Thread by @kazweida

Parents are facing a difficult decision right now. Should I send my kids back to school?

Some of you don't have a choice. But if you do & are wondering what to do next and how to make online learning actually work for your WHOLE family, I made this thread for you.
(THREAD)

(2) Why do I get to talk with any authority on this subject?
I have been...
-a teacher with a decade of experience in kindergarten, middle school and college classrooms
-a behavioral therapist for autistic kids
-a credentialed educator with experience designing distance learning

(3) More importantly, I'm also a parent who runs her own business and works from home. I have homeschooled multiple times for various reasons in the past decade or so

I'm going to put that knowledge to work for you right now and help you decide how to handle going back to school

(4) First off, you don't have to go it alone and in fact, I'd recommend you don't. You have a few choices here depending on your area schools.

Jump over to your school district website and review your options for distance learning. Many schools are offering a blended approach.

(5) Taking advantage of distance learning from your school district enables you to
a) have flexibility if cases decrease & it becomes safe to attend school
b) keeps kids together with a cohort of friends they're likely to know and teachers they'll interact with in the future.

(6) If you tried this approach in the spring & it was a horror show, don't worry. I can help you make it work & I'll show you how in later threads on this topic.

If you have a child that absolutely NEEDS more guidance to make distance learning work than you can give, read on.

(7) MANY school districts already provide online charter schools that are tuition-free. You're probably familiar with some of the national chains like Connections.

I've used these and they are good options for kids that need more structure and support. There are caveats, however

(8) Some of the curriculum has a decidedly religious lean, so you'll want to screen ahead and have candid conversations with your child about what they'll find there and why.

For example, I discovered my daughter's online elementary school taught biblical history as fact.

(9) Most states will also allow you to homeschool with your own curriculum. Rules about what you have to provide to the state to prove you are educating your child vary.

But if you're already overwhelmed, this is really an option of last resort.

responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/….

(10) Now we get to the nuts & bolts. Who is in charge of your child's schooling? Who keeps them on task & makes them follow through?

Ideally, your STUDENT is in charge. There's really no more important life skill you can teach a kid than being in charge of their own learning.

(11) I can hear you laughing through the internet. You tried that already in the spring and it was an unmitigated disaster. But I promise it's possible. Yes, even for your spastic six-year-old.

The key is it requires some tools all teachers possess.
Organization & planning.

(12) That sounds like work you don't have time for, right? It is a bit of an investment upfront. But as all teachers will tell you, it pays dividends.

Every Tuesday, I'll create threads that walk you through how to create a home learning situation that works for your family.

(13) We'll discuss how to set up learning spaces that work for every age & drafting a schedule and classroom management tools to help students stay on task.

I'll help you figure out how to recruit older kids to help the littles, freeing you up to get more work done.

(14) I want to empower you to feel good about keeping your kids at home. Their learning doesn't have to suffer & neither does your work or your sanity. Balance is possible.

Every kid we can keep home enables teachers to have less crowding in schools and a safer community.

(15) I'll also be here every Thursday afternoon for some Q&A. We can troubleshoot issues & I can point you towards resources that teachers use to address those same challenges in their classroom.

Put the health of your family first. I'll be here to help,
You are not alone.