If you’re worried about remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, welcome to the club.
It’s new for students, it’s new for parents, it’s new for teachers. Even though many local schools have been using online components for a number of years, moving learning entirely out of the classroom is a big step for everyone.
We checked with local teachers to get some tips for parents and students on how to navigate this new (to most of us) format of learning. The overwhelming message? Don’t let remote learning add to your stress.
“We are all, on a global level, facing things we could never have imagined,” said Megan Chavez Anderson, owner and teacher at Children’s House Montessori School in Lewiston. “With this in mind, the best advice I can give to parents and students is to take a breath and to make an effort to not place any more stress or anxiety on one another. No learning can happen effectively or happily under stressful circumstances.”
Schools and teachers are moving slowly into the transition to remote learning. Parents and students can keep this in mind -- parents are not now suddenly responsible for the entirety of their children’s education and students will not be expected to learn at the pace and in the way that they were learning earlier in the school year.
“We really need to pay attention to our kids’ mental well-being,” said Desirae Reed, a second grade teacher at McSorley Elementary School in Lewiston. “This is a stressful unknown for them and the routine and stability of school and friendships being absent can be very challenging. Schools will account for the loss of learning this pandemic has caused, so the added stress of hours and hours of schooling at home isn’t worth it.”
Schools and teachers are still overseeing their students’ education. For now, many teachers are just checking in to see how their students and families are doing.
“I am mostly concerned about everyone’s mental health during this, so I’m not wanting parents to stress about the academics,” said Heidi Cornell, a third grade teacher at Orchards Elementary in Lewiston. “Some families are cooped up with lots of kids and have lost jobs, the last thing to worry about is academics.”
With that in mind, here are a few tips from teachers on how to support students during this time:
Is it important to have a schedule? What are some ideas about how to set that up?
It’s helpful to have a daily schedule, but it's okay to use it as a guideline. If kids are involved in something enriching, there is no reason to stop to move onto the next activity on the schedule. Kids find comfort in the predictability a schedule can provide. If it's too hard to have a schedule or it doesn't work for your child, another idea is to have expectations of what they must do, then options of what they can do, once the "must do" tasks are finished. This may help reduce the amount of screen time.
Desirae Reed, second grade teacher, McSorley Elementary School, Lewiston
I recommend having a meeting with your child(ren) about a schedule, even making your child a part of the planning. Working together establishes a team mindset that they are responsible for their education and it is not all coming from you. The schedule should not necessarily be time based, but rather activity based. For example breakfast, kitchen clean up, first work of the day/computer check in on assignments. Having a schedule with activity titles rather than times will allow for flexibility and prevent rigidity that should not necessarily exist in the home environment.
Megan Chavez Anderson, head of Children’s House Montessori School, Lewiston
My best advice to junior high students and older is this: try to keep your “school” schedule as “normal” as possible, but extend yourself, your teachers and your parents some grace. This isn’t a vacation for anyone, and your teachers are dying to see your faces and hear your ridiculous stories more than ever.
Jessi McLean, eighth grade math teacher, Jenifer Jr. High School, Lewiston
Usually my kids are in school at least six hours a day. What’s a reasonable amount of learning time I should expect from my kids at home?
It’s not realistic to expect kids to work academically for six hours. The research that I am following says that kindergarten through second graders should work 30 to 60 minutes and third through sixth graders should work for an hour to 90 minutes.
Desirae Reed, second grade teacher, McSorley Elementary, Lewiston
Take a look at what is needed for the work and then break things up to avoid fatigue and frustration. Divide your school time into manageable chunks; do small amounts, set a timer for a break, and come back.
Will Thompson, seventh and eighth grade teacher, Jenifer Jr. High School, Lewiston
I teach middle schoolers, but due to the current situation, I'm at home with my preschooler. That is a whole different ball game. I'm giving myself lots of grace and trying to find creative ways to make sure he's learning, without being too "academic.” For example, today we did animal puzzles and talked about what letter each animal's name starts with. We only get in about 15 to 30 minutes of schooling per day, and I think that's plenty.
Valerie Johnson, sixth and eighth grade science teacher, Cornerstone Middle School, Lewiston
This nationwide closure is a great time for young ones and parents to slow down and work on building the foundational skills like building reading fluency and basic math facts, as well as learn social skills like sharing and getting along with others. Remember that parents, teachers, and students are a team. We will get through this together.
Dustin Wendt, third grade teacher, Grantham Elementary School, Clarkston
With older students, we’re encouraging them to find something that is engaging, where they can push themselves and be challenged intellectually. It doesn’t have to be in the subject area. For example, they might start researching colleges. This uses comparative skills and is something they’re already invested in; it also gets them thinking about the future instead of just the present situation.
Johanna Brown, 11th and 12th grade teacher, Pullman High School, Pullman
If a particular subject is difficult, find someone remotely to help, whether that’s the teacher, another classmate or other online tutor. YouTube can be a great resource, as well. Great educators all over the world have created videos explaining whatever you’re studying. And when studying something you really don’t like, set up a small reward at the end, like a piece of candy for every 15 minutes spent on the subject.
Julia Thompson, first grade teacher, Grantham Elementary School, Clarkston
If there are assignments or subjects your child does not enjoy, you may have to give them extra support by going through the lesson with them, find creative ways to reach the same academic goal and allow them to take brain breaks when they're feeling overwhelmed. Maybe they will understand fractions better by building with LEGOS rather than from a worksheet. It’s important to keep in mind that children have a different sense of security with their teachers. They may feel insecure at letting you see them struggle or fail. They want to make you proud, so be empathetic to their needs and learning styles.
Megan Chavez Anderson, head of Children’s House Montessori School, Lewiston
This is a time to enrich, and if kids have subjects they dread, I would suggest helping them come up with ideas they can do for that subject. Some examples would be to write your own story problems, make your own flashcards, write letters to the "helpers" thanking them for their service to our community. Also, there are many, many educational games and apps that may help tackle those challenging subjects.
Desirae Reed, second grade teacher, McSorley Elementary School, Lewiston
What can we do if we get stuck?
Reach out to teachers if you need help. Really do it. Don’t say, ‘Oh, I’m annoying them if I ask them again.’ We really do want to help. And, on the flip side, be creative in problem solving if what the teacher says isn’t helping. There are many resources available. Don’t be afraid to take a break and work on it later, too.
Will Thompson, seventh and eighth grade teacher, Jenifer Jr. High School, Lewiston
Remember that a teacher's school day is not perfect, either. Schedules don't always go as planned. Some lessons can stink, kids don't always understand what you're trying to teach. So, I hope people can have grace for themselves and their kids as we forge through this unknown chapter.
Desirae Reed, second grade teacher, McSorley Elementary School, Lewiston
What’s my job as a parent while schools are closed?
Working, parenting and teaching are three different jobs that can’t be done at the same time. When you have to pick, choose connection. Play a game instead of arguing about an academic assignment. Pick teaching your child to do laundry instead of feeling frustrated that they aren’t helping.
Heidi Cornell, third grade teacher, Orchards Elementary School, Lewiston
Parents need to accept that they are not trying to recreate the school environment in their homes and to let go of some kind of expectations derived from online sources or purchasing unnecessary supplies.
Megan Chavez Anderson, head of Children’s House Montessori School, Lewiston
I don’t want parents to feel they have to teach anything. We’re not giving students tons of work and we’re not placing expectations on parents. We don’t have to do tons of assignments, instead we’re asking bigger guiding questions, throwing tons of resources at them and our hope is to be mentors to them as they learn.
Johanna Brown, 11th and 12th grade teacher, Pullman High School
Play board games; reading is often required as are strategies, counting, taking turns and learning how to win gracefully and lose with dignity. Do puzzles; they engage both sides of the brain, support spatial reasoning and short term memory. Listen to music, find some fun YouTube videos that encourage movement while learning letters, sounds, sight words and math facts. Lastly, read stories to your children, it's one of the first foundational steps of literacy and promotes wonderful family time.
Mary Dolezal, Title 1 reading teacher, Grantham Elementary School, Clarkston
One thing your children can do is keep a journal -- handwritten, typed, in photographs or drawings or even video. They can record events, daily activities, fears and feelings. Let them interview you as parents. This will be something they can share with their own children and grandchildren someday.
Heidi Cornell, third grade teacher, Orchards Elementary School, Lewiston
Education exists in many forms. Caring for our homes through dusting, washing dishes and sweeping all provide gross motor and fine motor skills, as well as strengthening the eyes for tracking when reading. More importantly, they give a child a sense of belonging in their home environment. Cooking and baking directly involve reading, vocabulary, math and sequencing by following a set of instructions. I highly encourage you to not limit your child's learning at home to simply studying at the dining room table or on the computer. Learning can be happening all around us.
Megan Chavez Anderson, head of Children’s House Montessori School, Lewiston
Bring your kids into whatever it is you’re doing, if you can. What better opportunity are they going to have to learn how to prepare taxes? Another idea I do with older students is giving them in-lab challenges where it’s OK to fail. What that might look like at home is, give them a recipe book and tell them to cook something. Have your kids do something without help; if the recipe turns out, that’s fine, but even if it doesn’t, they’re still learning something.
Johanna Brown, 11th and 12th grade teacher, Pullman High School, Pullman
