When lockdown was impending, I joked to my husband that at least we would be okay if we had to homeschool the children, us both being teachers. We both laughed.
Within days, lockdown was on, schools were closed and suddenly I was not laughing anymore.
I am a qualified secondary school teacher, French is my subject and I have dabbled in a few additional subjects over the years. I have stood in front of many classes, I have tutored kids from the age of 5 through to adults in their 80s. How hard could it be to homeschool one ten year old girl and manage the education of two teenage boys?
Very hard is the answer.
And it is okay to admit that it is hard. I have had a couple of days when I have wanted to bang my head against a brick wall and scream. I have doubted my ability as a parent and a teacher. One afternoon, in the first week, I shouted at my daughter that I resigned and I actually went and hud under the duvet. And that is okay too. It is hard for everyone involved to suddenly go from parent to teacher, even if you are a teacher.
Because, first and foremost, you are their parents. Your kids see you in a different role. You aren’t their teacher, you are the ones who cook, clean and carry for them, you are taxi driver, disciplinarian, cuddle giver. You have lots of roles and whilst you do teach them a lot every day, you are not their actual teacher. That is the first problem. They don’t really want you to be their teacher. It might be a novelty for a few days, but that can quickly wear off (on both sides).
Kids are very good at compartmentalising things. You are parent, you have certain roles within their lives and their teachers are something completely different. Have you ever noticed how kids find it really hard when they meet a teacher in town? This always amuses me. It is hard for some students to accept that you have a life outside the confines of your classroom. When they leave you behind on a Friday afternoon, I think they expect you to climb into a cupboard and pop back out on a Monday morning especially to see their shiny faces.
The second problem you might face is the daunting task of covering so many different topics in one week. I am not going to lie but it is exhausting. I have spent a lot of time finding activities and resources to keep my daughter occupied and entertained and it takes a lot of time and effort just for one day. (If you were to check my browsing history you will see how reliant I am currently on the free Twinkl subscription!) Then you have to do it all again the following day. Primary school teachers are amazing people and I have a newfound respect for them and for the amount of work they do.
Plus, I don’t know about you but my general knowledge is not great, neither is my knowledge of history or geography, so if you kids need instant answers, you might have to rely on the great google as your faithful teaching assistant. Then there is the arty side of things and music. I still really haven’t got my head around music other than telling my daughter to go and do some piano practise!
But it doesn’t matter. You teach them what you can with the resources you have available. Luckily lots of lovely sites are offering free resources and video material which pretty much does the teaching for you. Use it all. Get the kids doing Joe Wicks’ PE lessons on YouTube, listen to the free children’s selection of books and stories on Audible. Watch interesting programs on TV (we are loving Race Across The World, really good for talking about different countries and cultures). Do some colouring! Give yourselves a break.
The third issue is that the environment is different. Home is the place for relaxation and play. If kids are at home, they feel like they are on holiday and want to stay in their pyjamas and watch cartoons. You can’t blame them. Suddenly, they are not in school and a place in the house that is normally associated with play or mealtimes has become their class of one.
One of the biggest issues is this class of one. They are missing their friends, not just for the playtime and chat, but it is nice to work with someone else, to chat about the work with them, bounce ideas off them. Suddenly, there is no-one but them and that can feel quite pressurised and just a bit lonely. So, if they want to do ‘school’ in their pyjamas, then why not? The important thing is that they are relaxed and not too stressed.
If you have the teen variety, you would hope that they can motivate themselves and work through the work set each day on their own as long as you provide regular sustenance. The hardest part with teen learning at home is trying to teach them to get out of bed before midday and that it is still a ‘school day’ even though they will roll their eyes at you and tell you that it isn’t.
With teens, it is a good idea to create a space where they can work which is quiet and has everything they need; a computer, books, paper, stationery. Having their own space has certainly helped our two and although I may have greyer hair by the time we come out of lockdown, some work it being done at least.
You also have to bear in mind that this is quite a traumatic time for our kids big and small. Everything that was normal has gone out of the window. They can’t see their friends, routine has gone, they can’t go out as and when they feel like it and the parents are suddenly at home with them all of the time. Whilst we might see this as a really positive thing, being together as a family, some of our kids will be struggling. Talk to them, give them space if they need it and try and encourage contact with friends in whatever way possible.
The main point I am trying to make here is that homeschooling is a tough gig. You might look around and people on social media and thing that everyone has this thing mastered. Some have and lucky them, quite frankly. The rest of us a managing and some days we are not even doing that. Your child’s education is not your responsibility. Of course, whatever you can do will help but the important thing right now is to stay safe and well together. We are all in the same boat and when the kids do finally go back, schools will have to allow for this lengthy period of time at home.
If you can get them to do some school work too, that is a real bonus, but don’t beat yourself up about it. If school work is causing an issue, try and get them to do something else instead such as learning a new language, designing a board game, cooking, doing jobs in the garden or practical jobs around the house. These are all learning opportunities in their own way.
Be kind to yourself and if homeschooling really isn’t for you, you are not alone. When schools do finally reopen I think there will be a collective sigh of relief all around the country.
