Virtual School Lessons Learned

My family is about a month into full-time virtual school, and honestly, it hasn’t been the train wreck I anticipated. Our school is super organized, the communication is outstanding, and our kids show their resiliency and rise to the challenge. Now, there have been some bumpy moments. Our internet went down one morning, which resulted in five people running around like the sky was falling. Thankfully, these crisis moments are few and far between.

We’ve picked up a few tips to help ease virtual school that we’re excited to share.

Use technology: Technology is your virtual school friend. Set alarms or use Alexa to set reminders for when children need to be in class. For older kids, they can learn to set their own alarms to be on time.

Teach your children to use technology: Kids can learn how to sign into virtual school, how to print things, how to problem solve glitches, and so much more. On the other side of this, our kids will be more adept at technology than ever before!

Print items to be turned in on colored paper: There is so much paper! Use colored paper to keep track of anything that needs to be turned in. If you have more than one child, assign each kiddo their own color.

Create sensory bins: It is hard to sit at a desk all day. Create a small bin of fidgets and sensory items to keep hands and bodies busy during virtual school learning.

Pack lunches and snacks: Pack a lunch for your kid each day. Better yet, have them pack their own lunch! My kids only get 40 minutes for virtual school lunch, and this way, we don’t spend half the time thinking about what we should eat. Also, create a bin of “grown-up approved snacks” so that kids don’t have to interrupt every time they’re hungry.

Stay organized: Use a folder or bin for each subject area or virtual school class. Every Sunday night, I go through everyone’s folders and bins to throw away stray papers, reorganize folders, and make sure we have everything we need for the week. Usually, I would have my kids do this, but in full transparency, I don’t want my workday interrupted for a missing spelling list, so I take care of it.

Designate school spaces: Each kiddo in our family has a designated virtual school space with a bin of supplies. This bin means they have everything at their fingertips that is needed to be successful in class. We also have a flexible virtual school space that is in the eyesight of a grown-up. The bin can help keep a kid on task and allow me to help them while still doing my own work!

Communicate with the teachers: Now more than ever, it is essential to communicate with school and teachers. Share openly and honestly about what parts of virtual school are working for your family and where you need help. Please remember everyone is doing their best, especially teachers.

We’d love to hear your virtual school tips.