‘Doing’ School at Home During the Covid-19 Virus - Some practical help

While this topic isn't from my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life', it's such a critical issue right now that I thought I'd provide a link to one of my other blogs on which I've just posted some practical help for parents teaching their children at home.

Around the world right now there are many families trying to manage life at home during the Covid-19 Pandemic. While every family's situation and each nation, is dealing with this problem in different ways, all face similar challenges in relation to their children's education. As a trained teacher, author of varied learning activities for parents, and devoted father and grandfather I've tested these ideas and many more. But due to the Corona Virus many parents across the world have found themselves acting as teachers at home. This is a nightmare for some, but it can be rewarding and even fun!  In this first post in a practical series I deal with the most basic questions first:

• How can I as a parent who isn't a trained teacher make this work?
• What if my child gets through all of the school work in a couple of hours?
• How can I make some of the work fun and engaging?
• How do I juggle my paid work if I'm working at home as a parent at the same time?

I follow this with some basic rules

#1 Do establish some basic rules 

#2 Do complete the work that your children's teachers are setting - but don't assume that it has to be done first

#3 Do program in physical activities outside (weather permitting).

#4 If you are able establish a place within your home or apartment where school activities take place.

# 5 Do provide time for marking work (if that is the task of the parent not teachers) and give good feedback and praise.

# 6 Do be consistent! Discipline for the teacher always breaks down when they are inconsistent towards children in the class (or group). 

# 7 Do build into the day planned 'Tension Breakers'. 'Tension breakers' (i.e. things to stop chaos when the wheels are falling off the family, or a child is having a meltdown!) are used when everyone seems to have had enough.

Want to know more? Visit my blog 'Literacy, Families and Learning' and look out for future posts.