Homeschooling Phase 0.5 - Pandemic schooling (March 2020 - Aug 2020)

March 2020 seems like eons ago. That's when we were thrust into our homeschooling journey.  I had warmed to the idea through a seminary class that spring (Discipleship in the Home), but the Covid quarantine was the "break" we needed to be able to actually step into it. 

Wednesday, March 11 - fieldtrip with my 5th grade class

Thursday, March 12 - our governor mandated that schools close for 2 weeks

Friday, March 13 - I spent the day frantically putting together packets of instruction for my students. Though I didn't know it at the time, this was our last in-person day of the school year and my last day as a teacher in a regular classroom.

2 weeks off stretched into another 2 weeks off and eventually stretched into the rest of the year.  For my Christian school, there were weekly Zooms with my class and weekly assignments on Google Classroom.  For my two oldest sons, in kindergarten and third grade at our district public school, there were mostly enrichment packets that they weren't really accountable for.  

And thus I began "pandemic schooling" where I attempted to piecemeal together lessons with online resources and workbooks I had and the packets from their school.  Those were dark days and glorious days. There was so much uncertainty and despair in those early days, but we also had lots of great family time.  I taught the boys how to play kickball.  We acted out prepositions (under the table, in the kitchen, etc.).  We put on theatrical performances. We played board games and card games every night after the little boys had gone to bed.  

Soon, I realized that although this wasn't typical homeschooling (with co-ops and fieldtrips and library days), I enjoyed it more than I expected.  I told my husband that I might want to continue doing this beyond the schoolyear, so I began to make a plan for how to replace part of the income from my teaching job.  This began my time teaching English online to kids in China through VIPKid.  I'd teach from 5:00 - 9:00 a.m. and then be freed up to teach my own kids (as well as finishing the year online with my 5th graders).

This was phase 0.5 of our homeschooling journey -- more of a homeschool feel than public school but not yet choosing our own curriculum or having much of a schedule or plan (wait -- I still don't!). 

The "formal" side of homeschooling (we moved their desks upstairs)...

Having two toddlers underfoot makes things interesting!

And then there's the informal side of homeschooling...

making up games...

...getting lots of time outside for free play...

...making the world your classroom...

...and lots of reading -- reading to self, reading to a brother, sharing a family read aloud, listening to audiobooks, etc...