Yesterday Eleanor asked me how many weeks she had been in school so far this year. I realized at some point I had stopped keeping track of our time in school and I had to get out a calendar and check. Well it has been three months of distance learning. Three months of zoom calls for school. Three months of the kids interacting with their teachers and peers over zoom calls. Three months of sitting by their side keeping them on task, helping calm their daily frustrations and celebrating little wins.
In case you haven’t been aware, or live in a different state, we are in beautiful California. 2020 started with a virus, Covid-19 which quickly turned into a global pandemic. Our state basically shut down in mid March and we have been doing public school from home ever since. The end of our school year last year was abruptly cut short as teachers scrambled to figure out how to resume teaching online for the last two months of school. We maintained what we learned last year but nothing new was taught. Teachers and parents spent all summer preparing for online learning and getting familiar with technology. We planned to accommodate distance learning into our life by mapping out schedules and routines that would benefit two children in school while three children were in the same home not in school and two parents attempting to work and supervising all five children in shifts.
Our Distance Learning Routine
We have fallen into a groove that is mostly working. I wouldn’t say it is my favorite or that it couldn’t be improved, but it has be come a routine that functions and we are ridding that out. You can check out our first week of school here and compare it to how we are getting along now as well.
We start our morning waking up around 7am and get our two students fed, dressed and ready for school. Anderson starts kindergarten at 8 am and Eleanor starts 1st grade at 9 am. We try to log onto class and our devices 5 minutes early for every class, we are late on occasion but we aim for early. While we wait for kindergarten to start we practice sight word flash cards or our spelling words for the week. I have come to realize that the few minutes before his first class begins is the time my son is most willing to learn sight words and we are both the most patient. When I attempt sight words later in the day, after online instruction or during at home instruction he is less engaged and focused. So I try to get it in early most days.
Eleanor’s online instruction is staggered an hour which means she gets a little free/ independent time first thing in the morning. During this time she usually watches videos, plays on learning apps, does some light reading or helps me tend to the baby while I keep Anderson on task with his class. I really like that my students online time is staggered. I have the kids listen to there zoom calls loud enough that I can also hear it. This has helped me when the teacher makes announcements, when they ask for parent assistance or for catching my child not being engaged or on task in class. We do have 15-20 minutes of overlapping of zoom calls each day that can be a little overwhelming with all the sound. But for the most part I can assist one student with independent work while hearing the others class happening in the background.
- Anderson’s first class is 8 am – 9:20 am with online instruction for reading and language arts. He gets a small break and then works on his independent work, reading and anything not finished on his zoom call.
- Eleanor is in online class from 9 am – 10:15 am working on reading, science and language Arts. She usually has a few assignments she starts with the teacher and then finishes after the zoom call in addition to digital assignments after class.
- Anderson is back online for math class from 10 am – 11 am and finishes up any assignments after. He will then play on the school iPad on learning apps the district uploaded.
- We all eat lunch as a family, students, parents and little ones not in school and then get the little ones down for a nap by noon.
- Eleanor’s last class is math and sometimes art from Noon – 12:30 pm. She finishes any digital math lessons after class if she didn’t get it done during her independent time. We are basically done with school by 1 pm daily.
While I am with our students all day Jon keeps the youngest kids entertained upstairs. They play, go for walks or run errands while we do school because Oliver loves to sing and dance along with Anderson’s class and can quickly distract him or take over his screen. Keeping the little kids in another area of the house has worked the best so far. If one parent needs to attend a meeting or do something out of the house we try to schedule it after school.
Distance Learning Positives
One big positive to distance learning is we have not missed any days of school this year. We haven’t gotten sick, no colds or flu because our kids haven’t been exposed to school germs *knock on wood*. But even if we had gotten sick and they were feeling ill we would be able to log in to class and at least watch or attempt to participate in class and not be marked absent. I have seen a few children log into class and observe a class in bed and you can tell they don’t feel well. Our teachers have appreciated their efforts to keep on task and dismissed them if they looked like they were getting too tired.
We have also been able to travel and not miss any class time. We spent a week in Palm Springs, about two hours from home, and brought all our school work with us. The kids were excited to share their new locations with their teachers and change up their learning environment. It was easy enough to coordinate with our teachers and make sure we brought all the necessary materials and books with us. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your routine I totally recommend going on a little staycation and taking the school work with you. As long as your hotel or accommodations have wifi you should be able to continue distance learning at a new spot. Also keep in mind using your phone as a hot spot to get your students devices online.
Distance Learning Struggles
A huge downside to the state closures and the kids being home for school is we are all missing out on some independent time. The kids learn how to interact with others and listen to directions from other authority in a school setting. They have time with friends and peers and time away from family during normal times. With us being together all the time we aren’t separated enough to appreciate our loved ones. We don’t have time to miss each other, which means shorter tempers, less patience with each other and more conflict. We have started picking our battles more carefully and try to keep the peace. We miss playdates at the park, going over to a friends house and working in a calm and quiet environment.
I have also noticed my kids eating habits have changed. They aren’t eating as much at a lunch or dinner and are grazing more throughout the day. They want a beverage or snack during class time. They want a snack after class ends and before it starts again. I think this change in habits will be a rough adjustments when we get back into the class room. School eating time is often limited to one snack break during the day. They will be starving and grumpy when we pick them up from school. I can already see it!
Lastly I think distance learning is draining for me. I feel so tired at the end of our school day and I usually take a little time to recover. When I look back on these last three months I struggle to see improvement in my career and projects as I have prioritized my children education. It seems so easy writing out our daily routine. But it feels so draining living through it each day. I think trying to keep a positive environment, dealing with technology issues and keeping my children on task takes more out of me than emotionally than I would have expected. I am introverted and take time to process what I am hearing and doing so it has become hard for me to multitask and not drop something mentally. My husband and I try to get to our work after the children have finished school but most often I have lost my motivation by then. I feel much more refreshed on weekends when I work on projects without concern for school. But it never feels like enough time. I am looking forward to a return to school and time that will free up in my morning.
Going Back to School Possibilities
We have been asking teachers and staff at our school and nearby schools to see what plans could be in the works. We know much of the decision to return depends on the state, country and district. We hope that they can return to school sometime after the holiday breaks. When our kids go back to school I can’t wait to hear about playing with friends, learning how to raise their hands for questions remain quiet while the teacher is talking. We know they are missing their friends and I can’t wait for them to refresh those relationships.
How has your distance learning experience been going?? Share with us.