When The Kids Are Home…#5

Post 90

Homeschooling, something that would have seemed impossible a few months ago, is now part of our daily lives. We are all trying to adapt…children, parents, and teachers. So, while we are on the subject, I’d like to talk about it from a teacher’s perspective.

As teachers, we feel responsible for each child in our class. If you notice, most teachers refer to their classes as “my kids”. That’s because, for about 6 hours a day, they ARE our kids. We worry about them…scholastically, socially, and emotionally. We are responsible for their development. They are a major part of our daily lives. And we really care about them. So now, when we are separated, it’s very strange. We still feel that responsibility and that love but we are trying to continue it over a computer and/or take home packets. This is new for everyone. So I’d ask you to please understand that teachers are doing their best, too. Hours are spent trying to figure out how to upload videos, adapt lessons to a new format, use other new technology, and still keep that warm togetherness feeling we have each day in our classrooms with “our kids”. (Not to mention online faculty meetings and professional development.)  Add to that the fact that most teachers have their own families to deal with at this time. Everything from trying to find wifi connections in the house, jockeying for space to “teach”, helping our own kids with lessons and schedules, to changing a poopy diaper are all part of what is now a “typical” day. Then throw in the stress of Covid 19 and all that involves and you can see, we’re all in the same boat. Just as you are juggling work, kids, family, and fear of the unknown, so is your child’s teacher. We are trying to provide what you are right now for your child…a stable, safe environment. As I’ve said before, we are both working together for the same thing…your child. He/she is what is most important to all of us.

Take Care and Stay Safe! 🙂

 

When The Kids Are Home…#4

Post 89

How is the homeschooling going? At this point, it should start to seem somewhat doable. Hopefully, you and your child have settled into a routine. You have a basic schedule and resources to keep your little student learning during this crazy time.

I’ve been hearing a lot of innovative ideas about how to keep your son/daughter socially engaged during this time. Parents have set up FaceTime “playdates”. That can be anything from talking to showing each other favorite toys to actually playing a board game together. One teacher had an online Zoom meeting where she taught the children and then gave them a few minutes to “talk” where they shared important news such as losing a tooth, etc. Of course, that was through the child’s district. Not all districts are set up for remote learning. But the point is that anything you are able to do to encourage social bonds is valuable at this time. It can even tie into schoolwork. How about having your child write to his/her friend? He/she could draw a picture, write a sentence about it (with your help, if needed) , and mail it to a classmate. That way you are combining a literacy activity (writing letters, using phonics, making sure “words and pictures go together”…an emergent literacy concept) with a social one. Or take another drawn picture,help your child to cut it into shapes and mail it as a puzzle to a classmate. These are just a couple of ways to keep your son/daughter socially engaged with friends. If you have any other good ideas, please post them in the comments so we can all benefit.We adults need that contact right now and so do our children. And we WILL get through this together.

Take Care and Stay Safe!  🙂

 

IPads, IPhones, and Computers…Oh, My!

Post 74

This is such a volatile topic, I am almost afraid to approach it. Your children are surrounded by tech every day. How much of it is “good”, how much is “bad”, should any type of screen time be limited, if so when, where, and on and on……

First of all, tech is a part of their lives. Whether, as a parent, you like it or not, it’s there. Think about it. Most 4,5,and 6 year olds don’t even know what a landline is. They’re growing up in a era when everyone uses cell phones. (Quick note….in school I sometimes pretend to “call” a parent when a child is upset so that so that his/her parent, caretaker can “tell” me he/she should remain in school and that everything will be all right. Now I have to use my cell phone and half the time the child wants to video chat with his/her mom/dad! Gotta think fast when that happens!) IPads and laptops are just a part of life for them. Computers are used in schools as a learning tool as are frequently some form of hand held electronic device. And they’re great. Lessons and reinforcement activities can be streamed and modified for each particular student. The same can be said at home. Especially as your child gets older, he/she will be using online resources to enhance (not replace, that’s important) classroom instruction.

All that’s well and good. No problem. The worry comes when your child wants to spend all or a good part of his/her free time online instead of in face to face interaction with family and friends. Also, technology can become a very convenient babysitter where screen time can suddenly extend to 2 or 3 hours. What, as a parent, should you do? Your child is growing up in a technological era. You don’t want him/her left behind. It’s part of his/her world. But you also want your little one to go out and play!

I think it’s sort of like when TV’s were first introduced. Way back then, there was the fear that children would sit in front of them all day. The same was true for Atari, Nintendo, and all the video games right up to Fortnite. None of this is inherently “bad” for a child. I feel they actually help with reflex time, increase imagination, and, in the case of Fortnite, encourage interaction with other players. But, like anything else, screen time needs to be limited. And that’s the problem. How do you do that? By starting now….while your child is young. If you limit times to go on the iPad and encourage the use of certain games, you will set a pattern that your child will respect and be used to as he/she gets older. It will just be a part of life. It will be an accepted routine. And even if your child objects, he/she wants routines and limits. They are a form of reassurance. They help make a child’s world safe and orderly. They also show you care or you wouldn’t bother to enforce them. Will there be times when your son/daughter will be on the iPad longer? Of course. It happens. Give and take is important. But, in general, set up a routine and stick to it.

I would really like your thoughts on this topic. Please comment below or message me about it. Thanks!  🙂

Take Care.  🙂