The pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works for many things. People are being forced to stay at home rather than following their usual daily routine, and kids are being kept home rather than going to school. It is the safest option available right now, but unfortunately, one of the things that is suffering is the education of the children. It’s time to get over that right now, because the education of the younger generation is not something that we can afford to lack, and in this article, we’re going to be helping you to understand how to educate during the pandemic. So, if you want to know more about this topic, keep reading down below.
Hire A Tutor
The first thing that you should think about doing if you’re not sure you’re going to be able to manage on your own is hiring a tutor. We know that this costs money and some people don’t have the extra cash for this right now, but if you do, you should make good use of it. Hiring a tutor means that your kids are going to maintain an excellent education, even when they aren’t at school. A tutor is qualified in certain areas, and this could be exactly what you need to keep the kids interested in their education. Sometimes it can feel like a challenge to engage them in anything when they are at home, but a tutor should be able to help here.
As well as this, tutors are able to access some resources that a parent wouldn’t be able to. For example, the tutor doesn’t even need to come to your home if they use a virtual classroom which is extremely helpful when it comes to the pandemic. Resources like these are beneficial to everyone, and your child gets the education they deserve without being at risk.
Online Resources
If you don’t want to hire a tutor and you would prefer to do things yourself, then there are plenty of online resources that will help you understand everything. There are worksheets and explainers for things you don’t know about, and there are so many options to choose from that you’re not going to run out of resources. All subjects should be covered somewhere online, so try not to panic. Just take your time, find fun resources for them to use, make sure that you are getting all the information that they need and so on.
There are also certain sites dedicated to education, and they have educational games to keep your kids entertained, while still learning things. This is the best of both worlds, and something they can do when you need a break.
Encourage Open Communication
Getting your kids motivated to continue with their education when they aren’t in an educational setting can be challenging, and what you need to do is encourage open communication. You need to know what they are feeling, you need to know if there is something that they don’t understand and everything in between. It’s important that you understand, and if they feel overwhelmed, it can end up being damaging to them. Everyone involved needs to be able to say what they are thinking and feeling at all times if this is going to work. Seeing as you are likely not a teacher, you’re going to be doing the best you can, and you might not be equipped to deal with some of the meltdowns over work.
Let your kids know that everything is okay. If they don’t understand something, you’ll go through it until they do. If they need a break, they need to let you know and so on. It will run a whole lot smoother if everyone feels as though they are being heard throughout the process.
Don’t Focus Too Heavily On Grades
Grades are not the be-all and end-all of education, and even in schools, teachers aren’t always focused on the grade that comes from a test. Sometimes children don’t test well, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know the material you have been teaching them. You’re going to need to find ways to figure out if they understand without resorting to standard tests. You can use flashcards, ask them questions verbally and a whole range of other techniques. As long as you know, they are understanding what’s going on, this is good enough.
Keep in mind that while you are educating your children for now, eventually they will go back to school. This means whatever they don’t get right now for whatever reason can be taught when they get there. Don’t put too much pressure on your children right now, it’s a hard enough time as it is.
Keep Them Safe Online
We mentioned using online resources and allowing your kids to use them, but you’ve got to make sure that you are keeping them safe. With more online resources comes more danger, and we know that this isn’t something you like to think about, but it is important. There was that story a while ago about someone who was using YouTube videos to talk to children and tell them to do horrible things, so you need to keep an eye on what they are doing. The best way to avoid this is to use parental controls and watch what is going on when they are online. It is always better to be on the safe side, so don’t feel bad about this.
Play Is Important Too
Don’t forget the importance of play throughout all this. Kids don’t need to be listening to educational things every hour of every day until they go to sleep. Play is just important to their development as their education, so make sure you are scheduling time for this throughout the day!
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now understand some of the ways to educate during the pandemic. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to take up all the time in the world. Just make sure that kids are still accessing the knowledge they need. Good luck.
