- Students, parents and teachers entered unknown territory on Monday, starting to organize lessons at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- Even if there were bugs on Monday, families theoretically have at their disposal the resources of the National Center for Distance Education (Cned) and the digital workspaces on which teachers deposit lessons or working documents.
- A psychologist and a school principal make recommendations to help parents set up a new schedule for their child.
It is a dive into the unknown: pupils, parents and teachers must organize lessons at home, the establishments being closed to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Because the Minister of Education has repeated it on several occasions: "This is not a period when children must not work". Especially since this absence from school could last more than a month.
To put the children in good working conditions, even if they stay in their slippers in the living room, the first imperative is to have a serious discussion with them, advises Patricia Chalon, psychotherapist psychotherapist: "We must explain to them that they are not on vacation, we are going to do the class at home and ask them for their cooperation during this not easy period ”, she insists.
The timetable, a good idea or not?
On social networks, we have seen these days flourish photos of timetables concocted by parents to indicate to their children that the house will not be the kingdom of idleness . “It can make certain children who need a strict environment more secure. But for the others, it is not necessary to establish a schedule that is too rigid, with timetables associated with each activity. Because the current situation is already burdensome, there is no need to add more, ”comments Patricia Chalon. On the other hand, it is useful to set a wake-up time, says Laadja Mamadi, director of an elementary school in Paris: "Children can get up an hour later than usual, but the ideal is to get them started around 9am to allow them to keep up. And to fix an approximate schedule for meals ”.
After the charter, the typical day and the timetable for the week!
The probability that it will last is estimated at 0.01%.
And again, I am optimistic. 😭 # COVID19 #confinement pic.twitter.com/kZq0LSMBFP
If the children will not work as much as in class, it is necessary to ensure that they plan a minimum per day: "For a pupil of primary school, one can envisage at least two sessions of 20 minutes of work in the morning and the afternoon, varying the activities. No more reading time, ”advises Laadja Mamadi. For a schoolboy, we can go up to more or less four hours a day and for a high school student even more.
What educational resources to work on?
It remains to know which support or which material to make work his child. Families have at their disposal the resources of the National Center for Distance Education (Cned): online exercises adapted to the programs and, in some cases, a "virtual class" where the teacher can teach his students by videoconference. For middle school and high school students, teachers have also submitted lessons and work to do on the digital workspace. But this Monday, the platforms were saturated. "Fortunately, many primary teachers have sent exercises to do by email to the children," says Laadja Mamadi.
And while waiting for the platforms to work again, parents can use the pupils' books as well as several educational sites such as lesbonsprofs.com, educarte.fr, jenseigne.fr, Nomad Education…. Also good to know: France Culture has reorganized its antenna to broadcast knowledge programs in the fields of history, philosophy, science, economics, sociology, literature and heritage. "Parents can also offer their children reading time, virtual visits to museums, news videos, poetry to learn, writing to do," suggests Laadja Mamadi. Because homework is often a reason for friction between parents and children, “you have to give your hand to the other parent, or a sister or a brother when you feel that you are losing patience. And avoid overbidding with teens, ”recommends Patricia Chalon. "You have to be very lenient with children, even more so during this period," added Laadja Mamadi. It is also difficult to manage the homework of your child when you have to telecommute yourself: "You must indicate to the child a period of time during which you do not want to be disturbed", specifies the psychologist.
What other activities to plan?
And alongside these working hours, parents will have to be creative to occupy their children's days. “You have to bring out card and board games, from the kitchen, help him redecorate his room, make photo albums with him, make him participate in household chores. And even if you are confined, you can workout with your child, go up and down the stairs to play sports, to make him listen to a podcast, ”advises Patricia Chalon. "It is very important to brighten the child's days by inventing a new game for him, singing or dancing, teaching him magic tricks, organizing a show with him," suggests Laadja Mamadi. While avoiding the pitfall of leaving the child completely autonomous, because the parent must ensure that the work is done.
But who says confinement, also says screens. And there too, the parents will have to be vigilant: "We must negotiate with the child rules concerning the connection time, even if we give a little more than the usual rules, given the situation," says Patricia Chalon . "While allowing him, especially if he is a teenager, to organize Skype sessions with friends, because it is important that he keeps a social life," says Laadja Mamadi. In the end, even if he is restricted in his field of action, your child could also discover new passions ...
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