The situation the UK finds itself in right now is unprecedented. Everything about the way we live our lives has been changed. The education system had around 72 hours of notice to prepare for a total shutdown, moving the whole of their students’ educations online, into a form where students can learn remotely from home with little or no input from a class teacher. As expected, some schools have done this very well. Thornden School in Eastleigh appear to be running the whole school timetable remotely, with video lessons and even breaktimes and lunchtimes built in, ala their normal school day. This seems to be an exception though. Most teachers were not given the time, training or support to put proper structures in place, and so have set students work through platforms such as google classrooms, my maths and others, but are not in a proper position to monitor whether work is being completed successfully, if at all.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but right now parents, it’s time to step up and take control of your child’s education. It would be insulting to every teacher out there to suggest that a parent with little or no experience, will suddenly be able to jump into the role of teacher with their own kids, but with us looking at the realistic prospect of no return to school until September, your child needs you by their side supporting them right now, or their long term educational attainment will suffer.

So what are the top tips to help parents be brave, jump in and be their child’s teacher:

1. Plan the days – With everything so up in the air right now, routine and structure are important. Children thrive when they feel safe and know what’s coming next. If structure is lost, motivation and engagement goes with it. Sit down with your child and make a plan for how they will spend their week. As a rough guide, don’t expect them to do more than 3-4 hours of studying in a day. Try splitting the day into a morning session and afternoon session and slot subjects into these sessions.
2. Prepare – Find out what your child will be working on that day and read up on it. These days, there is really no excuse to not be able to find something out. Modelling good learning habits and working through problems together shows your child you care, and that you’re in their corner. You can no longer pass the buck to the school teacher, they aren’t there and won’t be for some time. Be brave and grasp the nettle! Some great websites for information on maths are Khan Academy, hegarty maths and maths kitchen.
3. Reward students for their effort – Most good teachers would have this built into their lessons with a reward system in place to praise students who put in a lot of effort and complete tasks well. If you want your child to stay motivated and keep going in this difficult time, you need to do the same at home. Sweet treats, control of the remote, time on a console or being let off chores are some little things you might want to consider. Remember to praise effort rather than achievement, and try to avoid taking things away as a punishment or sanction if things don’t go well
4. Be your child’s ambassador – If your child is struggling with a particular problem and the problem can’t be solved by you, them or the internet, perhaps its time to get some outside help. Email the school teacher, ask a friend, or if its maths related, email us here at Total Maths Tutoring. We’re happy to help with any maths related problem free of charge during this difficult time.

Your child’s education is as important today as it was before COVID-19 struck. Believe in yourself and step up to the plate, who knows you might even enjoy it!