Occasionally life and work may take you away from your Learning Coach role at home. When that happens to us, my husband and I become Learning Coach partners so that my daughter continues to get the support and consistency she needs in her virtual environment.
This week I will be sending you updates from the iNACOL Virtual School Symposium (VSS) in Austin, TX. While I'm busy packing my bags for this incredible annual gathering of experts in K–12 virtual education, I'm also organizing things at home to make sure my daughter stays focused on her own virtual education.
It's important to have a plan in place when the primary Learning Coach is going to be gone for any period of the school day. The learning system technology my school uses is an incredible help in making everything run smoothly. It delivers all the lessons in a user friendly manner, so even when my husband and I are taking turns at the helm, keeping track of daily lessons and school communications are done with relative ease.
Here are some other ideas to help make the transition between Learning Coaches go smoothly:
- Decide who handles specific responsibilities when they are the tagged Learning Coach.
- Schedule a family meeting to talk about how everyone will work together.
- Discuss concerns about each child in private with your Learning Coach partner.
- Send a quick email message to your homeroom teacher letting him/her know you will be away, and who will be handling Learning Coach responsibilities.
- Place a list of important school phone numbers by the telephone for quick contacts.
- Post times of teacher meetings, outside appointments and social activities in a highly visible location (the refrigerator works great...I just heard that people open the fridge an average of 22 times a day!).
- Tell your partner where and when subjects are typically worked on during the school day.
- Note any modifications that your teacher has made to a course, lesson, assignment or schedule.
Whether you are "tag-teaming" occasionally or on a regular basis, following this list should help you get the chance to successfully enjoy your other pursuits!
Learning Coaches need time for themselves too, so don't feel guilty to make it happen. My grandmother used to say, "You can work a good horse to death." I was listening Grammy. Attending the Virtual School Symposium is an opportunity to be with others who share my passions and rejuvenate my Learning Coach powers!
Check out the Virtual School Symposium agenda and let me know if there is a question you'd like me to ask one of the speakers!