In is unknown how many families in Puerto Rico are currently striving thru a Pandemic Homeschooling transition. Adding to that is the diversity of situations around parents’ pandemic work-status, resulting in a very complex situation for many of us living thru it.

The Puerto Rico Department of Education reported a total of 307,282 students were registered in public schools for the Academic Year 2018-2019. That is in addition to the 121,089 kids attending private school the same year. One may also add to the equation the unknown number of College students living with their families, and all those who were attending colleges in the states and returned to the homes for virtual education programs.

There is no perfect condition when you are unprepared and forcefully transitioned into homeschooling!

You could be either working from home, commuting to work, or being a house-wife with all the kids at studying at home… Any of these conditions presents with a new challenge day after day.

In our case, homeschooling never passed thru our minds as an option for our family, even though we do have several friends who were extremely successful with this model of education.

We are a family of five (5), all working or studying from home. Two teenagers, an 8-year old and 2 working parents… It does get crazy some times….

• 5 desks
• 5 devices
• 5 internet connections
• 5 agendas
• 5 different conversations

…all happening at the same time and space. Sometimes I just stand and watch… It is like a movie about multiple dimensions; 5 different worlds intersecting each other…If multiple worlds theory is true, TRUST ME, THIS IS IT!!

I have worked in Project Management and Performance Improvement in the Healthcare field for over 10 years and I think I can solve anything through simplifying, streamlining, mapping processes and of course I LOVE STICKY NOTES!!

I will focus this blog on my personal process with my youngest kid and some of the tools I implemented trying to make him and myself happy. The intent is not so much that you implement any of this, but maybe that you take a laugh with me while reading thru it.

Project Aim: Student Will Complete Daily Work Independently…Yeah Right!

First Improvement Cycle: The Notebooks

ACTION: As usual, I purchased 7 notebooks and labeled them accordingly. I started stapling all his work in the notebooks following my teacher-mom instincts, to later find out that we had to return all the items worked back to school every other week.

INPUT: About 1 hour of work every night.

OUTCOME: NULL; I had to pull them out very carefully and put all forms in an envelope to bring back to school. Next…

Second Improvement Cycle: The “Mete Mano” Folder

ACTION: Trying to be able to complete my own work efficiently, while my kid attends class, I looked for options to increase his independence. So, I decided to prepare a special folder to organize his “TO DO” tasks for the day.

INPUT: 1-folder from home supplies, labels and still 1 hour every night going thru the school app.

OUTPUT: Daily homework is more organized but I still have to track that he looks at the folder, and I am mess going thru all the different classwork!

Third Improvement Cycle: The Accordion

ACTION: Copy ideas from others!! I shared my great Red Folder Idea to the parents chat and another mom shared her accordion file. I had to get it!

INPUT: Approximately $6.00 from nearest School supply! Organize all pending and completed homework by school subject.

OUTCOME: More Structure equals happiness in my life! My kid eventually learns where to find his files while I am at work in the next room, but still does not completed all his work by the time I finish my tour of duty.

Fourth Improvement Cycle: The Head Phones

ACTION: Listen to my inner self: “It is so loud here…He needs headphones!”

INPUT: $28 dollars spent in Amazon

OUTCOME: Have only being used twice…NEXT….

Fifth Improvement Cycle: The Daily Planner

ACTION: Teach the kid the value of time. Implemented hourly schedule similar to his regular school day.

INPUT: Pinterest Agenda Template-Free. Mom still has to dedicate about 1 hour every night to organize the next day.

OUTCOME: There is HOPE!! He has extra time and got engaged with submitting his own work thru the “Classroom” app. He is excited to highlight his work and sends text messages to his teachers.

Hope you can use some of these ideas with much more success. Mateo is a Third Grader in a Montessori School. His teachers are very tolerant and flexible and, very much understand the additional stress families are going thru.

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QUESTion for today is:

What can you do to make this experience a better one for you and your child; one from which you both can learn and grow?