Enriching Education: Work from Home and Homeschooling Tips from Lisa Collum

Whether you’re making the switch to distance learning by choice or necessity, one thing is certain--you can always use a little extra support. Lisa Collum, author, educator, school owner and mother of four, is a motivational leader on a mission to make your quarantine schooling as effective as possible. For over a decade she’s been helping kids get a grip on writing through public and virtual teaching, the launch of her own private school, and her creation of Top Score Writing, Inc.--a nationally utilized writing curriculum for 2nd-12th grades.

As an educator and mompreneur, Lisa is a wealth of information and would be an invaluable resource concerning:

• How to make working from home while homeschooling work for you
• How to keep kids safe in the social distancing classroom
• How to create your own backyard classroom
• How to keep kids engaged in school at home
• How to inspire a love for writing
• How to build your confidence as a homeschool teacher

I had a chance to interview her to learn more.

How can parents balance work and their kids' education if their children are learning from home?
The most important thing you can do is create a schedule. Set times for breakfast, reading lessons, math lessons, lunch, science lessons, writing lessons, etc. When planning to work from home and scheduling out the day, think about the whole day. Online school usually does not take as long as a regular school day. Most kids are done within 3-4 hours (depending on the grade level). Even with breaks built in throughout the day, most kids will be done working by 12pm or 1pm each day. That still leaves another 6-8 hours before bedtime. If we think about the whole day, we can build a schedule and routines from morning until late evening. For working parents, the afternoon hours after the school day is completed can be difficult and quite hectic if the kids have nothing to do. My suggestion is to schedule out the entire day. Once you have the schedule set, post it up in the house somewhere just like it is posted somewhere in the classroom. Refer to it throughout the day and make sure you "train" your kids on the different times and what activities they should be doing. This will make life easier for the parents AND the kids!

What benefit does a backyard classroom provide and how can parents set one up?
Backyard classrooms are great because they allow for kids to have a change of environment while still learning. In school, students are usually required to work in the classroom at a desk. With backyard classrooms, students can work in various areas. They can lay a blanket down and read under a tree, they can complete math work on the front or back porch, they can complete science lessons outside with nature using real life applications, or can simply write in their daily journals while sitting comfortably on patio furniture. Changing the environment is important for kids so they are not confined to a desk and are able to move around freely while enjoying the outdoors. To set this up, designate areas outside for various subjects and activities. Have tables, blankets and chairs ready as needed. Encourage outside time, hands-on activities, and lots of movement.

How can parents keep kids engaged in education without the physical presence of their class?
Depending on the age, use the same systems that are used in the classroom such as sticker charts, classroom clip charts and checklists. Parents can easily create small sticker charts for younger kids. For kids a little older, make a clip chart that allows kids to be able to move up and down for staying on track and completing tasks. Checklists are great because it allows students to be accountable. They know exactly what needs to be done each day and can mark it off as they complete it.

For the social interaction part, set up Zoom meetings with friends. When you set up these meetings, try to have games prepared or themes for them. Most kids get on Zoom and don’t say much, but they will participate if there is a game. For theme days, you can have them dress up. For example, you could have a princess theme day for girls and a superhero theme day for boys.

Also, try to incorporate working together on class homework and assignments. Get a friend or two and set up a Zoom time for them to come together and complete their assignments. This works well for older kids too. They all need the social interaction and the feeling of being part of a “class.”

What are things parents can do if their kids are getting their distance learning work done and still have a lot of hours in the day?
Create center activities around the house. Set up a small board with various “centers” such as arts and crafts, screen time, outside play, board games, exercise, chores, dinner, etc. Next, assign times for each center such as 1:00pm-1:30pm arts and crafts, 1:30pm-2:00pm screen time, 2:00pm-2:30pm outside play, and so on. Then just set up the center area before the start of the day and have all the supplies ready. For instance, set up an arts and crafts area with baskets of supplies. That way the kids will know each day for arts and crafts time they work at that area and will already have all the supplies ready to use. If you set up 6-8 centers that will last about 30 minutes each, your kids will be busy for another 3-4 hours after they have completed their schoolwork! This is all part of establishing a routine. If they know where to go and when, it makes for a more productive day.


To learn more, visit www.lisacollum.com or follow her IG @lisacollumceo.

About

Lisa Collum is an author, educator, and mother of four on a mission to empower parents to give their children the education they deserve. She is the owner and operator of Coastal Middle and High School in Florida and the creator of Top Score Writing, Inc.--the ONE and ONLY writing curriculum for grades 2-12 specifically designed to prepare students for the state writing assessment.