The very idea is nonsense. If you're trying to do that, stop now. You can certainly have activities where your child learns, but your focus is your job, and survival. Again, unprecedented. Stop trying to be superheroes.

So, a few FAQs:

- My school has sent home lots of physical work. Pages and pages, hours and hours. How am I supposed to get through it all?!

You're not, don't try. Your child's teacher spent a couple of hours in utter panic gathering things to send home so they could say they did their best and there weren't a lot if complaints that enough didn't go home. It's not a competition, or a race, it's unlikely the teacher will even manage to look at it all.

- My school keeps sending home links and emails with more work. How do I make it stop. Ahhhhhh

See above. These are suggestions and ideas because the school is worried itl be said they're not offering enough. Use them if they suit you, don't if they don't. If you're getting stressed, stop opening the emails. No one will know!

- X in my child's class has everything done and we've barely started. Will they fall behind?

Even if everything were equal in terms of support and time and number of kids etc (which its not) kids learn at different rates. In the class there's a wide range of levels in all subjects, there's different paces and there are many kids working on differentiated level of work. It's almost impossible for teachers do differentiate at the moment, so you have to do it. By expectation and by time.

Your child will not fall behind. This is all revision and reminder work. If kids could learn new concepts without specific teaching we wouldn't need teachers. They will cover all of this again, multiple times.

- I'm not doing any work with my kids. All their doing is Lego, cooking and playing outside.

All of this is learning. Very valuable learning. Give yourself and them a break.

- How can I get three different lots of work done with 3 different kids of different ages?

You can't, stop trying. If they're old enough, try to get them to do little bits independently. Otherwise try to do something they can all engage with, reading a story together, some free writing, baking etc.

- So what's the bare minimum you'd expect?

For me, survival mode. I won't pretend that may be true of all teachers, but you know what if they can't have perspective in a time like this then I wouldn't overly worry about their opinion anyway.

My ideal for my kids in our school?
- A bit of reading every day (independent or to them or via audiobook etc)
- some free writing now and then. If they'll keep a diary or something, great. If not, would they draw a comic?
- Practical hands on maths. Be that via cooking, cleaning, outside or some maths games physical or digital. 
- Some fine motor work. Lego, cutting, playdough, tidying up small toys.
- Physical exercise everyday
- Some art/music where possible through the week. Doesn't need to be guided.
-Stretch goal, if old enough getting them to independently work on a project is great for keeping brains ticking over. Get them researching in a book or online and putting together something to present to you or family.
- If younger, lots of imaginative free play, the more independent the better.

You are doing enough. You are loving your kids and supporting them through a difficult time. Look after yourself. Minimising stress is absolutely vital in a time like this for mental health. Don't let this be something that stresses you. Only you can control that by accepting it is in your circle of control, you are the primary educator and this is all your call.

Happy to answer any questions if you have any. 

*Apologies, this post is much longer than anticipated! *

iammumtoone

Mrsn said:

maman said:

Why won't he be going to school? It really sounds like with his diagnosis plus you being a key worker he should qualify on both counts. Surely that's why schools are staying open? 

Yes and no.... we are no longer schools as such but now childcare providers. 

With your sons condition I could see why it would be tempting to send him however all staff are being put onto a rota whereby it cannot be guaranteed the child will see a familiar adult at all times. 

Thank you for that information, its more than I got out of his school. I do appreciate it is difficult as they are no longer a 'school' so therefore have no obligation to provide for SEN children (as they did previously).
 However my work do not view it like this. Their view is that all their staff now have no childcare issues so can carry on as normal (again I can see their side we are busier than ever they need their staff, holidays have been cancelled etc. I have never known it like this) 
I am struggling I really don't know what I am going to do. I spoke to the doctor and have been put on anti-depressants I did not have time to collect them yesterday as I was at work (last day to get as much done as possible before the school shut) so went early this morning. The pharmacy was shut!!!