These times have been testing as home education for us involves lots of days out, horse riding, art clubs, social meetups and sports classes.

During the Covid-19 quarantine period, these have all come to a halt. During these times home education has taken on a different meaning. It requires full stay-at-home learning. It’s altered our ‘normal’. I have made work interesting and we have managed to get through so much written work, which has been great.

As a home educating parent, it has affected my motivation. The same day- each day, trying to find appealing activities for the kids has been a challenge. The lack of social interaction has been the biggest challenge for the children.

Outdoor learning is a valuable aspect of home education; it’s what school cannot often provide and what Covid has taken away from our children.

Home education is proven to be an effective method of teaching our children according to their own age, ability, aptitude and any special needs they might have. It has so many different styles and each family is different. What works for one family- might not fully suit another- and it’s ok to have relaxed days and days not ‘doing school.’ In fact, many opt out of the traditional methods and fully immerse themselves in active learning.

Have fun! let your children develop their desire to learn and they will all flourish.

Well done to all home ed families.

Love and respect x 

Amina  Patel

Home educator

Online experience from Taiwan to the UK

“As a teacher who teaches English as a foreign language, I found that the COVID 19 pandemic had a drastic effect on my teaching. Private lessons were cancelled, classes and exams pushed back till later in the year, and online classes,  in which my 8-year-old students found difficulty in maintaining their level of concentration.”

“As a teacher, it’s been such a challenge to try and navigate a ‘new normal’ way of teaching.  Becoming accustomed to online teaching (and the time difference) was an initial challenge, then finding suitable and exciting activities to encourage the students to join in and have fun as well as learn!”

“But the need for international teaching is always there. I found that some students were more willing to learn and put the effort in, some even enjoyed the online experience! It’s pushed me as a teacher to reach out to those fellow educators around me for help and guidance all the while adapting and evolving my own teaching to fit today’s educational normal”

Hannah

English teacher

Taiwan and UK

Korea and Covid

Approaches to the pandemic and education:

“With going forward into the next school year, we should consider wiping our mindsets and starting with a fresh perspective. Your classroom will not be the same as it once was, your students will learn differently than they once did, and your outcomes will be vastly different and should be measured on a completely different level.”

“Distance learning in the Drama classroom for upper secondary students can yield incredible results. My students focused on monologue performance and playwriting throughout the Spring of 2020. Their growth and independence soared as they were given a platform to excel creatively in a time period that was very uncertain.”

“Social distancing will be exceptionally difficult when we return to the classrooms. Particularly with primary and elementary students, they need human connection. So much of education is built around the development of social skills, awareness, and connections. The social and emotional well-being of our students depends on us providing such a platform for them.”

Desiree Stant

Drama Director

USA, China, Korea

Online education with 3-year-olds

“Because we don’t have the chance to physically be together and play games and have that face to face contact, a lot of my younger students have struggled being as engaged and have lost that bond we had. 3 months away from a 3-year-old can completely change how they act around you, they become more shy and inverted- can’t wait to see them again”

Jovi

English teacher

China

How my tutoring business is coping with Covid 19

As a qualified teacher and the director of a private tutoring business (www.learntoshine.co.uk), I had been pretty busy pre-COVID 19: employing tutors; taking on new students and working with families to support their children emotionally and educationally. All was well, we were all happily getting on with our routines and supporting those children who were struggling the most in schools (plus a few who needed to be challenged!). Suddenly…Coronavirus put a halt to education, all education, and it seemed to happen overnight! It was a shock to everyone involved in my business and worst hit were the children; they had found understanding and calm when they came to their tutoring sessions. They could tell us what they had found difficult at school and learn strategies to cope when faced with such tasks.

For the children, this support was no longer there. I had parents calling me and messaging me to ask how best to support their children and wondering why their children were angry, upset or didn’t seem to know anything the school had sent home.

Luckily, I found a way to quickly enhance our services and get tutors and students online – the business still isn’t where I want it to be and it’s certainly nowhere near pre -COVID levels. I’d say the main reason for this is that parents can’t afford to send their children to private tutoring anymore as well as the fact that parents want their child with a human as opposed to staring at a screen. Plus, there has been a lot of propaganda online telling parents that it’s okay to miss this much education; in part, I agree, but I’m also very aware that come the return of school things won’t be as lenient as is currently being advertised – educators know the pressures of teaching and the pressure children face when at school! This time off has raised a lot of questions and the answers to these questions are blurry and inconsistent. ‘Learn to Shine Education Ltd’ will continue to support children and families in any way possible, but the full impact on education and teaching in schools is yet to be seen; I have a feeling it’ll be negative!

In opposition, one could argue that spending time with family and being more creative with learning can only be a positive thing. Unfortunately, this is not what I’m hearing from parents…they still need to work, they can’t use childcare and they’re struggling to support themselves, education aside. From my tutors, who still work in schools using the ‘bubble’ plan, I hear that they are stressed, bored and are finding the whole situation tedious…many are now looking at leaving the profession, more so than they were before.

Learn to Shine has been recognised as the ‘MOST REPUTABLE LEARNING SUPPORT AND TUTORING PROVIDER, 2020’ by SME News!

Teaching Yoga in Goa

“I’d begun a stable yoga teaching position in Goa teaching adults and children before the lockdown. Suddenly the Covid-19 virus appeared and shut everything down. I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to teach again, but as it turns out, the demand for English teaching (or any other kind of teaching!) is still necessary and in demand. Teaching English and Yoga during this pandemic has given me a closer sense of community, finding students as I meet people who want/need help.

I feel that worldwide – both teachers and students of all ages seem extremely grateful for being able to connect with each other at this time of physical distancing and change.  We can keep on learning and teaching in a world where shopping is deemed risky, holidays are a distant dream, and entering a classroom is still in doubt.

Keep strong and support those near and dear to you.”

Nissie TC

Yoga Teacher (500h YTTC Certified)

English teacher (TEFL)

Goa India