Back to School is looking so different for so many people this year. For us, this fall starts another season of distance learning.
Even though your back to school may look different from ours, we did want to share a few tips that have made our distance learning go a little smoother. We definitely don’t have all the answers but here is what has helped us so far.
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Tips for Distance Learning
In Ep 84 Simple Schedules for Less than Simple Times, we shared 4 different types of schedules that can help during distance learning, but we know there are tons of logistics that come into play.
If you are facilitating distance learning while also trying to get work done, this can be an especially trying time. Although we know this is often not an ideal situation, here are 4 things that have help our distance learning go smoother.
1. Plan “Light Work” and “Deep Work” Tasks
One of the hardest things for me is to trying to get work done while also helping my kids with their schoolwork or supervising (troubleshooting!) zoom calls. I do, however, still have things to get done!
I have found it much easier to focus on “light work” tasks during distance learning and plan for “deep work” tasks at a later time when I can solely focus on work. This means scheduling my “deep work” before my kids get up or when they go to bed.
We often try to use multitasking as a way to get everything done. However, I find a quiet, uninterrupted block of time is usually more productive than if I’m trying multitasking during distance learning.
I knew multitasking wasn’t working when I began to get frustrated when a seemly simple task takes an hour because of multiple interruptions. My frustration is not fair to my kids who are only looking for support. When I work on “light tasks,” little interruptions have minimal impact.
Some examples of light tasks could be:
- daily household chores
- meal prep
- planning the “deep work” you will do later
- quick emails
- exercise
2. Make a Master Schedule
As we know, schedules are such an important part of being organizing but they are really a necessity with multiple family members on different schedules.
I NEEDED a master schedule since I have 3 kids at 3 different schools with 3 different zoom schedules and a total of 13 different teachers! There are so many different things to track.
I made a master schedule for my family and individual schedules for my older children. I also included a page to track the many different learning we are logging into weekly.
If you would like a blank copy of my FREE master schedule click here. Then you can save and input your own info without all the setup!
3. Set Multiple Alarms
This might be overkill but it has been so helpful to have multiple alarms set for each Zoom start time.
With different start times throughout the day and changing Zoom meetings day to day, having multiple alarms set have been such a great reminder when I lose track of time.
4. Plan Active breaks
Online learning can be draining so it is easy to want to just sit during a break. Try to fight against that urge and plan something active during the breaks. Whether it is shooting hoops outside or having a mini-dance party get up and get moving.
Since it has been so hot during the day here, we started going for a short 10 minute walk in the morning. It is not much but the fresh air is a nice break before multiple Zoom sessions.
I also purchased blue light filtering glasses for my daughters. It helps to reduce strain on their eyes from being on the computer for most of the day. Here are a few budget friendly options that I found.
5. Focus on the Character Lessons
Often times we, as parents can get so caught up in the academic lessons that we forget about the character and value lessons that are being taught around us.
Remember our kids are watching how we handle technical difficulty or our behavior when trying to overcome an obstacle. Be the model for your children of what you would like to see in them.
Character lessons can be one of the most important lessons of distance learning. Each child is different for what specific value you want to work on, however, this could be a perfect time to slowly promote one aspect of independence that is age appropriate.
It can be as simple as pointing your child to where they can find the answer to a problem instead of answering it or for them or pointing out to them how proud you are when you saw them preserving through a tough problem instead of giving up.
What’s working for you?
What has been working for you during this distance learning season? What has been the biggest struggle or the greatest benefit?
We know that we have just scratched the surface so let us know below or you can find us hanging out on Instagram @AtoB podcast |Facebook!
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