Betty School

from Art Department Weekly | Issue 89 Vol. 12

Field Medic

Prior to work from home being enacted, my daily time with Betty was limited to rushing to get her up in the morning, feed her, dress her, get out the door, and then rush her off to bed on the nights Kal’s track practices didn’t keep me from being there for the nighttime routine.

As we settled into the new temporary normal with Kal doing remote learning on his Chromebook and Boom completing math problems Madeline transferred into his notebook, Betty parked herself next to me in the office. The first few days I simply shouted things out for her to draw and color. Then we started on a new routine.

**Betty choreographs her own Zumba**
Madeline Vega

I wake the kids up at 7 a.m., make sure they eat breakfast, and then get dressed for the day. Once they are dressed, I usher them down to the basement to play. At 8:50 a.m., the kids come up to wait in the hallway before entering “school.” While the kids are downstairs playing, I start creating little lessons for Betty based on one letter of the alphabet. I write the letter and then draw lines for her to duplicate the letter as handwriting practice. Then I draw a series of pictures for her to color but also lable the pictures so she can recognize the letters and circle them. Most days Betty likes to storm through the handwriting, coloring, and identification of the letter of the day so she can get her hands on the iPad or a phone.

Of late, we’ve added in a number of old PreK and Kindergarten workbooks that none of her siblings completed before. After she does the work I’ve drawn for her, she works through a few pages in the workbooks. Another new addition to the routine has been ABC Mouse. We signed Betty up after her school sent their membership link, and it has been an absolute godsend. Betty thoroughly enjoys playing and learning on ABC Mouse.

While a lot of work, creating little lessons and pieces of art for Betty has been one of the highlights of working from home. Betty sits right next to me daily and finshes her work while I plow through all my daily work deliverables. I feel like I’m helping Betty learn, but more importantly bonding with her because we spend so much time together. While it can be cramped, it’s been a blast. —LV