Surviving E-learning … well, trying…

Tis’ the season for another round of e-learning … Probably not what most of you mammas wanted or expected this holiday season. Unfortunately, virtual education requires us as parents to play a more active role in our children’s daily learning. We’ve moved from helping with homework to basically teaching our children lessons that sometimes (shhh!) we don’t even understand ourselves. This means that we have to put our professional life on hold once again because, let’s face it, when our children are home, they take 100% of our attention. 

Being a teacher, while also helping two young kids with e-learning the first go around, I learned a few things that worked best for our family.

{*Keep in mind, my eldest has ADHD, and my youngest (learned this the first time) apparently has educational OCD.}

Make a Schedule

I learned we didn’t have to follow the schedule religiously, but it helped to guide our day. Just setting up work verse active times was helpful. I also put aside “mommy work time,” in which I assured the kids were occupied with fun technology time, silent reading time in your room (don’t come out!), earned TV time, etc. Anything that I knew would keep them zoned and allow me at least an hour to have uninterrupted work time (or clean time, or whatever you need time!). Carving out these time slots really helped us keep to a routine, which we all thrive on. After a few days, the kids really fell into a groove which required less of my direction and attention.

Create a Work Checklist … and Check it Twice

Each evening or early morning, I would review the teacher’s assigned work and create a checklist for each child. Typically, their teacher had a routine of assigning the next pages in their workbooks, always an Accelerated Reader (AR) book and/or reading time, which allowed me to create a master schedule to reuse daily. I’d pull out all their workbook pages and put them in a stack by their computer with the list. The checklist allowed my children to work independently through their activities without asking me every second, “What do I do next?”

Dedicate a Workspace

Picking a central location in the house for e-learning with enough space for their materials worked best for us. It allowed me to see them working while I was doing other things in the house, or it allowed me to work and watch them playing in the back or front yard. During meetings with the teacher, both my children had to wear headphones. This was a must for us! If the teacher needed me to know something as the parent, she could send me an email (or text).

You don’t need to listen, only keep a side-eye on them to make sure they are focused. And then use this time to get stuff done. Word of caution, though, don’t leave your child locked away in their bedroom and assume they are not just watching youtube videos all day. Hold them accountable, make sure you can see them to ensure they participate appropriately in the virtual meetings.

Know Your Technology

Don’t underestimate the learning that can happen on the computer. Each school will have some form of online platform they use. If you or your child are struggling with using it, ask your teacher for a tutorial video. Also, take the time to walk through the program with your child. This will help you learn it while also learning what they have trouble with on a particular program. If you know your child struggles with accessing a certain portion of his work, have it pulled up on his computer, so he only needs to click on the different tabs to access this work.

Also, please make sure your child understands the “mute” button and “talk” button during a google meet.

Again, when your child is on the computer, take this time to get stuff done!

Give Rewards Like Candy Canes at a Christmas Parade 

During the quarantine, my son would do anything to get outside to ride his bike (he learned how to ride a two-wheeler and was so proud!). I used this. His productivity greatly increased when he realized that if he finished all his work before lunch, he could spend the rest of the afternoon outside playing and riding his bike. Some kids (like my younger one) will need more frequent motivation to work, such as small rewards of “mini-breaks.”

I caution giving intermittent breaks with technology because we all know it’s next to impossible to pry their fingers off that switch controller. When I allowed a break with technology, I pretty much lost them for the rest of the day. I found it worked better if the mini-breaks were either outside time or playing with toys.

Also, use food! My kids get very “hangry,” so the reward was usually a snack break. I steered away from letting them eat while they work because I don’t want to buy a new Chromebook, and productivity dramatically declined. 

Focus, PLEASE!

This one is hard, as every child’s attention span is different. My youngest could sit all day working at his own snail pace, while my oldest (with ADHD) couldn’t focus to save his life. Know your kid. Try a few different schedules out, figure out what they can do independently and what they need help with the most, then adjust their schedules to meet your schedule. I also frequently allowed my older child to take his computer to the couch for his meetings or lay on the floor. As long as he was listening or doing work, I would let him do it on the roof! Just do your work!

Things we do at school to help with focusing are frequent reminders, “make sure you are working,” “okay, let’s focus so we can get to … (the reward)”. Talking sticks for those kids that ask endless questions. You get five; after that, you start losing the reward. Unfortunately, if your child struggles with attention, it is most likely that e-learning will require more of your attention to keep them focused. 

Let it go … Let it go … Can’t Get it All Done Today! 

At the beginning of e-learning, I had lofty thoughts that my ADHD child would flourish, finally having the freedom he needs to move as he learns. I was wrong. Our days were filled with tears, screaming, and little to no work being completed. Then one day, I just decided to let it go.

Let go of all my expectations for “homeschooling,” which I was trying to do, coupled with continuing my own job online.

Let go of asking way more from my son than I would expect from myself. Let go of accomplishing anything fully.

Let go of thinking my son is going to get his doctorate through e-learning.

Let’s be honest, online education can never replace being in the classroom. So stop trying to.

Just let it go. 

In the end, the most important thing your child will do during online learning is to keep learning in a way that keeps everyone’s sanity intact.