Thread by @stationmum101

I've been reading a lot of articles about #homeschooling while #SelfIsolation is in place. And they are not helpful. Buckle up folks - we're going to get real on this thread

First Step: Rethink your expectations.
Your kid is not as smart/stupid as you think they are.
You are not as smart as you think you are.
Set your expectations for the day low & then lower them again. Teaching your own children is a VERY STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE & it may break you.

Let's get practical.
You will need somewhere to work. If you have the space, a dedicated table in a central area is great. If not, be prepared to pack everything away for meal times.
The floor is not great. Kids will complain, your back will break & your knees will kill you.

The kids will need somewhere to store their stuff. A cardboard box/plastic crate with a lid is ideal, as school can be packed up & stacked out of the way every afternoon. This is the responsibility of the student. Teachers do not organise the belongings of each individual child.

Start at a scheduled time every morning. Kids & home tutor (you) must be dressed, fed & ready for school by a set time. Shoes are optional. No TV or radio in the background - it will send you mad. Start with checking what MUST be done that day (spelling tests etc).

Timetables may or may not be helpful, depending on what your school has arranged & the age/number of students you have at home. It is helpful to have a set time for morning tea & lunch - finish time can be flexible.

You can pack lunches if you want & send the kids outside/to another room for meal breaks while you regain your sanity and frantically search the internet for tips & tricks. Or make something together & share your breaks. Whatever works for you.

You'll also need some basic supplies:
Scissors
Glue
A whiteboard & markers (doesn't have to be huge A4 size is fine)
Scrap paper (tonnes of paper actually)
Stickers for rewards/bribes.
Stapler, tape, holepunch, sedatives.
Colouring pencils etc

Because my kids won't share, each child has their own personal supply. But if your kids are not feral little animals they can share between them. It is a VERY GOOD IDEA to have a "teacher set" so they can borrow if they can't find theirs.

If you're going digital for lessons a set of headphones for the computer is a great idea, especially for older kids who generally do not want their parent/siblings looking/hearing/touching/breathing in their general direction. Because HOW EMBARRASSING.

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If at any time you are stressed & upset or the kids are upset stop what you are doing straight away. It is obviously not working. Take a brain break. Let the kids play/read/snuggle with their pet.

They will not fail because of you. You haven't ruined their life, they will be ok. You are their parent, take care of their emotional needs first - everything else can be caught up at a later time. It is not a big deal.

If your child is struggling with a certain thing or if you don't understand the work (because trust me, things have changed BIG TIME since you were are school) reach out to the teacher via email or phone. They are trained professionals. They will give advice, strategies, support.

Right, that's the general information out of the way.
Let's get specific.
Early Childhood Kids - kindy/preschool to Year 1
(don't @ me teachers this is general information only)
Luckily for kids most learning at this age is play based.

What does this mean? Basically, the structured parts of the day are limited. Kids are given lots of opportunity to explore, create and test their ideas, their environment and the patience of anyone trying to teach them stuff.

Kids this age will have a short attention span unless they are playing a video game or watching cartoons. Think about 2-4 minutes per year of age. And this varies WILDLY with things like tiredness, hunger, interest and mood. They will want to move on to something different often

If you're managing a multi-age classroom (see we're talking like real educators now) this can be challenging, because you have to keep the little ones alive & also keep the other kids focused. Teachers - look away now I'm about to share a secret.

ABC Kids is an EXCELLENT way to keep little ones engaged & entertained while you work with older kids, hang the washing, answer the phone or go to the toilet. Content changes frequently, has valuable educational content (thanks Playschool) and is liked by most kids.

Also, a multi-age classroom has its advantages in other ways. Got a few kids a few years apart? Make the big ones read to the little ones while you sip your coffee/vodka/wine in peace. Tick the box for daily reading.

Little ones want to do craft but you would rather glue your eyelids shut? Get the bigger ones to supervise & help the little ones. They're learning independence, sharing and gaining confidence. You're helping them grow as a person. You're a great parent.

And I have prompted to add (because I forgot):
Extra printer ink
Especially colour ink.
Make sure your IT is working in advance because not being able to print something will end in tears & a broken computer.

Little kids will also want to dress up. A LOT. Let them. They will also want everyone else to dress up. This is ok occasionally, especially during free play sessions but may be distracting for the bigger kids. See how you go & make your decisions on what is best for you.

Right that's them done. Let's move on to the next age group - grades 2-4. These can be tricky as they require a bit of support and encouragement but you might find yourself in the over-assisting trap.

Which basically means you give too much help, kids get addicted like it's crack cocaine & trying to re-establish boundaries is very very painful (and your teacher will hate you). Failure is perfectly fine. It's ok if the kids find something a challenge, or get it wrong.

They can try again, have a break & come back to it, think about other ways to do the task. It's all about problem solving and being resilient. This is primarily around maths. Modelling the problem with blocks, matches, spoons, whatever you have laying around is very helpful.

But again, if you run into trouble, reach out to the teacher. Be polite, make an appointment to call or video chat with them, because I will guarantee you that a lot of other parents will be asking them questions, and having a set time to discuss the issues is most productive.

Writing & handwriting are probably 2 of the most problematic issues & most likely to cause tension. It can be boring and seems pointless. Break the tasks up into small chunks, with plenty of rest & distraction in between. don't get hung up on correct spelling.

Get the kids an age-appropriate dictionary (yes they're a thing) and teach them how to use it. Teachers do not spend every minute hanging over the child's work making sure it's correct, it's not their job.

Trust me, your teacher will know how much input you have had into your childs' work. You are not doing the kids any favours by being too helpful. You are doing the exact opposite. And any tantrums or refusals? Shut that shit down FAST. It's not ok at school, so it's not ok now.

Obviously this refers only to kids who are trying to play their parents for fools. Kids with specific needs or behavioural issues will need a different approach. They're your kids, I'm not going to tell you how to raise them. At any point in this you do what is best for YOU.

This age group is pretty cruisy really, still small enough to enjoy being read to & playing games, old enough to be moderately independent with their work. Harder to manage emotionally than little ones but also easy to say 'meh they've got a few years to catch up on this stuff'

Let's talk about grades 5-7. This is where the fun starts (not really, there is no fun, only pain).
School work is getting more serious now and so it should be, they're consolidating (see proper teacher words) everything they've learned before & building on that.

It's usually in these years you will notice even at home if your child is having difficulty with particular aspects of school like times tables, reading, cursive writing (who even invented that shit, what purpose does it serve?).

Ideally you will have strategies from your teacher to address these but if your teacher is human, and trying to come to terms with developing & delivering a distance learning curriculum for probably the first time in their career, they may not have thought that far ahead.

As soon as you think there is a problem CONTACT THE TEACHER. They will be able to reassure you, assist you or provide the extra resources you may need. Don't wait, get on the front foot and deal with it now. Sometimes a little bit of extra 1 on 1 at home can make a big difference

And don't stress. You haven't done a bad job, your child is not dumb or lazy or ignorant (ok ALL kids can be the last 2, but usually when you want them to clean the toilet or something). It's just small inconvenience that is easily addressed with a little bit of work & support.

The best thing about this age group is that they can (and should) take responsibility for their own learning. If they choose to not complete a task or do it poorly, they have to suffer the consequences. Do not fix it for them, do not nag them, do not make excuses for them.

Of course this doesn't mean not helping them. Some kids may need a bit of extra help understanding a task, or need assistance finding the right resources and strategies to get it done. Co-editing writing tasks is a great way to make sure they're on the right track.

When work is completed, go through it together, ask them if they're happy with it, could any changes be made? Praise them for the good work & for having a go. That's the most important thing. Don't tell them it's unsatisfactory or they could do better - focus on the positive.

Mistakes are not bad but if you think your kid is trying to get away with a lower standard than usual, ask them what they think the teacher will think of it if you handed it in right now. And if they dgaf - send it to the teacher. CONSEQUENCES.