Adventures in Home Learning during COVID-19
Wow! Hasn’t life taken a wild turn? Parents, welcome to radical parent engagement!
It does look like home learning is the new normal for some time yet. Yes, it has been messy and we are all finding our feet with this new and evolving situation.
Students in Years 11 and 12 are feeling particularly anxious and that is completely understandable. While the schools sort out the learning material and the delivery method, parents have a key role in keeping home and relationships intact during this time. Now is a great time to transform yourself into the “Home Learning Coach.”
Remember coaches “coach” they don’t play the game. They know the game, have had experience playing the game, often bringing wider experiences to their coaching role, and draw out the best in the players.
Every coach needs a game plan. Here are some game plan plays to get your student home learning and thriving.
Work with your child to develop a timetable for each day. The school may have some models and suggestions, but you will need work with your child to get a version that is going to work in your home. Co-plan and co-design. Remember your child has to own it.
Have a discussion about the blocks of time allocated to school work and learning tasks. In a classroom, students will be engaged in discussions, practical activities as well as desk work. At home it will be different. Ensure there are plenty of opportunities to move around, take a break, clear the head. Shorter periods of time 30 mins of focussed work and then a physical activity break will yield some impressive results.
Not everything they will be asked to do in this home learning period will be online. Sitting at a screen all day is not only tiring but there are lots of potential distractions with access to social media and general internet browsing. Working with your child to break up the school day with screen and non-screen learning will help and ultimately make their school day more productive.
Remember you are not alone in this. There are coaches just like you in every home now living the dream. Lots of wisdom to share too. If you need a boost with your coaching skills, we would love to help you #SanityNow is a short coaching boost for parents managing home learning, their own jobs and family life at home.
You’ve got this coach!
