While many of these tips are great any time there are a few I would recommend specially during this challenging period. These are some the things we are doing at our own home as well.
1. CREATE A STUDY AREA
One of the biggest challenges for most is having a dedicated work space that helps you stay focused on what you need to get done. If your window overlooks the street and you get easily distracted by every passing person or car, maybe moving to another location would help. Make sure that your work area is distraction free. It helps if you communicate that with the rest of your family so that they can help you keep it that way.
2. KEEP YOUR WORK AREA NEAT AND CLEAN
You can decorate your work space some but try to keep it neat and organized. Its hard enough to stay focused and organized, getting rid of clutter and the like helps you feel good in your space and stay distraction free.
Note: I would start small. Start with a corner and work on de-cluttering and cleaning. Each day you can get more done, its both therapeutic and productive. Maybe when all this is done, we can all live in clean clutter free homes.
3. SET A SCHEDULE
Organize a schedule of things you need to get done each day, week, month. Having a list of things you need to finish can help keep you organized and motivated. Recognize that some tasks take longer and others can be quick. Divided your work into manageable time slots and include breaks. Watching as the check marks rack up feels like you have accomplished what you needed to and gives you an idea of how close you are to being done for the day.
4. ASK FOR HELP
BERKTREE LEARNING is available for all your ONLINE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS! We are still tutoring (online) and can offer help on projects and assignments on a daily basis. We can help you get access to tools and resources to help you through this period.
5. MAKE TIME TO SOCIALIZE
Make a social calendar for yourself. Don’t forget to reach out to grandparents and those who are having a harder time, but keep in touch with your classmates and friends too. We set aside a few hours a day to visit (online) with different people, have children’s classes and devotions, all after school/work time.
6. MAKE TIME TO MOVE!
I know it sounds silly, but you really have to make time to stretch and move around. We want you to stay safe, but you can’t become a couch potato either. Take a walk around the house (don’t distract others from their work) or step into your patio or yard.
Our family watched a video about extreme hopscotch. This prompted our own extreme hopscotch course, inside. It starts in the dining room and winds around the house through the living room, the hallway and finally the kids bedroom. We used blue painting tape to mark symbols instead of drawing boxes, and whenever the path gets old we change it. We change the patterns or sometimes what each symbol represents. Its fun, challenging and has us moving.
7. SCREEN TIME OVERLOAD
If you are a parent, you are probably struggling with how much time your kids are spending on screens. You are not alone. Take a breath. Now lets see what we can do to help make this time a bit more educational and productive. Make some time to browse through some of the picks on youtube. There are some really fun videos that you can watch with your kids. Laughter is a great way to keep stress to a minimum specially for the kiddos. Our family recommends cat videos! We can’t get enough of them. I have also found short educational videos and challenges that are fantastic to keep our children both entertained and educated. I will be setting up a Berktree youtube channel and will have a play list on there if anyone is interested. We will also feature pre-recorded lessons for our students, as they become available.
8. THINK OF THE BIGGER PICTURE
Its not everyday that we can get such a unique change in the way our schools function. Make the most of it. While this is a time of difficulty, it is also a great time to build good habits. Study the sections you had not mastered, take a practice SAT test or three, maybe read that book you used CliffsNotes for. Give a little more of your time to the things that matter, like family and creating good study habits. This can be a silver lining of sorts. Berktree can help guide you along the way. If you have questions about content and what you will need next year, don’t hesitate and reach out to us. Together we will get through this!
Thanks for the great tips. Indeed quite helpful when it comes to studying at home.