The Pandemic Showed Me the Value of Allies in My Kids Education #sponsored

Kids learning in the park

This post was sponsored by Tomorrow, powered by Remake Learning ("Tomorrow").

“If we succeed in giving the love of learning, the learning itself is sure to follow.”--John Lubbock

During the pandemic, traditional schooling disappeared, and we all had to become innovative.  And, we learned by necessity that learning could happen anywhere. And the term, "PTA" no longer meant "Parent Teacher Association". Instead, it meant, "Parents Teaching Always." Quite frankly, since I am a full-time working mom, this expectation would have been completely overwhelming without the help of trusted allies--virtual and physical. Remake Learning was ahead of the curve in identifying the importance of experiential opportunities for kids to learn--even before the pandemic.  

One of the reasons I was honored to be selected as part of the Remake Learning Influencer Campaign is because Tomorrow recognizes that innovative techniques are essential in helping children learn. Tomorrow is committed to exploring what we can do today to make tomorrow a more promising place for all learners. 

Learning is how we make tomorrow better, but how can learning happen when kids can't go to school?

Helping children cultivate confidence through learning is one way to create that promising tomorrow.  Ensuring that children are exposed to necessary skills and are able to master them is one way to cultivate that confidence. During the pandemic, an education exposure crisis presented itself. Traditional day-to-day school went away and, in its place, virtual school was inserted. With virtual school, it has been harder to ensure that the exposure and mastery are happening. For most urban districts, the teachers have been interacting with the students over a computer and working parents, like me, have been too busy multitasking to assess whether those goals have been achieved. 

Although, I tried to create opportunities for my kids to learn by doing scavenger hunts and allowing them to learn outside like in the above photo. My job imposed limits on both my creativity and my time. So, I had to rely upon others to ensure that my kids got what they needed. 

Allies have been essential to ensuring my kids have a promising tomorrow.

I had to identify allies who were also committed to ensuring that my kids have a promising tomorrow. Fortunately for me, those allies stepped up during this precarious time. 

1.     Virtual Allies: Online Platforms  

Khan Academy: One thing I discovered when school when virtual were my limitations as an educator, especially for my fifth grader. Upon review of her schoolwork, I recognized that there were several topics assigned that I was incapable of explaining well. That is when I discovered Khan Academy. Khan academy is a non-profit, online platform that exists "to provide a free world class education to anyone, anywhere." And. during this virtual schooling process, we joined that community. Whenever I found a topic we didn't understand, I would search on Khan Academy to find supplemental materials. It was a Godsend. 

Varsity Tutors: Varsity Tutors helped us, especially last Spring when the kids in our district had zero live instruction. During that time, it was really challenging to help my kids maintain a structured schedule when their only requirement all day was to check into homeroom. Varsity Tutors is an online platform that exists to "help people learn". And it definitely helped my family. They had online, live instruction where my kids were able to be a part of a community. I selected the classes by topic, and they enjoyed them.

Kids teaching kids

2.     Physical Allies: Family, Friends, and Community Programs  

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.” -Carl Jung

They say that it takes a village to raise a child and during the pandemic, a lot of the village was forced to convene virtually. My kids were lucky that their grandmothers are both retired educators. They were particularly fortunate that my mom used to be an elementary Spanish teacher. Her virtual Spanish lessons were inspired and effective! Once vaccines became available, we traveled to Charlotte, NC and visited my dear friend, Tyyawdi Hands. I learned that other children are great sources of support and education. Her oldest son explained math to my daughter in a more effective way than I ever could. Our friends and family showed my kids that education truly matters, whether they are physically in a classroom or not.

3.     Physical Allies: Organizations

“When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative spirit. It's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.” --Fred Rogers

Randlyland: Randyland is an outdoor arts space that combines color, creative exhibits, and learning opportunities for kids of all ages. We went there one day during the school day and my kids were thoroughly entertained. They explored, observed, and asked questions. It was one of the best afternoons they had--free of technology yet full of opportunity! 

Boy at Randyland

Sarah Heinz House:  I cannot end a post about allies without discussing the blessing that The Sarah Heinz House has been to my family over this past year. Somehow, despite the pandemic pandemonium and the related fears, Sarah Heinz House managed to host consistent, quality programming for children. My kids could go there, and they had time and a safe place to play!!!

Going to Sarah Heinz House was the only place that my school age children could go every week. While there, the participated in sports, technology programming, and had tutoring available to them.  When I asked them what they loved about their experiences, they lit up and gushed about being able to swim, interact with other kids, and the great counselors. Said simply, in their own words, they learned, "leadership, teamwork, and skills." In my words, they gained so much more--they had their basic needs met. 

As a recent article pointed out, on the Remake Learning site pointed out, when school became virtual, a key provider of our basic needs went away. (To read the article, click here.) So, community programs, like Sarah Heinz House ability to step in to fill the gap with fun, educational programming providing in an affirming way, gave kids something to look forward too and provided them with a sense of normalcy.  They also provided learning hubs for kids to complete their virtual work and meals for those in need. They were the type of safety net that all kids need. 

As you can see, I relied heavily on allies to supplement my kids' education during this pandemic. And it is because of these allies that I am confident that tomorrow is promising for my kids. I also learned something. I learned that going forward, I need to be even more committed to ensuring that I supplement my kids learning with experiences that are creative, fun and educational. I am beyond grateful!