Get up and get dressed – it’s time for home-schooling
Thousands of local learners have had to adapt in recent weeks to a new normal – that of a parent being their teacher.
POLOKWANE – Children who would usually get up and get dressed in the morning to go to school, have in recent weeks had to adjust to a new normal.
In most instances where it is possible, mom has become more than just to one who serves breakfast, she now has the secondary role of teaching too. Home-schooling has become the new norm, and Joshua and Jessica Wulff, who are both being home-schooled, shared some of the ups and downs with us.
“Being home-schooled has its advantages during this lockdown period. There’s not much of a change in our routine, although not being able to meet with our friends is trying,” Joshua says.
Here are some practical tips for how to stay focused, disciplined and committed to your work during lockdown:
- Set up and stick to a schedule: Keep set times to go to bed at night and wake up in the morning. Set a time to start your school work, break time and end time. Most importantly, get up and get dressed, don’t stay in your pyjamas.
- Eliminate distractions: Rather sit in a quiet room in the house and not in a central point. Leave your cell phone in your room and keep your work area tidy. Take it one subject at a time.
- Don’t overwork yourself: You should rest and do fun things. If you are overworked, you could burn out.
- Set small goals for finishing your work, like finish the English worksheet, then move on to the Afrikaans task and complete the planning section of it and do the next section in maths.
- Reward yourself when you meet your goals. Take an extra 10-minute break the next day, choose what to have for lunch or spoil yourself by doing school in your pyjamas.
- Listen to your parents or caregivers. This is new for them too and they may be struggling as much as you are. Be patient with each other and communicate.
- Enjoy being in your own home with your family. We get to see so little of them in a world that is always rushing around.
“The most important thing to remember is that this too, shall pass, and things will get back to normal, or a new kind of normal. So, stay focused on succeeding in this new challenge,” says Jessica.
