TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of Tampa Bay area teachers are heading back to school this week to prepare themselves for virtual learning. But this comes as many parents say they're concerned about how to homeschool their children while working full-time from home.
Social distancing procedures are now being asked of all Florida families to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Many parents are coming up with creative ways to keep their children engaged but say they are still unsure about being responsible for their child's learning.
"I'm sure a lot of parents are feeling anxiety over having to homeschool their kids," said Betsy Heavey Scheuer, a parent and Tampa homeschool teacher.
→ CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: CASES, LOCATONS & LIVE UPDATES
Scheuer said it most likely won't be as overwhelming as many parents are fearing. First, she says lay out some expectations with your kids about their school work and establish a tentative schedule. She said this will help stop them from feeling too overwhelmed -- and parents too.
"This is how much work you're expected to do in a day," she said. "This is how much screentime, you'll get after your schoolwork is done."
Scheuer also said once you get your child's assignments, lean of their teacher for anything you don't understand.
"Set up a FaceTime or a Zoom meeting so your teacher can go over stuff with the kids," she said.
There are also great online resources like Khan Academy. They offer free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice for kids of all age levels and in a variety of subjects.
Khan Academy also offers several examples of daily schedules based on your child's age.
→ CORONAVIRUS CLOSINGS & CANCELLATIONS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA
Scheuer said this has been a good resource for her when she ran into a road block with her child learning long division in a way she wasn't familiar with.
In the meantime, Scheuer said this can be a great time to teach your child other skills at home like baking, gardening, a new chore, and so much more.
"There are so many other valuable life skills that they can learn from home and this is the perfect opportunity to do that," she said.
