I have been teaching in an online space for almost two years. Before I took the giant leap to teach little ones from home, I taught in a brick-and-mortar classroom for five years. However, the online space differs tremendously from most aspects of a traditional schooling system, like having large classrooms, precisely timed tasks, and academic interruptions – to name a few. The one skill that remains mandatory in any academic space is the importance of time management. I work solely in the Foundation Phase and often tell my parents, “We are partners in this journey!”. I cannot give adequate feedback if the expected submissions based on our system’s goals and standards are not timeously managed. Over these past two years, my most valued input thus far has been giving parents and students advice on how best to manage their time on an online homeschooling platform. A few tried and tested tips and tricks add real value to students during their school day. Whether you are new to our homeschooling community or part of the furniture, I hope these time management tips can help you and your child avoid unnecessary additional stress.
At Evolve Online School, we strive to create independent learners who can take control of their academics. So, let us dive into a list of my four top time management tips:
Tip #1: Set an Alarm for 5 or 10 minutes before an online class starts
Our little ones are still learning to navigate the online platform, and we do not want to add the construct of time into the mix! Setting the alarm solves this issue immediately. The five or ten minutes before; will allow the student to get comfortable in their favourite workspace, take any toilet breaks, or gulp down some water to be hydrated and fully ready to concentrate for the entirety of their lesson.
Tip #2: Create a visual calendar board in their workspace.
This isn’t only a great way to incidentally learn days of the week and months of the year but also allows the student (and parent, for that matter) an opportunity to know; “What’s next?”. When a student has an assignment, count 2-3 days on their calendar and pop this assignment in! Remember, as a homeschooling parent, you ultimately know what is best. If you know the student will benefit from completing their work on the same day, mark it on their calendar! However, if they may need additional time to re-visit the subject matter, the flexibility of the online space allows for just that. Keep in mind not to procrastinate with no academic reasoning behind the decision.
Tip #3: A daily ‘to-do’ list.
In the Foundation Phase, organised folders are available with academic work set for the day. These folders are usually made available to students before their academic day begins. My tip is to set up a whiteboard, separated into their different subjects, with check-listed work for the day. Again, knowing your child’s daily academic capability is; gives them a goal to reach. For example, ‘For every two activities you complete, you may get a 10-minute break’. This allows for essential brain breaks throughout their day and gives them a goal to reach daily!
Tip #4: Keep your Adventure Boxes safe and sound!
Looking at the way the Evolve Online homeschooling curriculum has been set out, the Synchronous time is not as flexible as the asynchronous time. Even though the recordings can be watched afterwards, the fact remains that the student needs to be prepared for their online learning classes. Evolve Online has revolutionised the ‘online’ space by acknowledging the importance of tangible learning in the Foundation Phase. Our fun-filled adventure boxes are a perfect example of how learning through play is visible as the golden standard in Early Development education. Items from these boxes may be called upon during their lessons. In the past, I have found that students running around searching high and low for their items is a massive distraction during class and often ends with the pupil unable to find their resources and unable to engage in the lesson with their peers. My advice would be to re-purpose your boxes and organise them into categories. Examples of categories can be Literacy, Numeracy, Arts and Crafts, Stationary etc. This way, when their literacy lesson alarm goes off, they know to grab their Literacy related content from the adventure box and get ready! Remember, when you’re done having fun, pack it up!
Here at Evolve Online, we strive to encourage independence. This may take a few failed attempts of a forgotten alarm here or a misplaced adventure box item there, but that’s okay, as long as the time management goal is consistent. When the parent alone is the only time manager, all the child learns is, ‘you do it better than I do, so I’ll let you do it!’ Instead, attempt to put the necessary time management skills into place and watch how the learner will slowly but surely become a manager of their own time!
Jamie Lawrence • Jun 22, 2022
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