Advice from a Teacher

I think it is amazing that children can pick up a device and figure the ins and outs so quickly. I am a firm believer that Apple tests their new devices on 3-year olds. It just seems like iPads and iPhones are intuitive for kids. They pick it up and have no fear, swipe up and drag icons like we used to sling mud pies and chalk on driveways! 

However, after one week of #RemoteLearning, here is what I definitively know:

Knowing how to use an iPad is VERY different than knowing how to work from home. 

Parents, I urge you to please sit with your child this week. I honestly don't think it matters if you child is in second grade or twelfth grade. Students do not know how to learn from home. They don't know how to set a schedule, prioritize their work, or how to / when to ask for help when the answer doesn't come naturally. They need their parents to teach them how to set up a desk at home. They need an adult to guide them through making their to-do list for the day. They need someone at home who can help them establish this new normal until school resumes. 

Sounds easy, coming from a teacher, doesn't it?

I know I am in no way in a position to say that this is easy. My job is to teach while my child's is to learn! Even more ideal, my grade is her grade!! I know I have it easier than most in this area. But, like you, I had to put my daughter before work last week. I needed to set down my phone, put my iPad on mute, and close my MacBook. I needed to sit with her and tell her that reading when we start our day wasn't negotiable. And on the flip side, I had to tell her that if I was online with a student that she needed to be patient and wait for me. Continuing into this week, I need to teach her how we can work together (and yet do our own thing) so that we can both be successful in our "jobs." It won't take a day. It won't take a week. But I firmly believe I need to repetitively show her how to be a student at home. 

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Kids, especially in elementary and middle school, don't get that this isn't "coronacation." The reality hasn't hit home (thank goodness) ... but neither has the sense that school must continue despite no bells, no recess, and no teacher managing the day. Your child needs you to teach them how to be successful right now. That does not mean you need to hover over them all day long. Encourage them to research something on their own! Not all screen time is bad! Let them watch that show in Kitten Rescues or go online and find out when movies shifted from black and white to color. You might be surprised by what they can teach themselves after they know the expectations! 

To minimize disruption to childrens' education, keep a strict schedule and a list of goals to meet. Recognize that challenges, and plenty of distractions and interruptions, will occur. We need to model self-discipline and focus."                 
​- Michael Rich, Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children's Hospital

Tomorrow is a new week. The governor of Ohio has said we need to stay at home. Make the most of your time and bond with your children over the workday. I think (I hope) your boss will understand if you miss a call because you took a moment to watch your child show you their brochure for school. And in the long run, your child will appreciate it and be better for it.