Teresa Wiedrick figured out years ago what many parents are only now beginning to understand sa国际传媒� a home is not a school.

But that doesnsa国际传媒檛 mean kids cansa国际传媒檛 learn at home just as well as they might in a classroom. Wiedrick, who has homeschooled her own four children, says that begins by changing expectations placed on kids as well as with predetermined ideas of what education has to look like.

sa国际传媒淚f itsa国际传媒檚 a really academic child then no, they are happy to have that really strict routine. I have that child and she was asking for academics early on,sa国际传媒� says Wiedrick.

sa国际传媒淎nd then Isa国际传媒檝e also got the child who was like, let me do whatever I want, Isa国际传媒檒l be fine if I just read a magazine and put Taylor Swift lyrics up on my wall. And yet shesa国际传媒檚 the one who right now is going for a Masters degree, so go figure.sa国际传媒�

Wiedrick has plenty of advice for those trying to balance the new parenting reality. The Nelson resident is the president of the BC Home Educatorssa国际传媒� Association, which advocates for the rights of at-home teachers and their families. Shesa国际传媒檚 also written a book about home schooling, hosts a podcast on the topic and maintains a blog on life as a mother-teacher.

Homeschooling is having a moment right now, albeit one born of necessity. Kitchen tables, bedrooms and front yards are the new classrooms for students unable to attend B.C. public schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic after in-class learning was suspended last month.

The Ministry of Education meanwhile launched an to assist parents while also directing its 60 school districts to continue classes through digital options such as the video conferencing app Zoom.

But as parents are finding out, education via the internet isnsa国际传媒檛 easily done.

sa国际传媒淥ften they have more than one child and have tons of appointments for their kids, but most of them have either just lost a job or they are also trying to work at home or having to create their own businesses at home and all of that together they are also supposed to manage their kids education,sa国际传媒� says Wiedrick.

sa国际传媒淥h and by the way, theresa国际传媒檚 a pandemic.sa国际传媒�

Wiedrick has homeschooled her kids for 12 years, and what shesa国际传媒檚 figured out during that time is how key the relationship between a parent and child is to making the situation work. The actual school work? Thatsa国际传媒檚 the easy part.

sa国际传媒淣obody believes that until theysa国际传媒檝e homeschooled and been with their kids long enough and recognized that an education isnsa国际传媒檛 because a teacher gives a child stuff to learn. Itsa国际传媒檚 because we as humans are learning animals and wesa国际传媒檙e interested in learning.sa国际传媒�

Practically, that means understanding who a child really is and what their passions are before looking for what Wiedrick calls learning opportunities.

A walk outside to find and study a frog? Thatsa国际传媒檚 science class. Online guitar lessons? Thatsa国际传媒檚 music class. Wiedrick says one of her kids is taking an online class on human anatomy through Yale University. Another started a YouTube channel and plays online chess with friends.

The key, she says, is to consider ways children can be taught even when the textbook is closed. sa国际传媒淵ou can think about subjects in more of a loose learning kind of way.sa国际传媒�

Wiedrick also advises against setting a strict schedule for children, which she says can negatively change how kids feel at home.

sa国际传媒淚 did that for sure in the beginning of my home school years and realized wesa国际传媒檙e not trying to create a school in our homes,sa国际传媒� she says. sa国际传媒淚f we do that, we cross that teacher-parent role and we really make it challenging for ourselves and for them to relate to each other.sa国际传媒�

As for parents turning to screens to educate and watch their kids, Wiedrick advises screen time is effective if limited and used with a purpose.

That includes giving parents a break. For people trying to work at home, Wiedrick suggests a communal time during the day when everyone is expected to do a quiet activity. Another easy idea for people with older children is to set an alarm clock outside a closed door. When it goes off, the kids have their parentsa国际传媒檚 undivided attention.

Which, in the end, is what she says will matter most.

sa国际传媒淵ou have an opportunity right now to reshape your perspective of family and really your purpose in life as well. sa国际传媒� You are going to be able to watch how your kids are learning, you get to learn about learning, you get to learn about their interests, their challenges, their aptitudes, you get to reconsider what is an education.sa国际传媒�

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tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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