Parents Teaching at Home & Teachers Working Even Harder, We Salute You!

Being a teacher or a parent is hard enough. But 2020 has thrown the idiomatic curveball toward educators, both at home, in-person, and online. As a result, both parents and teachers have had to adapt. But take heart. Everyone has noticed.

On November 8, National Parents as Teachers Day celebrates the efforts made by parents teaching their children or assisting teachers in their remote classrooms. If you’re new to the concept of teaching at home or online learning, you aren’t alone. Many parents are in uncharted territory. So on this national day of appreciation, Virtual Vocations would like to offer some tips on how to become a successful stay-at-home parent, worker, and teacher.

Tips for Parents Teaching at Home

Parents teaching from home may not know how to become an effective teacher. And that’s okay. It’s a learning process that requires some fine-tuning and trial and error. However, the COVID pandemic has posed uncertainty over the future of schooling. Therefore, parents should use their little extra time to master the basic principles of at-home teaching. Here are some tips and suggestions that should allow you to become the “Teacher of the Year,” even in your own home.

Making Math Fun

Math just might top the list of subjects that kids aren’t too keen about. Heck, you probably aren’t all that thrilled about it either. But parents teaching can find numerous ways to make math fun. Whether you play games or do chores around the house, kids can learn math without even knowing they’re doing it. Here are some suggestions:

Actionable Item: Teaching math is more than just staring at word problems or multiplication tables. Instead of pursuing a more traditional avenue, mix it up. The more ways that you can teach without your kids knowing they’re “in class,” the more effective the practice.

Teaching Through Household Chores

Kids have a way of turning a perfectly neat and tidy space into a train wreck in a matter of minutes. But within this disaster zone lies educational opportunities. Not every learning experience for children is in the pages of a book or flashcards. Sometimes, practical things such as chores can fo the trick.

To that degree, you have plenty of options. Even younger children can benefit by seeing you complete daily tasks and then doing them on their own. Some examples include:

Actionable Item: Think about the qualities that create a fully functioning adult. Instill these ideals and thoughts early and often. While you probably will never stop worrying as a parent, you can at least have some stress relief by knowing you raised your kids to think for themselves and have the basic structure to succeed later in life.

Read, Read, and Read Some More

According to numerous studies—including one from the National Assessment of Educational Progress—anywhere from 24% to 32% of first- to eighth-grade students can’t read at a basic level. This alarming statistic has many underlying reasons, ranging from parents not reading enough to the inordinate amount of time that kids spend on television, video games, and social media.

Yet conquering this deficiency is simple: read, read, and read some more. The results are more beneficial than you might think. While reading is definitely a disconnect from electronics and the internet, it also provides:

Actionable Item: You can force your kids to read materials assigned by their teachers. But the real solution lies in your habits. Even if you’re not a reader, look a bit deeper. Read your kids a story during the day or a bedtime story. Or even if you like reading the sports page, read out loud to the kids. You never know when your child might be a good luck charm for your fantasy football team.

Scheduling: Keeping It Simple

Schedules are an integral part of being an adult. However, they’re also crucial to the lives of children. Through a schedule, you can create routine and expectations—two aspects that kids respond to perhaps more than any others.

If you’re the type of person that keeps their calendar and schedule in your head, putting together a schedule for your children can seem like an arduous task. In addition, you’ll have to intertwine academics, chores, and playtime with precision. The upside is that once you have this schedule completed, you can roll with it as long as it keeps working.

For example, a morning schedule for a grade-school student might look like this:

Actionable Item: Much like reading, setting an example is vital. Start by writing down you schedule and adhering to it as much as possible. This will help your kids learn by example. In addition, you might want to create a visual calendar and make it highly visible. If your children forget what to do, they have a visual timetable to consult. Plus, it takes some of the guesswork out of the equation, especially if you work from home.

Set Up a Learning Space

Productive learning environments are a necessary part of parents teaching and kids absorbing material. Without a dedicated space, focus and concentration are sure to evaporate. Much like a home office for adults, children need a place that’s used solely for classes and learning exercises.

To set up a proper learning space, use the following considerations:

Actionable Item: Once you’ve chosen a place for your child’s dedicated learning space, ask them to give you a hand. When kids decorate and customize their own space, they’re far more apt to find the place comfortable and apt for learning. As a result, you can engage your child while also giving them a sense of accomplishment.

Breaks, Check-Ins, and Recess

What’s a day of school without a break or recess? It’s just not the same. And when you add in the response of “recess” as a child’s favorite subject, you shouldn’t deprive them. Not only does recess provide children with a chance to unwind, but it also gives them a bit of exercise.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to make recess or breaks the only stopping point during the day. Checking in with your kids can ensure that they remain on task, and even a short conversation can let them relax for a few minutes.

However, parents teaching at home may not have a deluge of ideas when it comes to recess. So here are some tips aside from the classic “go play outside” to help you find something that works for your family:

Actionable Item: Recess is a crucial part of any kid’s day. But you shouldn’t send them off at random times or when they’re bothering you. Instead, stick to your written schedule, and just be there when they’re at recess. Unless you’re swamped with activities or work, recess is the perfect bonding time. Who knows what you might find out about your pride and joy.

Parents Teaching at Home Memes and Tweets to Brighten Your Day

Not every work from home or teach from home day is going to run smoothly. On those days, you may want to hide away in your home office or have an impromptu happy hour. But your time as a parent never stops. In those moments, an injection of humor is beneficial. Nothing embodies the spirit of COVID-era work from home and online learning than memes and tweets.

Full-Time Email Answerer

There’s nothing quite like an onslaught of emails during the work day. But parents teaching or working from home don’t really get any joy from the endless emails from your local school. At least these emails give you the opportunity for a creative response if you’re feeling adventurous.

Why Does a Kid’s Mind Always Go There?

What is it with kids and poop? It’s fun to say and all, but really, what gives? Then again, this may have been you trying to master second-grade math.

Hey, You Gotta Make Money Somehow

Times are tough. And kids are expensive. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture weighed in with a study showing the cost of raising a child for 18 years is a hefty $233,610. So when you need to make a few bucks, don’t forget that junior’s been hoarding years worth of Christmas, tooth fairy, and allowance money.

It’s a Long Road Ahead

It’s perfectly natural to think that parent teaching is an exciting foray into the American educational system. As a result, you might feel the overwhelming thought: “I got this.” But after maybe a day or two, you turn from Mary Poppins into a person holding two bottles of liquor. And somehow, it’s socially acceptable. Don’t question it.

Improvisation Is Key

When you need to tune your kids out as a parent-teacher or work from home professional, you may find that even noise-canceling headphones aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Fighting, shrill screaming, and other strange noises create a cacophony that’s tough to escape. You may need to improvise like the father above. Who knows, you may find that listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy” simultaneously creates a subliminal message.

Why Can’t the Retirement Age Be 40?

Most people work until they’re at least 60. And even after that, moonlighting or earning some extra cash in retirement is necessary for some extra cash or maintaining one’s sanity. Throw in parents teaching, and most people are wondering if they can start to collect their Social Security early. After three days, this might just describe you.

Being an earner, a parent, and a teacher all at once isn’t without complications. Every day is a learning curve; every solitary moment a chance to reflect and refresh. But the rewarding experience of the work from home trifecta makes every sacrifice, mistake, and success a chance to move forward. So on National Parents as Teachers Day, bask in the glory in whatever way suits you. You’ve earned it.

Do you have any tips for parents teaching at home? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your advice. We’d love to hear from you!

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