How to Support Learning at Home While Working From Home

Apr 9, 2020

Futures Academy understands the current climate surrounding education. Parents may find themselves worried about homeschooling their children so they don't get behind, while also having to deal with working at home themselves. 

Our school is here for you, and that is why we have transitioned to 100% live one-to-one virtual instruction for each of our students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is our belief that one-to-one instruction not only helps our students, but parents as well. We will be there to provide virtual guidance, instruction, and directions so you can be where you need to be to get your own work done from home. When your child has questions about their academics, we will always be there to answer immediately, leaving you free from distraction. Your child can work at their own pace, get homework help when needed, and enroll in courses that are both interesting and challenging all from the comfort and safety of your home. Futures Academy also offers virtual field trips and clubs!

Additional ways parents can support online learning while working from home:

• Make a daily schedule, similar to your work day and your child's school day, and follow it. Continue to wake up early in the morning, eat breakfast, and jump right into work so that your brain does not get lazy. Sticking to your normal schedule will also help your family transition smoothly when the time comes to head back to work, and school. Your schedule doesn't have to be as structured as a school or work schedule, but the more structure it provides, the better your seemingly endless days at home will feel. 

• Follow your normal routine, in addition to your schedule (yes, they are different!). If your routine is to shower in the morning, get dressed, and then wake your children, keep doing that. Make sure to keep your kids routine the same as well. It can be tempting to allow them to do their schooling with bed head and while wearing their pajamas, but their days will go much smoother if you keep the expectations the same as they have always been for a normal school day. After all, these will be normal school days too. They will see a real live teacher and have real live virtual interactions, so they will want to look and feel their best. 

• Create a workspace for your kids, separate from you. The benefit of Futures Academy is that you won't need to hang over your child's shoulder to make sure they are on track...we keep them on track ourselves! If they have a separate, quiet space to concentrate and communicate with us, you will not be distracted by whatever is happening during our lessons. It leaves both parent, and student in a more productive environment. Keep the areas nice and tidy, well lit, and try to use them specifically for work and school. 

• Last but not least, just like at your job and your child's school, remember to take scheduled breaks. You will all need some time away from your screens to stretch, eat, and regain your focus. Breaks don't have to only be for food, water, and rest however. The breaks your child gets in school are filled with activities like arts, crafts, and physical fitness. Have some  stations set up at the beginning of the week that they can choose from. Even though this might sound challenging because of certain stores being closed (resulting in lack of available supplies), you might be surprised by what you can find in your home that can be used for entertainment. 

Futures Academy can help your family along in this journey. We are accepting new enrollments for grades 6-12 and will walk you through each step to transition to online learning. Feel free to reach out to us with questions!