3 Lessons I have Learned the First Month of Virtual Learning
We have officially made it a month on this 3rd Grade Virtually Learning Journey! Let me tell you all that I was not prepared in the least for Cortlynn’s new normal when it came to school. The first two weeks were rough but we are finally starting to get into the grove of how are days will flow
1.Establish a Routine – One thing I learned quickly was that even though we were not leaving the house to attend school we still needed a set schedule when it came to our mornings. Since Cortlynn is now in 3rd grade if she was going into the classroom I would know how our morning would flow. Wake her up by 6:30 am, make sure she brushes her teeth and wash her face and get dressed. We would then eat breakfast and I would do her hair before leaving out for the day. Now that we did not have to leave the house I can honestly say that our routine was all over the place. I had let our morning routine fall by the wayside and it showed. I quickly learned that I had to treat Cortlynn’s morning as if she was still going into school. We now wake up by 7:20 am, so that she can brush her teeth, wash her face, get dressed and eat breakfast, so that she can be ready for class by 8 am. The first couple of days we struggled bad, but now our mornings are running more smoothly. Another plus is that Cortlynn doesn’t look like she just rolled out of bed on Zoom!
2. Have a Dedicated Learning Area – Since there are three of us ALL working from home in our 2 bedroom apartment, space can be a little tight. I am more of a free spirit when it comes to my workspace. On a daily basis you can find me at the kitchen table, counter, on the floor in the living room, my bedroom or on the porch! You never know where you can find me. Josh has a dedicated desk that he works at in our bedroom. So when Cortlynn started virtual learning I decided she could sit where ever I sat. This did not work for 2 reasons! First even though the kitchen counter and table are ok to eat at it was not conducive or comfortable for Cortlynn to sit are for about four hours a day. She would complain about not being comfortable and would often get up in the middle of a lesson. I am constantly in meetings and she would complain about her classmates being able to hear me and that she could not hear her teacher because I was talking to loud. By the end of the second week we both were over it and I rearranged her room so that she could have her own learning area. Since all of the school desks were sold out we are currently using a folding table and office chair that we already had in the house. Even though it may not be Pinterest worthy this dedicated space works. She has been more productive in her own space and I can have my meetings in peace.
3. Ask for HELP- I am not going to lie there were times in the beginning where I tried to multi-task working and trying to review Cortlynn’s work at the same time. This was an epic fail. There were time that I would be working on a report and trying to review rounding with numbers at the same time. Let me tell yall that this led to nothing but frustration on both of our parts. This is when I learned that I need to utilize me resources such as my fiancé. Even though I work in Accounting and understand Math I had to realize that doesn’t mean that I could teach it! It was apparent that for one I was trying to do to much at once and that he was a way better teacher when it came to the Math. Josh now steps in to help especially when it comes to the Math lessons!
How has virtually learning been going for you?
