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We have moved into an unknown and unprecedented time of learning for classrooms. Not being able to connect in person really changes and shifts the way that we are able to connect with children, families, and our teaching partners. 

Although it isn’t ideal and certainly is challenging, we have embraced the same philosophies that we always do:

• Less is More
• Focus on Community
• Honour What Everyone Can Give
• Hands On: Minimize Technology

Less is More

When we first started thinking about how we might program for Distance Learning, we had so many ideas. Many incredible ideas and plans were shared by different school boards and individuals across social media. 

Our conversations with families however, reminded us that this is an overwhelming time for everyone in different ways. So, we started to think about how we could keep things simple and manageable. 

We settled on a simple schedule that has been working really well to make the week predictable and manageable for our students and their families.

Monday – Read Aloud and Extension

Tuesday – Learning Activity (prompt to explore – cross curricular)

Wednesday – Reading Program (RazKids) and Getting Active

Thursday – Learning Activity (prompt to explore – cross curricular)

Friday – Math Lesson

Each week we share a Week at a Glance with our families on Sunday (similar to the sample above). Then we create a daily post with simple examples to provide more details using photos or videos!

Focus on Community

We have worked really hard to continue to build our connection and relationships with families. Strong communication has supported us in helping families to feel comfortable and connected. What does this look like?

• Phone Calls: we have called our families to see how we can help with technology, just to check in and to connect with students to let them know we are proud of their work.
• Emails or Messages: we continue to keep in contact with families to support them with questions about distance learning plans or anything they need support with.
• Video or Audio Feedback: this may depend on your comfort level, but we have sent short videos to families each week with feedback and to build connections based on the learning from the week. 
• Sharing Learning: with permission from our families we have been sharing photos of students learning and engagement at home in a video at the end of each week. They love seeing each other’s creations and play in action!

Honour What Everyone Can Give

We want to think about how we can help families feel comfortable and connected without making them feel overwhelmed. Through private conversations, we have developed a plan to differentiate support for each family. For example, some families have guardians working full time out of the home and children are in childcare. We connected and talked about the idea of trying 1 or 2 of the activities over the weekend because their child was exhausted and not wanting to do anything at the end of the day.

Our teaching partners will all be able to give differently as well. We need to be mindful and compassionate of our colleagues. Every educator will have different circumstances and availability in terms of time to connect. Furthermore, each educator will also have different comfort levels with technology and the different approaches to connect with families. Have a conversation with your teaching partners to develop a plan that allows everyone to comfortably contribute to the learning and support provided to your students and their families.

Finally, honouring ourselves and what we can contribute. This is the easiest to overlook! Be sure you are finding balance in your life as much as you can. One thing that is helpful is to set boundaries for yourself in terms of working hours (e.g., not replying to posts or emails after a certain time). We have to be able to disconnect during this time to ensure we are taking care of ourselves, mentally and physically!

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Hands On: Minimize Technology

When planning quality at home learning activities, we are mindful of the amount of technology required and consider ways children can learn through hands-on opportunities.

For families, having their 4 or 5 year old complete all for their learning online is a lot to manage and support.

We want to encourage them to work on activities in their homes that do not always require technology. In the classroom, we limit screen time to small group instruction time or when sharing something relevant as a whole group. We are trying to embrace that same philosophy with distance learning. 

On Friday’s, we share a math lesson that is prerecorded and encourages the children to participate along  with us. We ensure that each lesson is hands on so children can build, count, measure, and learn with us from home. For example when doing a math talk with 10 frames, the children used treasures from home to build and problem solve with us.

We also know that play and exploration are so important for children, now more than ever! With this in mind, we incorporate ways for children to be active and play while learning. For example, they have been enjoying different types of scavenger hunts both inside and outside.

How can we create playful learning experiences without technology while being mindful of equity in terms of the materials children have access to? We keep going back to our first thought; Less is more and keep it simple! 

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Going Forward…

With every new experience and approach, we know that time will support our growth and learning. Each week we feel more confident in how we are reaching out, teaching, and supporting our families. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and navigate this new way of engaging. Although we know this is not the most ideal way to connect and engage with young children, we will continue to strive to build relationships within our community.