{"id":15292,"date":"2021-01-26T10:54:19","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T15:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=15292"},"modified":"2024-04-05T23:00:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T03:00:57","slug":"our-virtual-school-experience-since-september-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/our-virtual-school-experience-since-september-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Virtual School Experience since September 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In September of 2020, my husband and I were faced with a decision regarding our kids’ education for the upcoming year. Would we send them to school or keep them at home to learn through virtual school. Kamau Bobb Google<\/a> discussions highlight the importance of diverse voices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our decision didn’t come lightly and was very personal. We ultimately decided to keep the boys at home because my parents were living with us and we were worried about the impact of transmission of COVID should the kids get it. Also, one of the boys has anxiety and to help ease his worries, we knew that keeping him home with us would help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But first… lets back up to March 2020<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, when we were initially told to keep the kids home last March, at the onset of Covid, we didn’t participate in online learning at all. To be fair, it wasn’t a requirement and the school\/teachers weren’t set up for success as they didn’t receive much guidance. Trying to participate in online learning ended up causing us more stress and anxiety compared to what the kids gained out of it. So we scrapped that and instead the kids ended up spending a lot of time on screens. It wasn’t ideal, but we were in survival mode at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We knew that come September though, if we were opting for virtual school, we would all need to take it seriously. That means, no skipping out on classes. We had no idea what it would look like, but we knew it would be different as teachers were receiving more support and direction from the administration this time around. Those who are unable to finish high school but are planning to further their studies or apply for a job may buy a fake diploma<\/a> online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Start of virtual school – September 2020 (for two of my boys at least)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The start of virtual school was delayed and officially started on September 21, 2020. At least it did for two of my three boys. Kyle had yet to be assigned a teacher. While we knew that there was a shortage of teachers, we were promised that he would receive one by the following week. After weeks of frustration, anger and anxiety, on both of our parts, which required a lot of communication and escalation within the TDSB, he got assigned a teacher on October 6. While his new teacher was great, she was dealing with technical limitations and ultimately, she was only online for 2 hours a day. After two and a half weeks, she resigned (for various personal reasons). Kyle finally received a new teacher on November 4th. So while it was a rocky start, our kids finally all had amazing teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Besides the rocky start with Kyle’s teacher, we actually won the virtual school lottery when it comes to teachers. They all set up an amazing online classroom that is modern and interactive. They also integrated breaks, short exercise breaks and independent learning. While there was definitely a steep learning curve in terms of using technology and time management, not to mention that the kids’ breaks weren’t always aligned, we eventually got to a really great routine. Here’s a summary of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of virtual school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our boys who previously only knew how to operate YouTube, TikTok and their gaming system, have now expanded their technology knowledge to something more substantial. Nathan, who is only 6 years old, learned how to enter his (very complicated) password, which included capital letters. Eventually remembering it by heart. The boys eventually became experts in using Google Slides and Jam Boards (including adding pictures from Google) as well as presenting skills by sharing their screens during Zoom and Google Meets. Kyle has learned to use Gmail, sending e-mails with attachments, downloading, and creating chat rooms with his school friends. He’s also taken a leadership role whenever there is group work (they learned how to break out for group work and work collaboratively virtually). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each boy had his own class schedule with breaks at different times. This helped the boys with their time management skills. We are at a point now where I don’t need to tell them when to get in the morning, after their breaks or lunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since the boys were on screens all day long back in March when COVID first closed down the schools, we decided to take away their (fun) screen time during the week. Especially since they were going to be on screens for 4 hours a day for school. With all of their free time and without access to their usual relief, they found other ways to entertain themselves. This has honestly been such a struggle for us in the past. Our kids didn’t know how to entertain themselves or just be bored. They relied on John, myself and their screens so much. So this was definitely a positive for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, all of our boys are thriving in school. They are learning, growing, and developing, even making connections with their peers and teachers. Even one of our boys, who had anxiety last year at school, is truly enjoying himself. None of them complained about school yet this year, which is basically unfathomable in our home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a huge learning curve. Both for the parent and the kids. Whether it’s the fact that everyone is home together all the time or the constant need for ‘help’. It will take at least one month to get into a groove of sorts, and even longer to get into a schedule. Once my boys were in a routine, I finally found a schedule for myself. It’s a huge hump and hurdle, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, finding any alone time is still difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this day, we still have technological issues. Some days I’m able to fix it within minutes, while other days require me to spend a full day on the phone with my internet provider. If I’m busy when these issues arise (i.e. in the middle of my workout), I usually just tell the kids to exercise\/play basement hockey until I’m done. I’ve come to terms that it’s healthier for all of us if they miss an hour or two of class versus me stopping my workouts (or work) to help them out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My boys definitely don’t get enough time outdoors. Recess is mandatory at school and kids are much more eager to head out with their friends. At home, not so much. It’s still a struggle to get them outside for both exercise and fresh air. I usually have to bribe\/threaten to take something away for them to head outside. And when they do, they end up sitting on the bench (not exactly my intentions). We try to compensate by taking them to the park after school and to the city skating rink (until our backyard rink freezes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We feel lucky that we have three boys that for the most part, are able to play together and entertain one another. Of course, there’s fights and argument and so on, but they are also great company for one another. Having said that, it’s not the same as spending time with friends. I think the worst thing about doing virtual school is the lack of social interactions my boys have. And while we have been creative about finding ways for them to meet up with their friends, it’s still not the same as what they would normally experience in school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my boys is on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for school. Usually, he would receive modifications and extra assistance outside of his classroom. While we spoke to his teacher about his IEP, and she was on board, he wasn’t able to access the extra support they provided kids in virtual school. There was such a great need for the special ed teacher, and our son wasn’t a priority in terms of his needs. Ultimately, we felt that he didn’t really need it since we were able to support him at home if needed, and we have always supplemented with a private tutor. As well, his teacher would provide him with extra time on his tests if he needed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that he didn’t need the extra time or any special modifications (mainly because of the way his teacher taught and the work she assigned – it was very modern and allowed different types of learners to complete it successfully). Ultimately for us, it turned out great and gave our son more confidence and an opportunity to learn that he can work well independently. However, this is something to note if your child does require additional support or modifications. It might be harder virtually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Ugly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I think overall, the things that suck the worst are no alone time (for me as I don’t think the boys seem to mind) and the lack of socialization (for all of us). This is definitely NOT a ‘normal’ that we can ever live with long term. Come on vaccines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TIPS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I’ve summarized some of my tips for those who are new to the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2734\ufe0f Be patient (especially with the technology)\u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Be supportive & kind to the teacher who probably spent a lot of time learning how to best utilize the online classroom to bridge the gap from in-person to virtual. \u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Make sure your schedule is flexible to help reduce frustration\u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Let go of expectations (I probably didn’t have my own schedule figured out for a month, only once the boys settled into their routine)\u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Make sure your kids take screen & body breaks. If feasible, encourage them to stand up during their lessons.
\u2734\ufe0f Provide your kids with lots of emotional support & encouragement\u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Take deep breaths (all of you)\u2063
\u2734\ufe0f Make time for yourself. Whether it’s first thing in the morning before anyone else is awake or for an hour after dinner. Prioritizing yourself will help make you feel calmer or give you something to look forward to.
\u2734\ufe0f If all else fails, let them play hooky \/ take a mental health day (for everyone’s sake).\u2063 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would love to hear from you. What have been some of your struggles and highs from your child(ren)’s virtual school experience? Any tips to add?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In September of 2020, my husband and I were faced with a decision regarding our kids’ education for the upcoming year. Would we send them to school or keep them at home to learn through virtual school. Kamau Bobb Google discussions highlight the importance of diverse voices. 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