Homeschool Thread: What's it look like at your house?

[NGT]

Wondering what your homeschool situation for your kids looks like. My wife and I are both at home, so it's a little easier, but I'm trying to get a better understanding of what it looks like for others.

My son's teacher wants a full day schedule with breaks, P.E., etc.. I told her that it didn't work for us to do it that way. She didn't like it much, lol.

We get up at 7:30, eat breakfast, and knock out all of the work by 10:30. Then I need to do my own stuff for work. I'm a teacher, so I have everything on my plate that she does, but her kids are in high school, so she doesn't really know what I'm going through right now, lol.

My kids both have work packets and Zoom meetings etc. His teacher had a meeting with him in a small group today, read a book, and asked them questions etc.. My son has Dreambox online for math too.

My class has packets, assignments on my Padlet page, and Friday small group Zoom meetings. I'm sure I'll add some more to the list, but I'm figuring it out as we go. We have Raz-Kids, Lexia, and GetEpic. Rosetta Stone for newcomers too.

So, who's doing home school? What's it look like? Accountability piece? Packets? Online sites? Resources that your kids school uses?

 

[StevenK]

We're attempting it but I can see it's largely futile. I'm not a teacher and have had zero training in teaching. Imagine if your local garage shut down, would you just have a go at changing a gearbox? It's absurd.

Keep them reading, keep reading to them just to keep the imagination working and above all else keep the fuckers running, jumping and kicking a ball.

 

[NGT]

We're attempting it but I can see it's largely futile. I'm not a teacher and have had zero training in teaching. Imagine if your local garage shut down, would you just have a go at changing a gearbox? It's absurd.

Keep them reading, keep reading to them just to keep the imagination working and above all else keep the fuckers running, jumping and kicking a ball.

What grades are your kids in? I've only taught first and second grade. What's giving you guys trouble? I'm sure my kids parents are feeling the same way. Maybe having a tougher time, as 2/3 of them don't speak English.

I can teach basic math, reading, and writing with the best of them, but replacing an alternator is the toughest thing I've done on a car, lol. YouTube made it easy easier, lol.


I'm 100% for getting exercise and play time. I get my kids out riding bikes, but just in the cul de sac. That or sports in the back and playing outside with our dog.

 

[NexusX]

Online class schedule seems.... Ok.... Maybe about 50% effective. I have had to add things for my kids workload.

 

[StevenK]

What grades are your kids in? I've only taught first and second grade. What's giving you guys trouble? I'm sure my kids parents are feeling the same way. Maybe having a tougher time, as 2/3 of them don't speak English.

I can teach basic math, reading, and writing with the best of them, but replacing an alternator is the toughest thing I've done on a car, lol. YouTube made it easy easier, lol.


I'm 100% for getting exercise and play time. I get my kids out riding bikes, but just in the cul de sac. That or sports in the back and playing outside with our dog.

My kids are 17 yrs old, 6 yrs old and 3 yrs old. The 17 year old argues with every word I say, the 3 year old doesn't listen to a word I say and the 6 year old can't hear a word I say because the 3 year old is going apeshit that I've taken his playmate away from him to go and do spellings.

I'm absolutely fine with the above, a 3 month semi-break from school isn't going to produce a generation of retards.

 

[HDRchampion]

School hasn't given us any kind of lesson plan or syllabus to follow. we get the occasional email checking up. They want certain books to be read before coming back.

The oldest does violen for an hour. Middle child does the piano and the youngest fortnite.

They usually read for an hour in the morning and then an hour in the evening.

During the day my wife is teaching two younger ones to cook and bake.

As for activities, not much. The weather has been raining and even hail storms. This weekend we probably do bbq and backyard camping. probably discuss about survival stuff. Maybe prep for bugout bag supplies.

 

[NGT]

Online class schedule seems.... Ok.... Maybe about 50% effective. I have had to add things for my kids workload.

That's about where I'm at too. I'm really just getting started and I feel the hardest part is going to be getting them to actually do any of it. I figure 1/3 of my class will do everything I assign, another third will just do the packet, and another third won't do a thing.

I'm worried about the zoom meetings l. My expensive ass xfinity internet keeps cutting in and out.

My kids are 17 yrs old, 6 yrs old and 3 yrs old. The 17 year old argues with every word I say, the 3 year old doesn't listen to a word I say and the 6 year old can't hear a word I say because the 3 year old is going apeshit that I've taken his playmate away from him to go and do spellings.

I'm absolutely fine with the above, a 3 month semi-break from school isn't going to produce a generation of retards.

That's a tough one. Is there any way the older kids could take turns entertaining the younger one while you help the other older one 6 or 17 year old? Honestly though, is devote most of my energy to the 6 year old. Kinder/first grade is a huge part of laying the foundation.

School hasn't given us any kind of lesson plan or syllabus to follow. we get the occasional email checking up. They want certain books to be read before coming back.

The oldest does violen for an hour. Middle child does the piano and the youngest fortnite.

They usually read for an hour in the morning and then an hour in the evening.

During the day my wife is teaching two younger ones to cook and bake.

As for activities, not much. The weather has been raining and even hail storms. This weekend we probably do bbq and backyard camping. probably discuss about survival stuff. Maybe prep for bugout bag supplies.

Wow, they haven't given you anything? That's crazy! By the 13th, our school needs to have internet for every household (for those that don't have it already) and a chromebook fur those families that only have cell phones. We'll be on our second packet for the kids, which was actually made by the teachers this time, and most likely be skiing actual online lessons...for those who show up.

I'm sure many of the households have both parents working, and an older sibling watching the kids at home. So I'm not mad about it, but it is a little frustrating. Main thing is they're at home and safe.

 

[RAZO]

We're attempting it but I can see it's largely futile. I'm not a teacher and have had zero training in teaching. Imagine if your local garage shut down, would you just have a go at changing a gearbox? It's absurd.

Keep them reading, keep reading to them just to keep the imagination working and above all else keep the fuckers running, jumping and kicking a ball.

Same here. My kid is in 3rd grade. I'm not home pretty much the whole day at work and the wife is dealing with all the homework, tests, projects, etc. She's stressed out as fuck. My kid communicates with her teacher I think twice a week via video chat and the wife has been communicating via email. Some times you submit the homework, test or assignment and it doesnt go through and have to submit it again. This whole process is shit.

 

[LoneSage]

School hasn't given us any kind of lesson plan or syllabus to follow. we get the occasional email checking up. They want certain books to be read before coming back.

Wow that's lazy as fuck. Over here we still make lessons using PPTs and a screen recording software (so students can see our PPT and read along, but they don't see us) and then go through it for about ten minutes. It's fucking weird and a huge pain in the ass and lesson planning has become a bitch because I have to completely change the style of teaching.

 

[GohanX]

My wife and I are currently trying to help our daughter with her Spanish work. Neither of us know Spanish. This is very helpful.

 

[RAZO]

My wife and I are currently trying to help our daughter with her Spanish work. Neither of us know Spanish. This is very helpful.

Google and YouTube are our teachers now.

 

[NGT]

Wow that's lazy as fuck. Over here we still make lessons using PPTs and a screen recording software (so students can see our PPT and read along, but they don't see us) and then go through it for about ten minutes. It's fucking weird and a huge pain in the ass and lesson planning has become a bitch because I have to completely change the style of teaching.

Yeah, this is not my style of teaching either. It's tough watching myself in video read alouds etc., lol. We have teachers that do this same stuff in class. Padlet, raz kids, Lexia, read works, getepic, dreambox, etc...so her class is moving into this a lot smoother than mine. I can't even get some parents to return emails or texts. I think life is really hard for many of them and education isn't very high up on their list of priorities.

As for the grading stuff...we aren't allowed to grade them on any of this stuff right now. It's basically, if your parents are making you do it, you're getting your review work done. If they're not, then you're not. Either way,they get the same score.

 

[Mr. Mort]

My kid’s in third grade. They mailed out paper packets with daily homework assignments and a few pages of related reading material. It’s been really tough. My wife and I are parents, not school teachers. Keeping him focused on schoolwork for most of the day while he’s home is challenging, especially since my wife is working from home, and I’m physically at work (in an essential business). She can’t juggle her heavy workload while keeping him focused most of the day. I’ve taken a couple of days off to ease her burden, but I can’t do it much, lest we fall behind on bills.

It’s a shit situation, and I can’t fault the teachers, they’re working with what they’ve got. They’re transitioning to online schooling next week, but the system they’re going to use has been crippled this week. Next week will be fun too...

Stay safe and sane, everyone.

 

[NGT]

My kid’s in third grade. They mailed out paper packets with daily homework assignments and a few pages of related reading material. It’s been really tough. My wife and I are parents, not school teachers. Keeping him focused on schoolwork for most of the day while he’s home is challenging, especially since my wife is working from home, and I’m physically at work (in an essential business). She can’t juggle her heavy workload while keeping him focused most of the day. I’ve taken a couple of days off to ease her burden, but I can’t do it much, lest we fall behind on bills.

It’s a shit situation, and I can’t fault the teachers, they’re working with what they’ve got. They’re transitioning to online schooling next week, but the system they’re going to use has been crippled this week. Next week will be fun too...

Stay safe and sane, everyone.

I know screen time is getting over done, but i just signed my class up for splashlearn math. It's free to teachers and parents.

https://www.splashlearn.com/

Readworks is free too

GetEpic reading is free for teachers and free 30 day trial for parents.

Just some options for extra stuff

 

[ookitarepanda]

I'm reading what many people are saying and I'm just flabbergasted. Our governor gave schools 8 days of strict closure to plan for distance learning, and then we started implementing it this week. It's not perfect, but at least we thought about the flexibility that we would need to give for families who have a lot of shit to do, while also considering that many will like to have more structure. I can't even imagine not getting a syllabus or calendar or something!

It's also just bewildering that in all of this national education crisis time, our secretary of education hasn't said a god damn thing. She might be dead? In which case, ding dong, she was/is useless.

 

[SouthtownKid]

So, who's doing home school? What's it look like? Accountability piece? Packets? Online sites? Resources that your kids school uses?

No work packets, but we do have Hot Pockets.

 

[2D_mastur]

I have no kids, but I have always tutored my nephew in math since he was a kid. Now that this online learning shit has happened, I can see he needs it more than ever. Kids in your average high school are not used to learning online. What a mess.

 

[NGT]

I have no kids, but I have always tutored my nephew in math since he was a kid. Now that this online learning shit has happened, I can see he needs it more than ever. Kids in your average high school are not used to learning online. What a mess.

I don't think most kids are use to learning online. I know I'm not use to teaching this way. Making video read alouds and doing quick review lessons. Only being able to communicate with 2/3 of my students. I hope there's a cure our vaccine by the end of the summer.

 

[LoneSage]

Kids in your average high school are not used to learning online. What a mess.

I can guarantee you teachers are not used to teaching online either. It's just a mess all-around.

 

[F4U57]

We're attempting it but I can see it's largely futile. I'm not a teacher and have had zero training in teaching. Imagine if your local garage shut down, would you just have a go at changing a gearbox? It's absurd.

Keep them reading, keep reading to them just to keep the imagination working and above all else keep the fuckers running, jumping and kicking a ball.

Fucking this. Trying not to take it too seriously. This shit won’t last forever and the years that it matters, your kid is going to be sucking down bongs and chasing pussy anyway. Relax.

 

[Lagduf]

I'm reading what many people are saying and I'm just flabbergasted. Our governor gave schools 8 days of strict closure to plan for distance learning, and then we started implementing it this week. It's not perfect, but at least we thought about the flexibility that we would need to give for families who have a lot of shit to do, while also considering that many will like to have more structure. I can't even imagine not getting a syllabus or calendar or something!

It's also just bewildering that in all of this national education crisis time, our secretary of education hasn't said a god damn thing. She might be dead? In which case, ding dong, she was/is useless.

Lack of leadership at the federal level is a running theme for this administration.

 

[NGT]

I can guarantee you teachers are not used to teaching online either. It's just a mess all-around.

Seriously. I'm putting in twice the time, just to get the kids half of what they should get. It's frustrating.

 

[Heinz]

Lack of leadership at the federal level is a running theme for this administration.

 

[miisalo]

My kids are 14 and 16, in yläkoulu, which is junior high school in states I think. They have normal school schedule. Teachers are giving online lectures, giving assignments, they are doing group works etc. They are working like in school, 45 minutes of work (or 90 if having double lecture) and 15 minutes of break, 30-45 minutes of lunch break. Lot of school work is done anyway using computers (school provides laptops for students) so students are anyway used to work like this.

PE teacher is having them to take video of the exercises or giving them places where to walk and take picture, music teacher is also giving task, like my other son had to take video him drumming one song and other son had to play song with guitar.

Finnish school system is very informal, super relaxed and there is hardly any homework, so I think its bit easier to students to adapt to this and still focus on learning. For those kids that need extra attention, this is going to be bad, but on the other hand those students that are sensitive to noise etc, this might be better. Example my younger son is in autistic spectrum and he normally has permit to go outside the classroom to study if he cannot focus there, so he does not now have any normal distractions.

For my kids, this whole thing seems to be even more effective than normal school. They don't get bored after they finish their work because they can then do something else.

 

[NGT]

That's solid. My internet from xfinity keeps disconnecting and reconnecting. Ruins any online class running. Zoom meeting with the kids suck. My phone seems to be fine, but the Chromebooks do it all the time. (Any thoughts?) It's awful, but I'm not inviting the cable guy into my living room right now. So, I'm making a lot of instructional videos etc.