Five Lessons from Work to Help Homeschool

As we all juggle working from home with teaching our children from home, now is a good time to consider how we can adapt the lessons we’ve learned during the course of career.

1. Prioritizing Projects

My “student” is only nine years old, and I’m getting multiple emails a day from his classroom teacher, PE teacher, music teacher, art teacher, etc., with schoolwork instructions. I can only imagine what middle school or high school students are dealing with! Part of schooling from home needs to include a lesson on how to juggle all the different requests and deadlines.

To start, I like to have a “to do” or task list to work off – one place to list everything that needs to be done. As emails roll in, write (or type, if you’re using an electronic list) what needs to be done, for whom, and when it is due. Then, just like when multiple requests come in at work, it’s all about prioritization. A few tips:

• Start with easy assignments you can get done quickly. Not only will you be able to check a few things off your list right away, but they will also get your mind in the right zone for the harder work.
• Prioritize the assignments due today versus the ones due at the end of the week.
• But, don’t procrastinate on long-term projects! Set aside time to work on them for a little bit each day so you aren’t scrambling when the due date arrives. 

2. Presentation Skills Translate to Good Teaching Skills

Now that you know what to focus on first, how do you actually teach your kid(s)? Lucky for you, numerous work presentations have prepared you well. Even if you don’t regularly give presentations, you most likely attend them, so you have an idea of what is a good presentation versus a bad one.

First, follow the KISS principle – Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don’t over-complicate things, especially when the simpler explanation will do. Don’t use frilly or verbose language that your kid(s) won’t understand or may be confused by – explain things in their terms. A few additional tips:

• Give the subject your full attention – you wouldn’t be glancing at your phone as you give a presentation, so put it away while you are teaching.
• Consider your delivery and tone – your student is more likely to be engaged if you are, well, engaging. Smile while you speak and be enthusiastic about the topic you are teaching.

3. Motivating “Workers”

You may be ready to teach but getting (or keeping) kids focused on their work is a hard task. But so is motivating a team at work, especially if it’s a project no one wants to do!

To begin, manage expectations by thoroughly explaining what is required – make sure to include deadlines or check-in markers. Second, explain the “why” of the assignment so your worker knows why their work is meaningful in the large picture. For example, “running these metrics will let us know what campaigns are more successful and where we should invest additional resources” or “repeating your multiplication tables helps build your brain’s muscle memory and will help you with the harder equations you’ll be required to do next year in fourth grade.”

Another great way to motivate is by giving ownership. Let your “worker” choose what assignments they do first or allow him to pick the hours that will be dedicated to schoolwork. By giving ownership, workers are given a sense of responsibility that will help to motivate them. Finally, there’s always the old stand-by of bribing – ahem, I mean, rewarding good behavior.

4. Taking Breaks

Once you have your kids motivated and working, you may be tempted to try and push them through all the work while they’re focused. However, breaks are so important for the mind and body. Think of their normal school schedule – they may have a morning snack or recess, a lunch break, and an afternoon quiet time or recess. In this respect, schools are way ahead of the workplace!

Studies have proven that people work best in cycles of focused work and rest. Breaks help to rejuvenate the mind and the body, and will actually help students stay focused as well:

“…breaks are an essential part of learning. But the benefits extend beyond the psychological well-being of students. Particularly for younger students, regular breaks throughout the school day can be an effective way to reduce disruptive behavior. In a series of recent studies, short physical activity breaks in the classroom improved students’ behavior, increasing the effort they put into their activities as well as their ability to stay on task.”  
https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks

5. Dealing with Uncertainty

Finally, with everything going on with COVID-19, we all are dealing with uncertainty. In times of uncertainty, routine and familiarity are comforting, so help your child develop a new “normal” routine. Through company mergers, leadership changes, and corporate transitions, we often use the phrase “business as usual” meaning to keep things running as we typically would. As much as possible, run your child’s life as you typically would – keep morning and bedtime routines, and set-up a new normal “school” routine.

And, of course, be patient and give your child – and yourself – some grace and time to get used to this new normal.

What are your thoughts? What are you doing these days to keep your child(ren) engaged?