Got to just follow a trail. Hope it leads in the right direction.

So the school reopens a week today. Most kids will return. Some won’t. Our son will not be able to return at this stage. How long will he be out of school. Weeks, months, permanently – no idea. So we have to work on the assumption that he will return at some stage. So with minimal help from school and nothing from the authorities, who do we try to keep him on track with his classmates. To ensure that if and when he does return that he has not fallen behind.

The plan is to get the class timetable from school. That will form the basis of the learning each day. We won’t stick to the class timings but will try to focus on covering the subject matter. First call will be any lesson notes that are posted in the school system. Ensuring we do any work assignments that might be posted as well. I will ask each teacher to at least provide an indication of what topics will be covered and the copies of any handouts that are provided. Then it’s Dad trying to be teacher, looking for relevant videos and resources on the internet. All work completed will be emailed to each teacher at the end of the day. Any gaps we will make up with stuff son wants to cover.

If this school at home project extends further then I will supplement gaps with buying online teaching packages.

We are lucky that my work has basically dried up. Not much until 2021 at the earliest. The positive is that frees my time up to focus on being a teacher. Maybe I need to dress like a teacher?

That’s the plan. What could possibly go wrong.

80 thoughts on “Monday”

  1. HA! I never dress like a teacher unless I absolutely have to…though I will say teachers here for ages 12 and under don’t seem to dress up as much as they did when we were younger. I don’t blame them, either, what with the way kids run, the way they fling stuff, cleaning puke, etc. There was no way I could work as a substitute in “casual professional” type stuff.

    It so sucks for your job, but like you said, the upside is that you can help your son keep up with school without returning to school. While I’m all for getting my kids back in the classroom, they *want* to go back. If a child has worries about returning to school, then making them go back isn’t going to help with anything. I think you’ve got the right idea to treat the coming months as one big transition: getting Hawklad comfortable with the idea that he does need to go back, so that when the time comes, he’ll board the bus knowing it’s going to be okay….well, as okay as things can be these days.

    We’re doing okay on our end. Blondie LOVES being back at school, but her school’s so tiny that being in person wasn’t that much of a challenge. I have no idea if the twins’ school will open this October like they say, or if it’ll get pushed off because our state’s governor is loves “moving the goalposts” and changing his mind on things. On the plus side, Bash will meet with one of the school counselors this week to keep up the process of getting him some extra help. That is honestly the best news I’ve gotten about their school since February. Let’s see…we did sneak up one trip to the North Woods to celebrate Biff and Bash’s birthday–they turned 8! I can’t believe how fast they’re growing. I asked Bo about maybe going up North in a few weeks for one last hurrah so we can see the fall colors, but I guess work and family will dictate that. We just need to keep hoping and praying for good things to come. Hugs to you, Friend, in your land of Pokemon, cows, and culinary adventures. xxxxx

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    1. I so hope you do go in a few weeks to the cabin. I bet the colours are wonderful. Hope the boys had a great birthday. Hope Bo’s back is better as well. Here even kids with underlying medical conditions are being strongly encouraged to get into school. Luckily we have a medical note now. He needs to be comfortable in the classroom for the teaching to work. At his school the kids get negatives for having shirts untucked and ties not done correctly. The same rules don’t seem to apply to the teachers. Makes me smiles. Hugs to you xxxxxxx

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      1. And hugs back! xxxxxx Yes, I’d love to have some time in the colors.
        I know I’m not one who jumps on the extreme side of this pandemic–I’m not sterilizing everything, I hate wearing a mask everywhere, etc. But I’ll be the first to agree that those who are at-risk, such as kids with underlying condietions, should NOT go into a cramped environment with those who treat coronavirus like a game. (at least that’s what I see around here–kids pretending to cough on one another and saying they have coronavirus. it’s really sad.) I hope the continued school-at-home goes well for you both, maybe even with a little venture out, like a hike? There’s nothing wrong with a good walkabout. xxxxxxxx

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  3. We (in America) start tomorrow. Our state (Maryland) is not opening in person, so we are all back to virtual school. We are getting full time support from teacher though. The kids go to Microsoft Teams meetings with their class. Like little grown-ups. Hoping for the best!

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  4. All of my grandchildren are learning remotely, except my grandson. He is in his freshman year at college and scheduled to move into the dorm next week. Any type of work or school from home requires a different mindset. I hope your son’s remote learning goes well for both of you.

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  8. Homeschool (not the same as schooling at home) could be the answer, now where did I put that other blogger’s name/site… Montgomery? Give me a sec, by mind needs to ponder, no wait, for I can search who has commented or sommat. BRB

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  9. Sorry your work has dried up, but every cloud has a silver lining and as you say, you can concentrate on being Teacher. You’ve already proven Hawklad has responded well under your tutelage so that is a definite plus!! Good luck.

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  15. When we had remote learning in the spring, I will not say it was easy by any means, but we did establish a rhythm over time and found ways to embrace the extra time we’d been given together. We continued the required learning but also looked outside the box for educational experiences at the same time. If it weren’t for the fact there were a few things they thrive on I couldn’t replicate, such as band, musical theater, and the like, as well as the fact we have had a very low rate of cases thus far in our little community, we probably would’ve continued the remote learning. As previously stated, you know your boy well. That is evident. Start there and build on it. I truly believe you two have got this. Sending out prayers as God guides your course.

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  18. If you need a book recommendation then The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart is fantastic. Whether you will be homeschooling, school-at-homing, back-to-schooling or anything in between. I’ve read sooooo many books on eduction at this stage and it’s pretty much the best.

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  19. Now I’m singing “got it bad, got it bad, got it bad…”🎶💃🏼😂😂 I really would love to hear Hawklad’s reaction to dad in a string bikini😂😂😂
    You guys will figure it out. Honestly, it might be best to find out exactly what he needs to know to pass his exams and just study that. His school is obviously not going to help him. They’ve shown over and over how inept they are.🙄
    💌💌

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      5. Yes, it could be. I am sending you positive and strengthening energy to help you stay the course. If wishes could do anything at all you’d have all the resources and help you need. Still, keeping you and Hawklad in my prayers.

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  22. Do you not have the option of distance learning? Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, we have a state school that provides distance learning for primary school students and secondary school students. In fact it’s the country’s largest school with around 25,000 enrolled students. It’s an ideal learning platform for those who are unable to learn in a classroom setting.

    Te Kura has had a long history in NZ (it started in 1922), but I can’t imagine that something similar doesn’t exist in other countries. https://www.tekura.school.nz/learn-with-us/learn-with-us/about-te-kura/

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  23. I was much entertained with your stories last spring of homeschooling your son. This will be no different, I’m sure. He couldn’t be in better hands. 💕

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