03/23/2020
Today may be the first day for a new way of handling our children's education weather we like it or not. Most of them would be in school today. Just help me out here if you could. If this is true, however your children are at home with you at this very moment, perhaps for the foreseeable future, give me a sign some how when you read this.
I have been substitute teaching this past semester in Michigan. I have been observing all grades k-12 and special education as well as Title I. I think some people are concerned that being out of school for the next 6 months is going to be an issue. I can say from my person witness account that this need not be so. I have met students that come out of the jungle to become doctors and engineers. Given the tools our students will be in fine shape when they return next September, it is possible they will excel after this experience.
#1. Today learning to be a self-started is the goal.
A) Set a casual time for breakfast (at a set place in the house)
B) Keep a journal in this area for morning meeting; goal setting, schedule synchronization as well as calendar of events and appointments. School work!!!
C) Almost all the development at any age group needs can be covered in a project, discovery methodology independently. It will mean developing some new study skills for some students, but it will make them better over all students forever. Start out slowly and step by step they will naturally take over. Set an hour for organized school time each day, commit to it and stick to it, reschedule it when necessary.
Grades K-5
Will need to do drills with flash cards the old fashion way. There is "Prodigy" for math and many science sites.But in their journal they should be keeping track and writing it all down. Use the number of wrong answers to do some basic math life skills, talk about improvement.
Day 1- Start the journal- decorate later in the day.
-Log the weather; draw color, I will include some printable work sheets.
-Make a top ten list of things you like and top ten list of things you do not like.
-Illustrate one of each in your journal.
Grades 6-9
Will be able to get most of their material online or their books and assignments from school. But they will have too much time on their hands, they will be doing less structured thinking, critical thinking is developed at this stage.
Day 1- Make a top ten list of the most desirable careers and top ten list of least desirable careers. Choose one of each and report, average time education, exams or state certificates, pay rate, places of demand ect.(writing can be done in a word file and listed by file name in their journal) then handwritten in the journal.
Grades 10-12
As well their classes will be available online, but a commitment needs to adhered to. The journal will help keep you and your student, literally on the same page.
Day 1- As difficult as it may seem, this may be the time to give them emergency plans if anything should happen to you. --------These notes should go into their journals.
-Make a top ten list of the most important issues of the world today.
-Make a top ten list of the most powerful people in the world.
-Choose one person from the list and how he or she could help with one of the issues on the other list.(writing can be done in a word file and listed by file name in their journal) then hand written into their journal.
