We made! For us, it is the end of the first full week at home. In other places, across the US, it might be the second full week.
Today, I participated in four Google hangout meetings and two conference calls on top of responding to emails. I’m exhausted. In the midst of all of that, I was parenting and trying to teach my children. My poor 7th grade team saw my son interrupt me while giving directives about the tasks we had to carry out next week. Y’all, I lost my train of thought, and I was frustrated but didn’t want to show it. I know I probably showed it. It is what it is. This is our life now. We all have to adjust.
Today, despite the numerous meetings I had, I spent the most time with my children than any day this week. Our first task was doing a YouTube video for our YouTube gardening channel. We planned out part of our new garden in real time. Apparently, some of my family finds my sons’ comments funny. Wait until the end of the video when I was trying to wrap it up. We do the same ending all the time. Why was my son acting brand new like he didn’t know what was up? <sigh>
Then, we made a new schedule for next week. I realized that my sons have to do some self directed learning in the morning because both my husband and I have to work heavily in the morning. I planned out the schedule with my sons beacuse, as an educator, I know when children have input into their education, they are more cooperative.
The schedule is set up to give our sons assignments to complete independently until we are availbable. There are snacks and free time breaks. There are no time stamps. We are going to let them work at their own pace. We did put a time limit on some actitivities, but we are not going to make a schedle that says at 8 a.m. you do reading and at 9 a.m. you do math. This just doesn’t work for us.
The afternoons will be more parent led. Based on trial and error this week, this is what will probably work better for us. On Monday, I will post our revised schedule. I’m still tighntening up some components. I had my sons try out a few parts of it today to ensure they could do it.
I set up Khan academy, and this is the first time they used it. They were excited about all the classes they could do. They started a biology course today. My son even grabbed a notebook to take notes. I was so proud! Later in the day, one of my sons got to talk to his teacher via Zoom. My other son’s teacher sent an email to let him know she missed him too.
Mr. Barnes took PTO. His job already alllowed him to work remotely, so our new normal is just normal to him. He took off the day. He slept, and then binged watched Blackish. Actually, he is still watching as I type. He needed a break, and I’m glad he got it.
I’ll be back with the Coronavirus Chronciles on Monday. It’s time for a break for the weekend., Although I’m not sure what we are going to do this weekend since we can’t go anywhere. However, I’m sure we will figure it out.
Coronavirus Chronicles – Day 4
Coronavirus Chronicles – Day 3
Your story is awesome and this just make my day to se my grandsons at work and working hard at it since we can’t go nowhere this just makes my day about what you write keep doing what you do and the boys are funny
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you are amused.