It’s time for a reset of focus for this blog. I’ve been quiet here for a long time in part because I’ve been discerning why I have not been writing about learning. The lightbulb went on for me yesterday; realizing I have knowledge and resources that parents who find themselves homeschooling their children for the first time, and not by choice, might want and need.

The reset now is to focus on learning. All learning, not just spiritual learning. Life in the time of COVID-19 causes many to be together at home with short notice. That has caused stress for many families; how are we going to get through this? We can be grateful for the internet for access to resources. There are so many great sites to find activities to “keep your kids busy”.

I am offering a different angle: learning together with your children.

Here’s the thing: many of you are products of the public school system. I am too. I am also a veteran public school teacher so I know what I’m talking about here. Teachers are amazing at what they do! Limited supplies to share with 20-35 students in elementary classrooms; mandatory curriculum to align with standardized tests that don’t pay attention to the real learning needs of the real students they see in their classrooms; additional required responsibilities beyond teaching and preparing to teach without additional pay; these issues and more exist across this country. And now they are adapting all their lessons to be delivered remotely and overseen by parents who are not used to spending this much time with their own children. YIKES!!!

How can we make the most of these circumstances? Here’s a handful of hope, 5 tips to try:

1. Plan something to look forward to when the required schoolwork is completed. By completed I mean to your child’s teacher’s standards, not just finished.
2. Give a 5 minute break for every 25 minutes of focused work. This is called the pomodoro method. It keeps everyone motivated to get tasks done in a timely, non-dawdling manner. For the youngest of the school age children, I suggest adapting it to 20 minutes with a 10 minute break; this aligns with their developmental readiness to focus.
3. Use at least one of the breaks to do something silly like trying to get a spoon to stick to the end of your nose, or learning how to blow bubbles with bubble gum or something fun or silly you remember from your own childhood and want to pass on to your littles.
4. Get outside as often as possible. Look outside if the weather doesn’t permit going outside. There is brain science behind this need.
5. Plan your days into Five Ds: discipleship studies; discipline studies; discretionary studies; down time; and dinner time. I adapted the work of Sally Clarkson author of Educating the Wholehearted Child which was a seminal construct for me when I found myself homeschooling our then eight year old way back in 1997. Ancient history I know. Somethings don’t change; they are adapted.

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These are unprecedented times; I realize you have grown to expect certain types of posts here and I value and appreciate your support. I want to assure you I will be writing about faith as well as other things as I continue learning along the Way. Consider riding this out with me.