Forget color-coded lesson plans. Here's how to build a little flexible structure into your days
Photo: Sara Kramer My Instagram feed used to be cluttered with color-coded lesson plans from parents determined to win at homeschooling. We are beyond that now. Still, kids thrive on routine, and there are ways to build a little flexible structure into your days. Here is some advice from teachers.
Photo: Lindsay Powers Consider a “Menu” Instead of a strict timetable, here’s a strategy that Dawn Galluccio Bauer, a mom and math teacher, has adopted. “A minute-to-minute schedule would freak us out. My kids are rule followers and would focus too much on doing exactly the same thing at the same time. That just feels way too stressful right now,” she says. “The menu gives them choices when they’re at a loss for something to do. We’re also doing things that we come up with from day to day.
Stagger Your Schedules “You do not have to cram your work and your child’s learning into an eight-hour schedule,” says Chrishon Sims, an 11th-grade teacher with an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old. “I have my kids get up hours after I do. That helps me be active online for work when I need to be.” Don’t Overdo It “If kids are getting frustrated, they’re not going to be able to learn. Take a break and return to the activity later,” Hainer-Violand says.