Parenting during uncertain times can be tough. I am always trying to stay positive, productive, and in a routine- especially now amongst the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only am I an employee of Instructure for the past seven and a half years, but I am also a parent to two lovely kiddos, one of which is in the third grade. I am beyond fortunate enough to work at a place that is invested in their employees, their families, their health, and education. Last Friday evening, our school district made the decision to close and Instructure made the responsible decision to have all employees work remote. Okay, one giant deep breath. Now what? I am a planner, so I got to work.
First things first, I created a work space in a separate room. My husband, long ago, took over our home office (aka playroom) to work from home and watch our two year old spirited toddler. As I set up my space Friday evening with a $35 dollar mini-desk from the local Craiglist and a spare kitchen chair, how would I set up a 'school space' for my kid and still make it fun and support her learning everyday. When working from home it is important to have a work space to make it easier to disconnect at the end of the day...and I got to thinking I should do the same for my kiddos as well. And, well that's how the big orange tent came to be living in the front room of our house. It's a place to read with pillows, have fun, draw, have picnics, and well, a quiet place to learn. I also created a 'treasure box' for rewards with random things & treats I found around the house from the week end cleaning and prepping time (there may be Halloween candy, some candy canes, and extra Valentine Day toys.)
Okay, so I have the space and I have the rewards, so what was next? I need material.
I knew I certainly didn't want to rely on TV, Netflix, Disney+ (thank you for Frozen 2 out early!), and random mindless apps (puppy dog beauty salon, I am looking at you). And then I saw some parents, and colleagues sharing resources over the weekend on social media and kept bookmarking them or seeing awesome educational companies providing apps and resources for free. I started seeing sample daily schedules posted and neighborhoods coming together to share ideas and collaborate. And that is when I knew I needed to get organized. I went through all of my bookmarks, and resources I had collected and decided I needed a master document for my own sanity so that our family felt prepared to take this journey together.
I want to share this public google doc with you all so we can continue to learn.
Let's Continue to Learn! Continued Learning at home when School is Out
Some of the resources are inception-y, and link to other google docs, spreadsheets, and collections. But, this document is a solid starting point to begin your journey.
Now, more than ever, we need to support each other. We are all in this together.
Keep Learning...and washing your hands 
-Cortny
P.S Don't forget to get outside!
