Distance Learning: How To Get Kids To Stick To A Schedule
Hey everyone!
Welcome back to my distance learning series!
In my first topic, we had a guest speaker give us some tips on how to create a professional looking backdrop for those Zoom calls!
After talking to some of my teacher friends, they said that their students need help with schedules and getting organized. So this is what we will discuss today - how we can try to help kids stick to their schedules!
Print The Schedule
I’m not sure how it works in different school districts but, according to a few teachers that I spoke to from different areas in CT, they told me that they post a schedule each day for their students. The first thing I recommend doing is to have a hard copy of that schedule for the students, and for the parent. Your child is already going to have enough to worry about on the computer screen. So make sure that the schedule is posted on paper in an easy to see spot.
Another thing you may want to consider: is your child a visual learner? Should I print this schedule out in color? Should each time block be color coded? The teacher may have already color coded the schedule, so in that case, it would be an easy print.
What To Include In The Schedule
There are a few extra things that you are going to want to include in a schedule for your child, besides the obvious time blocks for each subject. Some of these extra things to include should be: materials needed for that subject, a list of log in and passwords for all technology tools, and a space for breaks. Let’s talk about each one of these a little further.
1. Materials Needed For That Subject/Day:
Again, maybe the teacher already listed out things needed for each subject and topic for that day. If not, you can make your own list and have your child help you with that list. This can help them be more responsible, self sufficient, and even help with their own organizational skills!
You could even take it a step further and gather those materials before hand as well and stack them together for an easy grab once the subject matter changes.
2. Log In ID’s and Passwords:
I know, we have all gotten used to facial recognition and our devices saving our passwords for us. But, not all devices have this technology and, if something happens, it would save you a lot of time and the trouble of changing a password.
If your child has a device that saves passwords, then no need to print. I would suggest creating an Excel, Google Sheet, Word Doc, or Google Doc, that you can update as needed. I personally am not a fan of Excel or Google Sheets, I just find creating a table in a document works better for me. This is something I had in mind:
The blank space at the top could be your child’s name. Important if you have multiple children!
Depending on the age of your child, if you feel as though your child is old enough and responsible enough to keep track of these on their own, you can use Google Sheets and share the document with each other. Again, teaching responsibility and organizational skills to children, but also keeping you in the loop as well.
If your child is not old enough to do this on their own, or do not have a device that stores passwords, then you may want to create some sort of blank table with the website, log in ID, and password and print it out. Stick it on your fridge, or where ever is easy access for you to refer to quickly. Or, if you feel you are good with technology, then just keep it on your phone.
3. Scheduled Break Times
I’m sure that the teachers have already scheduled break times throughout the day for their students, however, when children are at home, how can they make the most out of that break time? What I mean is, I don’t think we would want them jumping from one computer screen, to another type of electronic or activity that just has them sitting there. Maybe parents just don’t know what is out there that their kids can do at home.
One thing that I have learned in the past, is the importance of “brain breaks” and for kids to be able to move around, especially when sitting in a classroom all day, or in this case, at a table trying to focus on an adult who isn’t directly in front of them. The importance of movement and brain function go hand in hand. Try to get your child to do anything active. Go for a walk, play basketball, have them do some type of exercise in the house if they can’t go outside. Something to get them moving to let off some steam!
Set Alarms!
Setting alarms are a great way to help you, and your child, stay on task and on time. Parents, set the alarms on your phones. If your child is old enough, have them set it on theirs also. If they do not have a phone, get an ACTUAL alarm clock! Do they still sell those? HA. Just kidding. Anyways, this is another great way to teach your child responsibility by having them manage their own time (if they are old enough).
If you use the alarm on your phone, you can even label each alarm so you know what they are for and you can save them so they repeat the same time every day.
If you find you or your child are constantly running late, then set the alarm ten minutes ahead of time so that gives you a warning of, “Ok, I have ten minutes to get back to the computer.”
I think an important thing to do is to make sure that you, the parent, and your child, both have the alarms set for the same time. If you are actually at work and not at home, you can still have your alarms going off and maybe do a check in at certain times of the day to make sure everyone is following what they should be doing.
So there you have it. A few tips to try and help your children stick to a schedule and be a little more organized through distance learning. I hope this has been somewhat helpful. This whole thing is a learning experience for everyone. So if you have any ideas or tips on what has worked for you and your family, please comment and share with the rest of us who are trying to figure everything out!
Talk soon,
Amy