Category: Time Management

As promised, we are continuing on the topic of possible schooling at home on a widespread level this year.

An ounce of prevention… Let’s talk about what you can do ahead of time to make school time so much easier.

Prayer
It sounds simple…or trite…but gathering the student body (whether that be 2 or 12) together before kicking schoolwork into gear can be a blessing. Everyone is together, and the focus is on God. It is a daily reminder of our dependence on Him for what is needed to get through the school and work day, as well as a refresher on our goal to glorify Him as we do that.

Gathering supplies
Boxes or bags dedicated to one activity — in this case school work — help just as much when schooling is done at home as when everyone leaves the house. If all the books and tools are in one place, everything is ready when needed. The boxes can stay in a closet when it is not school time, but then be carried right to the assigned spot of the student for use. Everything goes back in the bag when school time is over, ready for the next session.

An extension of this principle is the need for charging devices. Devices that may be used for entertainment the rest of the day should be returned to the appropriate bag or box by bedtime and plugged up in a nearby outlet. Then they will be ready to roll in the morning. An alternative practice would be if you can have all devices in one place overnight to charge. Then everyone grabs a device and a bag each morning.

Gathering materials
This requires advance prep, whether it be the night before or the morning of, but the time invested adds value to the learning process and the daily atmosphere.

Before each student goes online for a class, make sure they have (or are trained to get ready for themselves, if they are old enough) what they need right beside them.

Before any student needs to take a test or go online or complete a quiet activity, be sure that any other students are aware of the extra need for quiet and occupied sufficiently for that time. This requires meshing schedules for multiple children — or your work schedule and school schedule — but it pays off.

As promised, we are continuing on the topic of possible schooling at home on a widespread level this year.

Multiple people in one house all day long. Everyone trying to get work done. Each person has a list of stuff to fit into the day. How can it all fit smoothly?

Space
Where we do things matters, so let’s talk about assigning space in the home.

Physical location can help as a cue for getting in the groove. If I always work at my desk, sitting in my desk chair gets my mind ready to focus on work. This is easily done if you have a separate school room with individual desks, but it is still possible in other situations. If you do school work at the dining room table, assigned seats help with the mental transition. A habit of each student having a designated area in the available living space does the same thing. Basically, if your body is in this spot, your mind knows it’s time for school.

Separate areas can help with quiet focus. Younger children may need separate rooms for activities. Be careful about distractions in bedrooms, if easy and unsupervised access to devices and toys is there, but that can be a solution for multiples.

Set space for schooling also allows easy access to tools. It may not be a desk, but you can stash pencil boxes, and possibly even books, nearby instead of assembling what is needed each time.

Finally, assigning space once cuts out fresh traffic direction each and every morning.

Time
Boundaries don’t just work for physical space. Set times for different activities can help keep focus sharp.

Whether you just set aside the morning, or the day until late afternoon, or you map out 50 minutes of every hour, labelling time helps keep schooling where it belongs. When it’s school time, it is clear what is the priority. When it is break time or lunch time, everyone relax! School time will come again soon enough, and tasks can be tackled then. Focused time is more effective, and breaks set that time apart. When the school day is over, it’s over — just as much as when students left the school building.