Home Schooling

Once upon a time when home became school for a while …. HOME SCHOOLING

As a primary school teacher, and mother of two under-fives, Zoë Kornfeld gives us some food for thought as our schools close for the foreseeable future.

At the time of writing, it is less than 24 hours since the Prime Minister announced the closure of UK schools in response to the coronavirus. We all knew it was coming, but every parent and teacher took a unified deep breath as the confirmation came. As someone prone to overwhelming feelings of anxiety, I have to regularly remind myself that, yes, there are things out of my control, but reassuringly, there are always those that I can. As we have no choice to wait patiently for the finer details to be unpicked, I decided to think about some things that we do have control over during our time in isolation.

38 Of course, there’s no better time than now to shelve the notion that screen time hinders our children’s development. Yes, it’s all about balance, but with each passing hour, I’m discovering more and more fantastic online opportunities to connect, engage and inspire us during the coming months. Not only those gems traditionally only found in a teacher’s toolkit such a Twinkl, Oxford Owls, Purple Mash, White Rose, or Phonics Play, but the flood of creative ways that people are reaching out to our youngsters at this time. Book readings by famous authors, live theatre shows, online cookery classes, music tutorials, dance parties, tours of famous galleries, museums, zoos, as well as an amazing array of ways to stay fit and healthy from the comfort of your own home – online resources such as Go Noodle and Cosmic Kids yoga. The Body Coach has committed to free P.E. session every morning at 9pm. Failing that, put some music on and work up a sweat dancing to Baby Shark! What a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy staying active together, which might be something you’ve not done before, but could signal a shift in the way you spend your time together. I expect that their usual social interactions with friends, playing together, parties, family gatherings might be one of the biggest challenges for our children who must be at home in isolation for a long periods of time. We must find new ways to celebrate and connect, perhaps using Zoom/Skype to sing songs with classmates, or posting pictures in our windows for our neighbours to enjoy. Supporting those we know well, and those we do not, but who we think might be feeling lonely, will be so, so important.

At a time when it feels like our freedom is being taken away, many of us will be gifted the chance to create our own way of doing things, carve out our own rhythms, and try out new approaches to how we do things in our own little family bubbles. For some of us, this may look quite structured, but to others, it may present a welcome change of pace, and the opportunity to slow down and be less routined. Children feel safe with structure, but the ability to deviate from the lesson plan for the day

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and simply cuddle up and read books all morning, spend time connecting, holding those we love close at this time is a gift. Time is a gift.

Your child’s teachers will be there to provide resources and support, but wonderful news is, children don’t need to be taught. So, don’t worry about replacing their teachers, they already come fully-equipped with their own curiosity and spongelike ability to soak in and learn all about the world around them. Try not to think of learning as something that only happens during school hours anyway, children have been learning before they were born, every interaction, whether making a sandwich, building a tower with a sibling, or dusting the shelves, is a footprint in a child’s development. After all, weren’t you, as parents, their first teachers? In other good news (and don’t we need it at the moment?): children learn best when they lead. Schools would love to tailor make a curriculum that sang to every child’s current interests, but this is pretty much impossible. It is achievable at home though, and while you might want to spend a little time each day completing the work set by school, following the suggested timetable, don’t be afraid to deviate, and spend a whole week designing and creating a collaborative abstract version of the Sydney Opera House completely out of baked bean tins and milk bottles, or spend the whole day acting out your child’s favourite story, complete with script writing, set building and costume design.

Something that teachers are encouraged to do when lesson planning is to set the lessons in a real-life context because there is a real emotional investment, enthusiasm and thirst for learning that comes when children can relate things to their own lives. Try to include what’s going on outside in your discussions and use it to engage your little learners. Perhaps writing could involve composing a letter to an elderly neighbour to lift their spirits, perhaps maths could involve measuring the ingredients for a cake or a science project could focus on how germs spread. Spend time in nature if and when you can. If you have a garden, now is the perfect time for spending time nurturing it, whilst being able to breathe, reboot, and be mindful of your family’s mental health.

One thing I do urge all young people and families to do at this time is to create a journal, in whatever format – written, photos, videos etc. Whether we like it or not, we are part of a significant moment in our history, a time that will more than likely stand out in memories of childhood. Capture all of your emotions, thoughts, ideas, and time together, to look back on when all the dust has settled. It will also be an invaluable help in processing emotions during this challenging period.

In our house, play, communication, fun and connection will continue to be top priority. I would wholeheartedly suggest these as the core subjects of your own Covid-19 curriculum. My heart goes out to our children, who, like us, face an uncertain future, and so many changes to their daily lives. We must choose really carefully how we communicate with them. We must explain the situation in words they can understand, without underestimating their ability to grasp the seriousness of what is happening, and without piling our concerns onto them. Children, as much as we do, need to feel that they have control. Give them tools to feel empowered. They can become hand-washing experts, discuss and learn the importance of staying hydrated, talk about kindness, generosity, selflessness, and think of ways to help and support others. Encourage children to talk about how they feel, normalise being scared or worried, and use this time to grow even closer as a team. And through the daunting days ahead, know that there will be joy,

laughter, silliness and fun. Over the last few days, I have been unable to sleep with worry, and overwhelmed to tears with fear for the future. But I have also had lots of moments where we were so engrossed in playing together, in simply enjoying each other, that we forgot the outside world altogether. My mission is to help nurture as many of those moments as I can over the coming weeks.

I’m under no illusion about how tough the next few weeks and months are going to be for all of us, on a personal, local or national level – sometimes the enormity of what is happening takes my breath away. I do however think there are lots of positives that are already starting to be seen. Communities are rallying round – I’ve already seen people showing incredible creativity, solidarity, and kindness: ultimately we are being forced to reflect on what is important to us. As odd as it might sound, I truly don’t believe you have to wait for the storm to pass to search for a rainbow. If you can’t see it yet, create your own – paint it in whatever crazy colours you choose, and in your own unique style. And please don’t forget that we’re in this together, and we will come out the other side; perhaps we will even be better people for it. Take care everyone – be kind, be silly, be safe.