It was a rude awakening last spring when children suddenly became co-workers and parents became part-time (and poor substitutes for) teachers—not to mention all the parents who can’t work remotely and had to scramble to find accommodations for their kiddos. What did we learn from a semester of distance learning? How to operate Zoom like a pro and that we’d give anything to chat around a water cooler with someone who isn’t 10 years old. If another year of distance learning has you sweating, take some advice from the experts: teachers, who last school year had to quickly pivot from IRL classrooms to virtual learning and gleaned some lessons along the way. All three we talked to were hopeful about the school year ahead. Ah, such optimism: That’s why they’re the professionals. Here, their clutch moves and tech tricks to help you through.
Elias Stein
DRESS THE PART
TECH TRICK
It might be a little bruising to suddenly realize how little you know, say, about graphing slope-intercept form. But as much as you can, work alongside your child on some homework assignments. “It’s difficult for the variety of families that we serve,” says Maria Sciaroni, who teaches sixth grade English/language arts at Compton-Drew ILC Middle School. However, there is a bit of help to be had: “One thing that we’re continuing this semester is [the] recording [of] teaching sessions so that parents can go back and view them. That way, if there is a question, if you’re learning along with your students, you can pinpoint problems. You can say, ‘I don’t think he or she understands this part of the lesson.’”
CLUTCH MOVE
For some of us, dressing for work now means athleisure, or, if we have a Zoom call, we’ll do business on top (sweater)/party on bottom (pajama pants). That schlub lifestyle might not work for your child, though. “We have uniforms in our school,” Sciaroni says. “I had one parent who had her son dressed in a uniform at the normal school time every morning. Her son was able to get into school mode that way.”
Elias Stein
GIMMIE A BREAK
TECH TRICK
Because teachers won’t have as much opportunity during distance learning to observe your child, if you see your kiddo struggling with something, take a video or photo and email it to the teacher. “If you’re comfortable with that, it’s really helpful to see the kid in action,” says Kristin Corrigan, a kindergarten teacher at the Maplewood–Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center. “We’re used to witnessing where there are misconceptions or mistakes and giving the remedy for that.”
CLUTCH MOVE
Routine is king, says Corrigan. Children need to know what’s coming next and what’s expected of them. But for little kids, Corrigan suggests a focused learning activity—a math lesson—followed by a preferred activity, like watching a brain break video. Timers can be effective in reinforcing the schedule. When one goes off, it’s time to get back to work. “I’ve noticed that kids might argue with you if you say, ‘OK, it’s time to sit back down and practice our letters again,’” she says. “The timer is harder to argue with than the parents.” Routine applies to bedtime as well: “If you have a good bedtime routine, then you as a parent get some time to yourself—and grownups are going to need it.” When the timer goes off, it’s time for wine.
Elias Stein
TIK TOK GOES THE CLOCK
TECH TRICK
Adia Turner learned to use social media to motivate her students. The English/language arts teacher at Long International Middle School told them that if they got a certain grade on a specific assignment, she’d dance to Drake’s “Toosie Slide” on TikTok. “They said, ‘Yo, Ms. Turner, you are crazy,’” she says. “I don’t mind, because they’re seventh-graders, and they’re going to Joan on me. But it built community and culture between me and my students. It was another way to get my kids to see me not just as a teacher but [also] as a person and as someone they would want to do work for.”
CLUTCH MOVE
Seventh-graders are Turner’s favorite, but oh, the hormones. “It’s fun to be a part of this time in their lives,” she says, “but it can be difficult, because they’re one big walking contradiction.” What does she do when they’re having an off day? If a three-, five-, or seven-minute meditation; a quick walk; or a brain break doesn’t help, she’ll ask whether they need to take the day off. “Often what children need in those moments is kindness,” she says. “The cool thing about virtual learning is that I can record everything. In a normal classroom, it’s harder to make sure they don’t fall behind.”
