Amid the various fears looming as COVID-19 continues to spread is the rising panic parents are feeling as schools across the nation shutter for weeks or even months and a new normal settles in. It’s a daunting task to keep children calm, occupied and learning during this time of uncertainty, especially for those working from home or, even more so, worrying about job security, lost paychecks, and where the next meal will come from. Kids’ day-to-day routines have shifted radically in a short time, as have their parents’, and these changes are jarring for everyone. (By now, you’ve certainly seen this Israeli mom’s hilarious crie du couer.) As we navigate the changes in our lives, parents are trying hard to keep their kids happy and engaged – while tracking shipments of toilet paper, obsessively scrubbing door handles, reminding people to “sing the ABCs once more while you wash your hands!” and actually getting some work done. COVID-19 makes all our previous struggles to juggle work and home seem like a (non-social-distancing) walk in the park.
As the head of a network that is preparing and supporting hundreds of thousands of excellent science, technology, engineering and math teachers around the country, I have the privilege of learning from amazing educators every day. In this time of crisis, as we all re-center on the infinite value of teachers – Shonda Rhimes put it best – I reached out to some of the best teachers around the country, as well as fellow parents, to get their advice on how to navigate this unique situation. I asked what they do to create a nurturing learning environment, so our kids can be happy and stay focused – and parents get the space we need to deal with work and everything else on our lists.
1.Establish a schedule
Just as a parent working from home needs to keep a schedule, teachers reminded me that we must make sure our kids don’t fall into a slump by sleeping in too late and spending all day on their phones. Parents and kids can co-create a daily schedule together – and then kids should be accountable for their own time. The less often parents have to nag their kids about the time, the fewer conflicts flare. In this time of close quarters, minimizing friction is the first step to preserving our sanity.
Galileo Innovation Kids doing Arts and Crafts
2.Keep calm and carry on
This is a stressful time for everyone, and it’s easy to lose patience. Prioritize your mental health, and help your kids do the same. Go outside (while staying at least six feet from others) for a walk, get hands-on with some arts and crafts, or practice deep breathing together. Many teachers have successfully used meditation to calm students in the classroom, a tactic that can be repeated at home for the whole family. This free Sesame Street app helps kids control their emotions during stressful situations using deep breathing.
3.Bring creativity into your daily routine
100Kin10 has amassed a curated collection of STEM-related activities from our STEM partners around the country. Each activity encourages active learning and is sorted by grade level and subject. One of my favorites includes a pre-K-2nd grade-friendly counting and categorization activity that uses the shoes in your closet (with the added bonus of tackling some spring cleaning). Sheryl Sotelo, a 100Kin10 Teacher Forum member from Alaska, suggested parents take advantage of some of Denise Gaskins’ Let’s Play Math resources, which help families learn about and practice math together with engaging games for children of all ages.
Digital Harbor Foundation Students at Work
4.Use screen time wisely
If your family has access to Wi-Fi, use some of your kids’ screen time as a tool for active learning. Boyd County, Kentucky, science and engineering teacher (and 100Kin10 Teacher Forum member) Carly Baldwin loves Breakout EDU’s online breakout games and Google classroom crossover. Baldwin and Denise Thompson, of Washington State, recommended PhET, which also has online virtual labs that teachers have been using successfully for many years. Several teachers sang the praises of TedED and Bill Nye the Science Guy. (At this point, I’m humming the intro to his show in the shower. It isn’t pretty.)
We also heard from many teachers that media sites like PBS Learn and National Geographic are excellent resources. They include instructional videos, online lessons and educator resources that are open to all. In recent weeks, they’ve updated those resources to include help with distance learning.
If you’re unable to access the internet from your home, try reaching out to Charter at Spectrum. They announced that they will offer free broadband internet (up to 100 Mbps) to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription.
Taking the expertise of trained education professionals and applying them to busy households with parents who are likely also trying to keep their own schedule intact will help students retain and build upon what they’ve learned in the classroom this year. Our teachers and fellow parents recommended mixing hands-on activities with those that are tech-based, plus a heavy dose of brain breaks (these are only three minutes each) and stress-reducers – but you should adjust these activities to what works for you and your family.
Students only thrive when teachers thrive. Right now, everyone is a teacher – parents, guardians, grandparents and friends on Zoom, and, more than anyone, our country’s (s)heroes, the four-million plus full-time teachers who have moved mountains to keep our kids connected, inspired, happy, and learning during this crisis.
