There have been a LOT of things happening since the pandemic hit in March 2020. One of those things is parents being introduced to something they are not familiar with — homeschooling. As they migrate themselves to uncharted waters trying to juggle their working lives and now being an educator of their kids in a kitchen classroom, it seems success may not be at 100%. Over the last couple months, parents have inquired about homeschooling services whether virtually or in person. Online tutors have become one of the highest “in-demand” professions in the US and online learning is at its highest peak. 

Public schools have started to talk about plans to return to the classroom in hybrid scenarios where students come to school a couple times a week and work online a couple times a week. Others have decided to go online until the end of September or early October then transitioning in person. Some schools have decided to go to physical school now as well. Whatever the case is, parents have a huge undertaking that they need to be well prepared for. Many of them were disillusioned with what they say over the last 6 months as from their eyes, instruction is not up to par, students are just given assignments with no real direction, and schools dropped the ball during the transition. So, this has driven many parents to take control of their children’s education. 

If you are thinking about homeschooling, you will need to be very aware of the challenges and rigor required along with being able to tap into resources to get support. Parents will need to not only have the subject area knowledge for the content, but they also need to really know HOW to teach. For both parents that are at home working, at least ONE of the parents has to be good at it and that might be a challenge. It is definitely not for everyone. 

You will need to definitely research great homeschool curriculums and you need to familiarize yourself with building a tight schedule with your kids from morning until late afternoon. If you are working and your child is doing online school with the district or private school, they are being taught by an actual teacher so you will just have to facilitate ensuring he/she is on track with class periods, assignments, and homework. However, if you are truly homeschooling and you ARE the teacher, it will take a balancing act to juggle different classes, lessons, lesson cycles, homework, independent practice, guided practice, and more. You may consider hiring an educator to come in and homeschool for you while you work or facilitate the learning while you focus on the household items. In addition, hiring a private tutor online or in person would be a great decision point for support during this time. At any rate, homeschooling is not for the faint of heart, but when managed correctly can accelerate your child’s learning so when/if they do return to the classroom, they will be lightyears ahead of their peers. 

Some tips are as follows: 

• Create your own schedule
• Have a great study area or space that is comfortable
• Set goals and expectations for your child
• Be patient
• Set brain breaks
• Connect with teachers
• Lean on experts
• Set time for lunch
• Offer rewards
• Ensure to take a break when you can