Thursday, April 16, 2020
Tammy Hall, a Woodland parent adapting to the new normal of serving as her two sons’ learning coach, recommends using district resources and relying on teachers to help kids stay engaged with school during the statewide closure.
Tammy’s sons Chase and Colton are in seventh and tenth grade, respectively. Having kids attending two different schools might seem like a challenge, but Tammy finds using all the resources available to parents helped her kids develop learning habits at home. “Woodland’s teachers are working hard to make it as easy as possible for kids to learn at home,” she said. “If parents are having difficulties, don’t hesitate to reach out to teachers and even classmates for help and use all of the resources available.”
Creating a schedule provides an essential learning structure for kids learning at home. “A routine is really important to keep kids from going into a slump,” said Tammy. “Being consistent each day helps the entire family stay focused.”
Tammy’s sons appreciate connecting with their teachers using online resources and the Internet. “Chase was really excited when he started receiving videos from his middle school English teacher, Ronda Oathes,” she said. “Those videos are the highlight of his day.”
Even with guidance and support from teachers, the statewide school closure can impact students emotionally. Parents should encourage their kids to connect with teachers and friends using email, Google Classroom, or just over the phone. “Both Chase and Colton miss seeing their friends and teachers,” said Tammy. “Colton was on the baseball team and really misses playing.”
While all kids should remain engaged with learning during the closure, each family will approach learning differently and parents should not feel pressured to become teachers. Parents can rely on teachers and schools to provide the lessons while they focus on giving their kids a dedicated place in the home to learn and provide a daily structure. “This is a crazy and difficult time right now with things changing so fast for everyone,” said Tammy. “I just have to remember we’re not the only ones going through this – it’s affecting everyone, so we just need to try to make the best of it.”
Keep up the great work, Tammy!
Do you have a home learning story you’d like to share?
Please send it with pictures and/or video to Eric Jacobson, our Communications Manager, at jacobsoe@woodlandschools.org