EDUCATION
8 TOP HOMESCHOOL TIPS
BY KATHRYN HOBBS & ALICIA EATON IN ASSOCIATION WITH mytutor . co . uk
AS WE WAIT WITH BAITED BREATH FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SCHOOLS CAN ONCE AGAIN REOPEN THEIR DOORS AND MOVE BACK TO PHYSICAL IN-CLASSROOM TEACHING , HOMESCHOOLING IS OF COURSE AT THE TOP OF OUR ANXIETY-INDUCING AGENDA . AS SCHOOLS NAVIGATE THE VIRTUAL DELIVERY LANDSCAPE AND PREPARE NUMEROUS INITIATIVES TO CLOSE THE LOCKDOWN-EDUCATION GAPS , IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT TO LOOK AFTER YOUR TEEN ’ S EDUCATION AND WELLBEING .
Here , headteacher , Kathryn Hobbs and psychologist & child wellbeing specialist , Alicia Eaton share their top homeschooling tips :
1 . Hold a weekly family meeting
With kids learning from home and parents working from home – and socialising extremely limited ( freezing cold walk in the rain , anyone ?), it ’ s easy for everyone to get a bit of cabin fever right now . Some kids might argue lots , while others will bottle things up . Either way , making a slot for a weekly family meeting can be a really effective way to park frustrations or particular feelings for a few days , until you all sit down and discuss it . You can make an agenda over the course of each week too , writing down things to talk about as they come up in between meetings . This is a way for families to bond as you look for solutions together – and save on the tears beforehand . It can help kids learn to control their emotions and bring calm during the week as they know they have an outlet to discuss what ’ s bothering them .
2 . Label “ zones ” at home
If you ’ ve got more than one child at home , chances are they ’ ll each have their own set of needs each day . A teen will need quiet time to focus on their studies , while a 9-year-old will need somewhere to work on an art project ( and some adult supervision !). Grade 3 trumpet practice and A Level physics revision – also a tricky combo . With everyone home , creating different “ zones ” in your house for specific types of activities can be a really effective way to let everyone concentrate on the work they need to .
You can work with the space you ’ ve got too – even a corner of a landing could be made into a quiet study corner . Your kitchen table could be the reserved creative / noisy / chatty zone , and another room could be the “ taking video calls ” zone . A system that means kids get to move around a bit during the day can also help keep their studies fresh , rather than staying glued to the same seat from morning till evening .
3 . Stick to a timetable
As a parent , your role during homeschool – especially for teens – isn ’ t to double up as a teacher . Unless you ’ re a total whizz in one of your teen ’ s subjects , the way you can really support your teen ’ s learning is by helping them stick to the timetable their school has provided . On top of that , you can add morning , lunchtime and after school elements to their weekly routine .
This could be a daily habit like a walk before registration , a weekly slot for a movie night or time set aside for them to call their friends . It ’ s easy for time to all blend into one during lockdown , so splitting up the weeks and the days into lots of chunks can help boost everyone ’ s energy , productivity and mood .
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