Over the last few weeks, this weekly column has focused on aspects of our lives that have changed irrevocably due to the pandemic. One of the most important transitions has been the shift from regular schooling to home-schooling systems. The change and ensuing adjustments have been monumental in scope, for children of all ages, their parents, as well as for teachers and school administrators who have done their best to respond to this unique and unprecedented situation. In the present scenario, it is unlikely that schools will open up soon, which makes home-schooling a long-term reality.
Some parents have chosen to withdraw their children from formal schools entirely, taking their children’s education in their own hands. Whether you follow a schoolmandated online learning methodology or prefer to design your own age-appropriate educational system, here are a few things to keep in mind for most effectively home-schooling your children.
Online teaching can be successful only if the teachers and parents work hand-in-hand. This requires the parents to be aware of the various activities their children are part of and guide them every step of the way. If you do not supervise your children’s school work, they may not take this form of education seriously. Parents need to be patient, calm and resilient in order for the process of home-schooling to succeed. Further, it is essential to keep the conversation lines with the teachers open at all times. If needed, you may politely offer advice or constructive criticism to the teachers. However, be prepared to step up to the occasion if the teachers demand extra attention from you.
One of the many merits of a traditional school is the enforcement of routine structure that helps a child to grow and thrive. It is important to design a schedule for your child’s lessons, even if you are not following the online structure provided by school. This will help them readjust to school life when it is time to eventually return. If you are working from home and sharing devices and Internet bandwidth with your child, you may skip the live lessons and have them view the recording at a later time, but make sure to do it at the same time every day. In this case, keep the teachers abreast of your child’s progress and keep sharing their work.
Some children dislike facing screens early in the morning. Others find online interaction boring and/or difficult to adjust to. Hence, there is no point in forcing rigid routines or structures. You may tweak the lessons as per your child’s individual personality and preferences, or modify school-mandated activities to something that your child may enjoy more, as long as the same lesson is imparted in the process.
The location where the classes take place, determine your child’s level of attention and focus on the subject being taught. You may change up the location from one bedroom to another; however, make sure there are no distractions around when lessons take place. Keep food, toys and comic books away. Noisy appliances should be shut off for better overall concentration. A desk is an ideal location but any sort of flat surface works well too.
Encourage your child’s performance by showing your appreciation of his/her efforts in these difficult circumstances. If you feel that your child is too distracted, offer a small reward such as a chore-free afternoon or a sweet treat. Make the most of weekends as lesson-free days, to enforce some normalcy in your child’s routine. You should avoid yelling at or punishing your children for poor performance or lack of attention in class. It is important to be mindful of the strangeness and difficulty of this phase for them as well.
Children are more likely to thrive academically through appreciation rather than punishment. As parents, it is our job to create a nurturing and encouraging environment for their optimal education at home.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.