HOMESCHOOLING

COPING THROUGH HOMESCHOOLING AND COVID19

With an upsurge of the COVID19 pandemic worldwide, Jamaicans in particular have taken on a different approach with their daily lifestyles; one of which is “Homeschooling”. 

Educational institutions across the fourteen (14) parishes are closed until the end of the Easter Break in April, therefore students are situated at home and parents have now taken on the forefront of teaching and learning. This you will all agree is an ‘Enormous Challenge’ which can activate frustration within the household for ‘most’ parents. Teachers were tasked with the duty of providing related content and activities through online platforms, but albeit this effort there are parents who may and in some cases have  found the task of supporting learning on a full time basis tedious, when there is a household to run and jobs to attend to despite COVID19. 

Surviving Homeschooling 

So, how as a parent will you be able to effectively oversee your child’s/ children’s academics, allot time for yourself to work, relinquish your ‘teacher voice’ and attempt to remain calm and free from insanity?

The utmost step in achieving these goals is ‘mindset’. Mindset is of vital importance in order to cope individually and as a family with all that is happening in the world.  Creating and maintaining a positive mindset will enable you as parents to attend to the social and emotional wellness of yourselves but most importantly of your child/children. At this point in time everything around them has and will continue to shift  from normality.  Their routines are not as they knew it weeks ago and this has or can evoke a difficult sense of understanding for them. 

COVID19 has undoubtedly opened up a grand opportunity to build and nurture family life and a new scheme on how students will now learn and gather relevant information. But firstly, as parents you need to become cognizant of the fact that you are not expected to become ‘Teacher Hero’ overnight.  Instead you are expected to scaffold and monitor learning and get your child/ children focused. You are expected to be gentle despite the change but also firm in getting those learners to understand the importance for learning to continue outside of the classroom setting. In fact, learning was never confined to four walls. 

Coping Mechanisms 

Family 101 meetings                                 

You may be wondering at this point what do family meetings have to do with me homeschooling my child. Is the author for real?  Well yes, family meetings even before a pandemic came knocking at our doors was and should remain a vital part of all households. Family meetings come in many forms but it is important especially during this time to commence each day with a mindset of what is going on around you and how to tackle each day while confined to your homes. These meetings will give a sense of belonging and reassurance. So whether you are dealing with a toddler, Primary, Secondary or Tertiary aged children timetabling family meetings should become a routine.   During this time each individual  based on age will be given an opportunity to express how they feel about COVID19 and all precautionary measures now in place, ask questions related to the pandemic, pray together as a family and set goals they want to achieve personally and as a family each week. Listening to how these youngsters feel about all the changes going on, helps you as a parent to draw closer  and offer support and relevant information. Not bad after all isn’t it. 

Developing Timetables/Schedules         

Yes you may have already instituted timetables long before COVID19 appeared but given the shift in how you now operate as a family will require you to create new timetables and schedules. Before I elaborate please note: DO NOT TRY TO INSTITUTE THE SCHOOL SETTING AS YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN KNOW IT. Please take my advice you will thank me later. In fact probably that’s why most of you are already exhausted because you are attempting to ‘run school’. Timetables/schedules are easy to develop now that you can monitor how much time you have to allot each day. 

So here goes: For the period between 8 and 10 am allow your child/ children to have a nutritious breakfast and do some free play to re-energize themselves before they tackle any tasks given. It is recommended that by 10:00 a.m whichever subject area is timetabled children should be given 20 minutes to focus on content and complete activities. Research indicates that 20 minutes on any given task allows the brain to process the information and not get overwhelmed or crammed. This will follow for each subject area based on your timetable schedule.  By 12 noon children should or are required to have a healthy lunch and the opportunity to do free play. This may last for 30 minutes after which another task is given.   Following this basic routine will allow you time to complete your own chores as well as review what your child did each day. Please do not give your child all the activities for the week to do one behind the other. 

Setting goals and rewards                   

“How am I going to do that? I’m not a teacher” some may say. Setting goals and rewards serves as a motivator to keep your learners occupied and focused through each day. Once goals are set (child should have an input) and the rewards are established they will now be motivated to work towards achieving them. And of course, they are used to this at school. It may be some stickers you picked up on your way from work, tub of ice cream, you name it. However, these rewards should be given once the goals are achieved at the end of each week. Please do not promise your children rewards you know you can’t deliver. ‘Encouragement strengthens labour” be realistic. 

                                                       

So homeschooling is new, you feel overwhelmed, you are not sure if you are doing it right, I need more time.  These are some of the pleas of parents across the world especially in Jamaica. I recommend that you take it one step at a time. Do not overwhelm yourselves with getting it all done at once. We are basically ‘babies’ learning to cope in ‘adult’ bodies. You got through tough times before you will get through this too. God is always there beside you. So perk up and get your mindset fixed.  Homeschooling and coping through COVID19; a story to tell your grandchildren.