A Complete Resource Guide to Remote Learning for Working Parents
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Tips for balancing your work schedule with your child’s needs
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Educating our children will look a lot different this year.
The challenges that parents, teachers, and students are facing are beyond measurable comprehension. You may wonder if your kids will have a school to attend. Perhaps your own school district is still waiting for instructions and procedures to address families with the information. If in-person learning isn’t an option, are the distance learning programs going to be valuable?
What if both parents work outside the house? How can you guarantee that your children will get the help and attention they need? The questions and challenges presenting themselves are overwhelming. The fact is, this situation is hard and scary for many families.
I want to guide you through some valuable ways to set yourself and your kids up for success, regardless of what this year throws at you. Think of the following information as a framework to help you choose what’s right for your family.
The most important thing to remember is that things may not run smoothly, and that’s ok. Be kind to yourself. Take challenges one step at a time.
I put in months of research so you don’t have to. Using my 17+ years of experience as a dance educator, I polled local families and spoke to other teachers to gather the most important information. This resource guide will help you gain some control over this situation. You’ve got this.
Steps to Set Up for Distance Learning + What You Need to Know
Step 1. Determine the location of your new home classroom.
Even if your child will attend some classes or activities outside your home, chances are that a lot of their studies will still take place at home. Creating a home environment for learning will help your kids associate their space with studying. Pick a space in your home that you underutilize. The dining room, playroom, craft area, or spare bedroom may be good options.
Think about how often you use those spaces for their intended purpose. If your dining room sits empty, consider reconfiguring it into a classroom for the time being. You can always stow away classroom materials in the rare event that you need to entertain in that space. I’ll share how to set up a home classroom step-by-step a little further on in this article.
Consider Microschooling.
Microschools are technically private schools, but they aim to make education affordable. Microschool Revolution says they try to keep yearly tuition under $5000. Microschools operate similarly to Montessori style education. They provide teachers that work with your children’s unique learning needs at their own pace. Class sizes are small and they split the school day into Socratic discussion, interactive project assignments, e-learning, physical activity, and independent study.
If you’re a working parent looking for a suitable classroom alternative, Microschooling is a great option. You can fill out a placement form on the Microschool Revolution website that will help you place your child in a microschool that’s right for your family.
Create a local distance learning Co-op.
Many families are in the same boat in your community. Start a group chat or join a local Facebook group to connect with other families that may swap childcare days with you. Start a summer meet up where you can get together with other local parents to get the conversation started. If you spend some time face-to-face with other parents, you can express your needs and concerns to help each other develop a game plan.
Talk to your employer or child’s extracurricular coach about starting a distance learning program.
It’s possible that someone you know may have the space and the ability to set up a safe environment for your kids to go while distance learning. Don’t be afraid to speak to your boss and ask for help. Smart business owners are already jumping on the opportunity to help their employees keep their regular hours. If your efforts fall short here, you may still be able to negotiate some hours to work from home. If your kids are involved in sports, dance, theater, etc. talk to their coaches and instructors about the possibility of starting a distance learning program. The program could be as simple as providing a safe workspace for your kids while they do their studies.
Step 2. Create a daily routine and schedule it out.
If your kids will be distance learning, a consistent schedule and daily routine is paramount. Your school may have class times to join Zoom calls and office hours for them to receive independent help, but that might be it. Take a weekend to sit down and develop a routine that makes sense for your family.
A. Start by deciding how many hours per day to devote to academics.
Once you’ve determined the hours of operation, you’ll designate blocks or periods that your kids can use to dedicate time to each subject. Download my free worksheet to help you with this process. Also, be sure to watch this short tutorial video to understand the design of this agenda and how to use it. For more information on how to use the time management study tool with your agenda worksheet, read my article about The Pomodoro Technique.
B. Take into account extracurricular activities.
Add their sports, gymnastics practice, piano lessons, etc. to the appropriate afternoon blocks. Even if their after school activities are canceled, they can still practice skills from home at around the same times they did before. YouTube is a great resource for practice drills, classes, and training to help keep your kids from losing their edge.
Bonus: If your kids love art, check out Art for Kids Hub on YouTube. Their website has resources and activities related to drawing, painting, origami, and other crafts for free. They break their content into grade levels and include a few tools to enhance specific school subjects like math and reading.
C. Plan out at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
It’s a good idea to build this into your child’s routine. It’s one of the first things to fall by the wayside if it’s not on their schedule. Brainstorm a few ideas of what your kids like to do. If they like to play basketball, set them up to shoot hoops and do some drills during the day. It’s ok to just send them out to play, but kids like structure and guidance. Routine makes them feel safe because they know what to expect (even though they may not be aware of it.) Take the time to plan out 2-3 physical activities for them to focus on during the week. I recommend this in addition to recess. Think of blocking out 30 minutes for structured activities and then 30 minutes of play time.
If your kids can’t get outside, check out GoNoodle on YouTube. These videos are free games and activities designed for getting kids up and moving, even in small spaces beside a desk or couch. Child development specialists designed GoNoodle. The content helps children infuse learning with movement, process emotions, and is accessible to all age and ability levels. Check out their website to learn more.
D. Plan out meals and mealtimes.
Consistency is key here. Designated meal times are especially important to make sure your kids aren’t grazing on snacks all day or accidentally skipping meals. Chrononutrition studies the link between meal times and your circadian rhythm. Creating consistency for your child’s digestive system will give them the energy to make it through the day productively.
If you want to learn more about scheduling meal times and how to do it correctly, watch my video guide to creating intentional eating habits. Remember that everything is connected and this part of their schedule needs its place.
A plan for school lunches.
The easiest way to meal plan lunch is to make big batches of food. Keep ideas easy, nutritious, and provide 3 options for the meal. You can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the entire week and stick them in the freezer. Sandwiches and burritos thaw quickly from the freezer, making them a perfect option. Make a giant batch of broccoli cheese soup and have crackers on hand or hard boil a carton of eggs. Stock up on fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Wash the produce at the beginning of the week and keep it accessible for kids to grab and eat easily.
If you’re concerned about your kids eating unsupervised at home, make them a daily snack basket. Fill the basket with a variety of foods you normally allow them to eat. Explain that they must stick to eating only what’s in that basket for the day. They can choose when to have their snacks, but once the basket is empty, that’s it until the next day.
E. Block out time for independent study, homework, and time to chat with teachers.
If it’s possible, allow 15-20 minutes for kids to work independently after each virtual class session. The goal here is to cut down on extra time necessary to complete assignments.
This is a good habit to establish anyway. This timely shift in their routine might be the perfect chance to try the productivity method of “going small.” Give your kids opportunities to break down their school work into more manageable chunks. This helps them feel less overwhelmed and stay on top of their schedule.
Questions for teachers will inevitably come up, so provide your kids with a designated place to write them down at the moment. Teachers are inundated with new challenges, so make the most of your available time with them. Be prepared when you ask for help. It’s easier to address 3 questions in one meeting rather than trying to coordinate three last-minute correspondences. Keeping a written log ensures nothing is forgotten. Download my question tracker here.
Here is a link to a sample school day schedule from Acton Wausau, a micro school in Wisconsin that follows the Acton model.
Credit to Microschool Revolution
Step 3. Plan out your academic calendar.
Yearly plans may be up in the air, but you can still match your family calendar to the academic schedule of your school district. If you’re attempting to create your own academic calendar, it’ll be important that it closely follows the schools in your area. You can then coordinate holidays and activities with other families.
Best practices | Write -
National and school holidays
Events
Tests
Important dates
Quarterly academic deadlines
Make sure that your child’s school calendar and family calendar match as closely as possible if you choose not to fully integrate them.
Most parents will be more involved with their children’s academic progress. It’s important to have a more thorough understanding of their deadlines, days off, and class schedule. Designate a day every quarter throughout the year to check in with your child about their academic progress. If they are behind in certain areas, it’ll be easier to help them get back on track if you catch the problems early enough.
Step 4. Set up the perfect home classroom.
You’ve completed step 1 - determining your child’s home learning space. Now it’s time to map out the area to facilitate a solid learning environment. This is important to helping your kids stay productive at home. The space needs to feel like school as much as possible. This helps your kids mentally transition from hanging out at home to being ready to study.
A. Make sure you have functional furniture and supplies. Consider setting up -
Clear desk space for projects (L-shaped desks are ideal)
A quiet and comfortable corner for reading
A space on the desk or table for their computer, printer, scanner, etc.
A comfortable desk chair
An extra table to hold long-term projects
Cube or cubby storage for school supplies (consider a tiered rolling cart if your space is tight.)
Containers and bins to divide small supplies
Blank wall space for art work
Inspirational and academic posters
Daily snack basket
Good lighting (natural and overhead, if possible)
Power outlets
B. Make sure there’s plenty of room to move.
You want to choose your pieces and setup wisely with your child’s daily workflow in mind. Setting up stations for different activities will help them transition throughout their day with less restlessness. Having a designated space for each activity will also give your kids room to move freely and prevent clutter from accumulating. A clean, open space minimizes distractions and chaos so try setting up stations around the perimeter of the room. Leave open floor space in the middle and safe, easy access to the bathroom, kitchen, and outdoor space, if possible.
C. Consider storage and portability of materials.
You must contain a lot of small supplies and make sure they’re easy to access at the same time. I don’t recommend chucking small bits and bobs into large bins and calling it a day. Say it with me - “Hidden clutter is STILL clutter.” While this may be ok sometimes, like with toys and extra clothes, it’s not necessarily suitable for school supplies.
Grab some clear zipper pouches and a few stacking drawers or bins to house them in your designated storage area. Magazine holders and stackable letter trays are also amazing for notebooks, construction paper, and current assignments. If the space you’re using is multipurpose, consider closet storage and/or a rolling cart that can house small supplies out of sight when school is over.
This is the perfect time to invest in a hanging file box to archive assignments, tests, artwork, and notes for future reference when finals roll around. The same rules apply for electronic files. Help your children set up designated folders on their computer for each subject.
Break down the subjects into subcategories to make studying for finals even easier.
Homework
Notes
Reference links
Tests
Quizzes
Assignments
Long-term projects
Set up easy categories and show your child how to file everything properly. They need to get in the habit of cleaning up their files at the end of the week so nothing gets lost. We all know how quickly school work piles up. You’ll need a system to keep it from taking over your house and your computers. Once your kids get in the habit of doing this often, it will only take 5 minutes each time.
Balancing Your Work Schedule with Your Child’s Needs
Finding the best way to support your children through their studies while still upholding your duties at work requires a lot of patience, flexibility, and compromise. Connections Academy gives this responsibility the title of Learning Coach. Take on this title successfully with a few simple tips to get organized.
Build a support system.
Think of other family members, neighbors, friends, tutors, or coaches who can help take on some responsibility of monitoring your child’s studies. You can create a trade for time if you can’t be home. Divide the tasks between everyone involved and check in regularly to make sure your system works effectively. The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open and make sure everyone agrees. Consider scheduling your work hours differently from your partner’s so you can take turns helping with studies.
Integrate your daily schedule with your child’s schedule as much as possible.
Use a tool like Google calendar or a family calendar app, such as OurHome, to sync your schedule with your children. Make sure your kids have equal access. If they can see your availability for help with lessons and homework, your kids can plan to gather a list of questions for you.
Schedule your additional responsibilities when it works for you.
The beauty of distance learning is that there is more flexibility in your child’s schedule. Take advantage of this flexibility and plan your time around your needs. Deadlines are more forgiving, providing your kids extra time to complete assignments. Help them with homework when it’s convenient for you.
Keep a visible list of the resources for your child when you aren’t available.
Email teachers and poke around the school website, learning portal, and any other resources your school provides. Take all the contact information from every department your child interacts with and create a master list. Include the school counselors, library professionals, teacher aids, and the superintendent.
Check in with your resource network to see what their office hours are and include that in the contact details. Once you have a thorough list, keep it in a visible spot and explain to your child what the list is for. Chances are, they will get help from someone on the list before they need you.
Ideas and Resources for Families with Limited Tech Access
What happens if you live in a remote area or you have no internet access? What if you have 3 kids but only one computer or a device gets broken, stolen, or lost? Many school districts are making remote learning access more equitable. In case your district falls short, here are some ideas to get ahead of the problem.
Take advantage of educational television.
The Hechinger Report stated in a recent article that 23% of households in Arkansas have no internet access. Many families find success in PBS education access programming. Some stations team up with local educators to broadcast lessons for students. They also highlight more daily learning-based programs.
Contact your local PBS station to ask about their participation in educational television. If they don’t already provide it, they may see fit to include it because you picked up the phone and called. Gather signatures and drive down to the station to speak with the program director. It’s important to speak with an actual person on the phone or face-to-face to ensure they can meet the community’s needs.
Look into school bus drop off for meals and homework.
Talk to your school district about sending bus drivers on their regular routes to shuttle assignments and other helpful tools to and from school. This is twofold because it keeps school bus drivers employed and actively working their regular hours.
Talk to your school about expanding their wifi signal and creating free access.
Some schools have opted to allocate funds towards expanding their wifi signal out to the parking lot. This allows families without internet access to drive up and download coursework that can be available offline when they return home. Speak to your school’s principal about this option if they don’t already offer free access.
Look into free or low cost refurbished computers.
Nonprofits like Jump On It and The On It Foundation take laptop donations to help provide them to low-income families for free or at super low cost. As long as you live in the US and have a child enrolled in K-12, you’re eligible to fill out an application for a school computer.
Additional Resources
If you need more support and additional resources check out the links below to find more information. I’ve provided links to alternative education, additional learning tools, and helpful articles about distance learning.
If you need help to get your home classroom set up, contact me to make an appointment. I’m offering all families a free 30 minute strategy call and 25% off every single session you book. Learn more about working with me.
If you live in the Portland metro or SW Washington metro, contact me for more information about joining a microschooling network. Independent educator, Philip Summers will accept a select number of students for his program this fall and is available to chat and see if your child is a good fit. Mr. Summers has been a successful and established teacher in the Portland area for decades, and he specializes in alternative ed.