How to Hold a Pencil: The truth of online learning during the quarantine

Look familiar? #2 pencils are your friend. Photo by Frank Vessia on Unsplash

It seems like forever ago that we all said, “Screens are bad!”

Oh yeah? That was yesteryear. This is now. And our kids now spend 10 hours on screens each day. Still, our 3rd and 6th graders are not enjoying our daily schedules. I can’t imagine why.

7:30 a.m. WAKE UP. You’re tired? Dangit, we’ve been up since 6. Brush your teeth and hair. Try again. Get dressed in clothes you did NOT sleep in. Feed the dogs. Yes, give them water too. All living things need water. Stop fighting.

8 a.m. EAT breakfast. Why we have to point this out, I’ll never know. If we didn’t, they’d skip it and then — 12 minutes later — complain they’re hungry. Nice voices, please.

8:30 a.m. RUN 3 laps to the bus stop, through the woods, and back to our cul-de-sac. We time the kids for their P.E. logs. It might be chilly, but you’re only cold because you’re dressed for a tropical get-away. No, we can’t go on vacation to the Caribbean. Yes, I know your friends went on a cruise. That’s their family. This is ours. It’s 40-degrees here, put on some clothes.

9 a.m. PREPARE for school. Laptops ready. Pull up Google Classrooms. No, not in your beds. Get paper and a pencil. Yes, you have to take notes.

9:15 a.m. START with Social Studies and Language Arts. Instruction starts with YouTube videos. I spend 10 minutes adjusting the kids’ internet access to allow viewing outside Google Classrooms. Unfortunately, Youtube access also provides hours of Ariana Grande and Fortnite videos.

9:30 a.m. My hubs and I make something to eat, and head to work. aka our separate corners.

11 a.m. CHECKPOINT. While the kids walk the dogs, I peek at their desks. No notes have been taken. None. The 6th grader doing Math 6/7 now has an “out” for not showing work. Effing multiple choice. The schoolwork is ALL online. Even art doesn’t require our 3rd grader to show the art. Just to type their steps into a file. wtf? I REHEAT my oatmeal breakfast and reposition the kids. This time, take notes.

12:30 p.m. ASSESS situation. No notes are taken. 6th grader submitted Social Studies, cutting/pasting 3 answers from the article. 3rd grader watches all the videos over and over…