In a world seemingly turned upside down, I needed some spring cheer! My plant and paint class at my kids school has been postponed due to this quarantine of 2020, so I felt something was missing in regards to honoring mother earth! I had to do something to welcome in my favorite season! I needed new growth!
Around 3pm I ventured to Stop and Shop and it was surprisingly NOT chaotic. Daringly, I walked in and made it out alive, with a bouquet of tulips in hand. And yes, some more salad toppers to accompany the kale my iron hungry prego body has been needing…so here’s a picture of my tulips and my pretty spring lunch!
Not sure if anyone else can relate but “school from home” today did not share the same enthusiastic vibes as the past few days. That’s to be expected, so I hope no one is feeling like a parent-teacher failure. I thought I’d list some helpful reminders I have to keep telling myself during this process of “teaching from home.”
* TEACHING FROM HOME MANTRA*
- My kid will survive this home learning process
- Don’t stress about not finishing EVERY WORKSHEET
- Purpose for CONNECTION rather than just getting the work done
- Take the lessons to the floor, the outdoors, a cool or different setting – kids sit at desks for lots of days out of the year…the floor or a fort can’t hurt.
- Think of how I enjoy to learn and apply information in those ways
- Use what I have, and teach what I know
- Try not to over complicate lessons…have fun with it! and lastly
- REST in MY NEST!
Today was rainy, dark and dismal, so we did our work early. I’ve been purposing to dedicate a few hours to teaching, and not just “here, take this paper and do this….” but actually being involved in the learning process. It will make the work get done quicker, even if it’s only ONE or TWO assignments!
Do it together! Make a connection! Get on their level! It motivates them, and you give yourself more time to accomplish things you need to do too. A helpful tip is find what your child’s strengths are, UTILIZE THEIR INTERESTS, and incorporate into your lesson! Same goes for their “NOT SO STRONG POINTS”. I re-read my childs’ report card and am trying to work with the constructive critiques from teacher feedback to try to improve and strengthen the areas that I can influence during this time at home.
Working hard to connect, connect, connect!
A little sacrifice of time does make a difference!
I learned today that my kid really loves being able to use our laptop. He enjoys opening his daily newsletter, printing things out, typing in the websites, clicking on resources. Knowing what is expected, and following a realistic timeline to accomplish those tasks helps too. A simple sticker chart can help motivate a kid to get things done.
MUSIC and MOVEMENT is another fun part of the day I noticed he really enjoys! Something I enjoy about this time is getting to observe my kid. Listening to him, watching him work, and just being with him. Some days you have to just let them sing and move and wiggle…read and write later.
Goal for Tomorrow
One thing I will be working on tonight is utilizing the bazillions of online teaching resources for an easy but fun craft/project that focuses on a specific topic my kid is learning in science; the SPINAL CORD and NERVES. I think making a connection to the topic by creating something will make it easier when it comes time to write about it. So tomorrow we will start the day with creativity, and hopefully transition nicely into writing!
And now…
BALANCE *BALANCE *BALANCE
As always there are things that have to get done daily, and in order to do it, balance is key. Of course we can all relate to the harsh reality that managing home life, work from home life, and now school lessons ain’t all roses and tulips. It’s messy. I’m learning to embrace SOME of the mess and just move on. When I sense the balance meter about to topple, I have to stop, assess, and figure what’s most important right now…what can wait until later, what mess will make me feel like a lunatic if I don’t clean it up…and then proceed.
ALSO changing my PERSPECTIVE
This life is beautiful and filled with SO MANY BLESSINGS! I’m realizing how thankful I truly am for all I have, this country I live in, ummm and our AMAZING TEACHERS that work every day with not just one kid but many!!!!
Even though there is no toilet paper in the stores, man oh man, there is A LOT of other useful items still available for use and purchase…and not just in ONE place but many, let alone what we have in our homes! We have incredible resources in this country, look at what matters most, assess the important things, and damn…count those blessings! They are MANY!
SHELSCAPES 