PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- Going to school at home is becoming the new normal. Despite help from teachers online, a lot of responsibility also falls on the parents.
Barb Ladimir’s dinning room table has been turned into the epicenter of her new one room school house in Pasco County.
“So we are trying to make this the room where they come and do all their more formal school work,” said Ladimir.
During parts of the day, you can find all five of her children, ages 5 to 17, reading, writing and typing together.
“It kind of helps because they’ve done some of my stuff before, so at times I say, ‘hey do you know what this is,’ and they’ll be able to help me,” said middle child, Caroline Depue, who is in 7th grade.
Ladimir said she looks at this new way of schooling as a time for students to catch up, not fall behind.
“We can now hone in on areas that we feel need more work, like addition and subtraction,” said Ladimir.
When you are at this table, cell phones and snacks are not allowed. Ladimir said the key is making a consistent schedule, and breaking the house into zones.
“The kids know when they walk in here, it’s time to do school and when they walk out of here they can take their break,” said Ladimir.
Once they are in the living room, the kids get to decide what they want to do.
‘“We do have a set nap time, if you will, quiet time at about 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and everyone goes to their own space,” said Ladimir.
“It can be chaos but we have our sections and we have our boundaries and we know when to cross them, but it’s fun, we all work together pretty well,” said 11th grader Michael Depue.
When Ladimir isn’t teaching she is a personal trainer with Fitness320.com.
She said one of the most important parts of her family’s schedule is going outside at least an hour a day for exercise.
“And we definitely go and meet that workout space every day and they are kicking and screaming but I’m making them do it,” said Ladimir.
So what’s the best part about going to school at home?
“Probably being able to do my work in my pajamas,” said Caroline Depue.
