Friday's Good Read AND How to Survive Home Schooling

How to Survive Home Schooling

by Tara Tyler

As a mom of a teenager, I have it pretty easy. The boy is self-sufficient. And this allows me to do my work.
Write? I wish! I'm also a high school teacher. In my long career, I've taught, subbed, and tutored all ages, from Pre School through College. So I claim to know a thing or two about kids and educating them.

This online learning is T-O-U-G-H ! In addition to being new, glitchy, and experimental, the worst part is the kids have to manage themselves, with help from their parents depending on how old they are. And parents are figuring out how to take care of their families--do we have enough toilet paper?

So as I stress myself out trying to make this process as easy as possible for my students while still educating them to some degree, I'm giving out some free advice on...

How to Survive Home Schooling:
Make a Schedule. Kids need organization and structure. School was their routine. Now it's Saturday every day--sleep in late, play video games, eat junk, take a nap, live on social media. Mom found a spare minute to make them Do Lessons? Groan, whine, complain. It's hard to make them do things, but parents have to buck up and stick to the schedule. Once the routine is set, it will go much easier. (How do you think we teachers survive at school?)

Be Flexible. Now that you have a schedule, stick to it, but it isn't stone. As a teacher and a mom, I know how rough this situation is. I have loosened on deadlines and become more available for kids. It's okay if they don't get everything done all at once. If you see they're struggling, take a break. We all have to adjust to this craziness!

Rewards. I don't like to say bribes. And if you don't tell them up front--make it a surprise--it's more of a reward anyway. But bribery rewards like treats, a new video game, or some fun, messy activity you find online, can go a long way.

Hopefully you are safe and sane. If your family makes a stronger connection through all this, that's a bonus! Try to see the positives. I hope these simple guidelines can help reduce the stress of Online Learning.
Do you teach? How are you holding up?

PS - Free online books for any who ask!

Recently re-published, BEAST WORLD Series -- Teenage fantasy creatures in high school.

Broken Branch Falls ~~~ Cradle Rock ~~~ Windy Hollow

Tara Tyler has had a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After moving all over the US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her husband and one boy left in the nest. She has two novel series, Pop Travel (sci-fi detective thrillers) and Beast World (fantasy adventures), plus her UnPrincess novella series where the maidens save themselves. She's a commended blogger, contributed to several anthologies, and to fit in all these projects, she economizes her time, aka the Lazy Housewife—someday she might write a book on that... Make every day an adventure!

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