Do a Distance Learning Check-In

Our children certainly have their own opinions of how distance learning has worked for them so far. Hybrid programs (part in person, part homeschool) are the likely case for next year.

You can take proactive steps now by reviewing together what can be improved for next time while the experience is fresh.

Take notes of things that need to improve, even if you don’t have an immediate solution.

Even with alternate schedules and hybrid learning programs, a large portion of educating our children is still likely to fall on our shoulders come September. As this school year wraps up, discuss what worked and what didn’t work for the family. Start with releasing the emotional component, acknowledge the enormous effort and challenge of recent months, then move on to the physical needs.

Make an ultimate wish list of what would need to change to make distance learning feasible. Then start working backward on what realistic changes you might be able to achieve. Would a new workspace for yourself or your child make you both feel more excited? Could you take a 15-minute exercise break every 90 minutes? Would a visible schedule on the wall help keep everyone on track? Would an online course in organized homeschooling help you feel more prepared?

Think of this as a project wrap-up in your business world. It can be full of complaints but also identify the things that were successful too. The first page of our latest free resource has a template already set up for this exercise plus tons of other useful links.

We all need a massive exhale from these last few months. No one knows what’s happening from week to week let alone next fall. There is no magic switch to say, “Okay, it’s all over now!” Things will be different for a long time. If your kids are too young to participate, do this with your partner. If your family has really liked this change and you want to pursue homeschooling for the indefinite future, this is still a worthy effort to check in and see what you want to continue doing going forward. The intentional time to reflect is a great thing for all of us.