A Few Tips for the First Few Days of Virtual Learning

We just finished up day 4 of virtual learning and it sure has been a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us! Compared to what we did in the Spring, there’s a lot more work, more meetings, and more technology to learn. But getting the schedule down has for sure been the most difficult part of all of this for me. Having two kids in different grades with different teachers and completely different schedules had me feeling completely overwhelmed and frustrated! But after a few days, we seem to be getting the hang of things. And today went pretty smoothly! I wanted to share a few tips so that hopefully your first few days will go better than ours did.

A Few Tips for the First Few Days of Virtual Learning

1. Study the Schedule

As soon as you get your virtual learning schedule, study it like you would if you were studying for an exam! Really take a good look at how the teacher has divided up the day, and try to figure out what each of the sections will require as far as live meetings, work, or different apps and websites.

2. Reformat the Schedule As Needed

Maddie teachers made a color-coded, check-box type of schedule that I could print out for each week. Graham’s teachers put together a PowerPoint for each day that is broken down in sections by slides with all the links you need for each time of the day. I actually love both of these options for different reasons. I love the check-box printable schedule because it’s so organized and easy to see the entire day. But I also love that Graham’s teachers have all the links and everything he needs in one place. But I did end up making and printing out a check-box type of schedule for Graham too since that’s just easier for my brain to understand. So if your brain doesn’t work well with the type of schedule your child’s teacher has provided, reformat it so it makes sense to you.

3. Print and Hang Schedules

Having lots of copies of the schedules around the house is super helpful for me. I like to keep one in the kitchen so if I’m making lunch I can check to make sure we’re not missing a meeting. I also have a copy on my phone so I can double-check it if we’re outside playing.

4. Rearrange Things to Fit Your Day

After the first two days, I realized that any of the work (except for the live meetings) can really be done at whatever time we want to do it. For example, my kids’ schedules didn’t line up so that they could have lunch together, which was super annoying to me. So we decided to skip one of the small “brain breaks” that Graham has on his schedule, and go ahead and do the work that he’s supposed to be doing while Maddie eats lunch. That way they can both eat together!

5. Set Alarms for Live Meetings

This is actually a tip I picked up in the spring. I have to set alarms on my phone for all the live meetings. Otherwise, we’d definitely miss one! You could also use Alexa to set reminders for the meetings.

What tips would you add?

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A Few Tips for the First Few Days of Virtual Learning

Check out my Pinterest board with more tips for virtual learning and homeschooling!