How to Get Set Up at Home for Virtual Learning
Raise your hand if you’re freaked out about homeschooling, have no idea what you’re doing and are truly just hoping for the best. I have a feeling there are a lot of hands up! Thanks to a worldwide health pandemic, we, as parents have been put into a position none of us probably saw coming. But here we are! So if you are schooling from home, let’s embrace this whole virtual learning thing and approach it with as much positivity and organization as possible!
To expand on the organization side of things I thought it’d be helpful to share how I’ve set up the virtual learning space inside our home. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy! All you need are a few key tips and tricks to optimize your space to create a super functional learning space for your kids.
1. Create a home for storing supplies
This does not have to be a desk for each child, just somewhere to store everything. For example, a closet that’s nearby your school area with a few empty shelves or even an old dresser where you can store supplies. And speaking of drawers, you’re definitely going to want drawer organizers to keep things contained. The main thing is you just want everything to be as accessible as possible. I really love the idea of a rolling cart. They’re great for small spaces or if you find yourself in need of a place to keep supplies. This way everything is within reach, but can also be tucked away when it’s not in use.
2. Create a system for storing work that is completed and in processIf your kids are younger, I recommend a bin or maybe a tray like this that you can put their name on so they have a great visual of where their papers belong. If your kids are a bit older - maybe middle school - I’d go with a binder. They’ll probably have more classes/subjects and therefore more papers, so this is a really tidy way to store everything. My biggest tip here though is having your kids maintain these bins/binders on their own! This is the independence and responsibility kids learn when they go to school so be sure to keep these systems in place while doing virtual learning at home.
3. Stay organized with due dates
Simple and to the point! Definitely be sure to grab this wall calendar to help you keep track of all the important dates. I’d also task your kids with trying to keep track of assignment due dates, test days, project deadline, etc (obviously this will depend on the age of your kids) because it goes hand in hand with the independence and responsibility piece of things that I mentioned above. With the wall calendar this should be easy because you can hang it in a place where everyone can see it.
4. Create a space for younger kids to display their work
Who doesn’t love feeling a sense of pride? Creating a dedicated space to display any classwork or artwork your kids do will make them feel proud and excited to do more so be sure to include this in your virtual learning space. Personally, I think frames are great because they feel a bit more “important”, plus you can store everything in the back of the frame! Easy storage solution and it allows your kids to switch it out themselves whenever they feel like it!
5. Set up stations for younger kids
It’s important to have activities ready to help break up all the screen time, especially for the younger ones. I’d suggest using old shoe boxes to create little kits for your kids that are always ready to go. For example, you can put things in them like play-doh, write letters/sight words in sand or shaving cream, play “go fish” with sight words or letter cards, string beads in a pattern, etc. You really just want to focus on creating a fun space for reading that feels more like a game vs another lesson plan. This way they aren’t sitting at a table or desk all day either and it gets them thinking in a different way.
Do you feel ready for virtual learning, now? I know it’s not as easy as 1, 2, 3 but hopefully these tips and resources can help set you up for a successful school year ahead!
