I know that last Spring everything in the world changed due to Covid-19. Children were sent home from School without any idea of when they would return. Distance learning was just a college notion that now teachers had to implement into their daily schedules to continue their grade school classes.

Education is extremely important for our children. They need to learn and grow to become the best person they can be as an adult. Homeschooling, if it’s something you are not used to, can be challenging. Coming up with a schedule that works for the whole family is tough.

Distance learning

Performing school at home is extremely difficult. You need a nice quiet space for your child to work without distraction. You also need a clear understanding of what is expected of them for each task. New math is extremely difficult for those of us who only know regular math. For some who have issues with spelling and grammar, writing can be tough. Each child needs a structured schedule that can be consistent so that they can learn at home like they did during school. Now parents have become the teachers at home with sometimes no guidance from actual teachers.

Utilizing iPads and the computer for schooling is rough. We try to limit our kids screen time and then push them to be on their school iPads all day. Finding the correct balance at home is difficult. There are multiple apps that each child has their own signon for with given assignments from their teachers. This too can be challenging if the child cannot adequately navigate the program.

Getting back to school

My family is lucky due to the hard work of our community to put together a really good distance learning program this year. Last year when we were all just thrown into it, it was really tough. No structure, no real plan, just chaos. This year zoom meetings were taking place, home packets given out, and real one on one learning with the teacher.

In October we went into a part-time in person class. Tyler goes in the morning for 3 hours and then has a lot of work to do at home to make up the other 3 hours of school he is missing. They are checked going into the school for symptoms and fever, they wear masks all day, and the classes are split up between morning and afternoon to limit contact.

This is a great way to ease back into school. Once Thanksgiving is over our school district is going back to full time days. We are so excited for this to happen. It is something we are truly looking forward to.

Will the in-person classes last?

Now there is an increase in Covid cases throughout the nation. Does this mean we will have to keep the kids home again? I know that we need to be safe but the kids have already suffered enough. Not only is school important for learning but it is important for social development as well. Children need to be able to play and talk to other children their age. They need to learn how to behave in social settings and what type of behavior is acceptable. This can’t be done with homeschooling.

I am really hoping that Tyler goes back like planned after Thanksgiving. He needs to see his friends and keep up with in person learning. What are your communities doing in order to keep kids in school and safe?

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