Preparing Your Home for Virtual Learning and Working

This last spring I watched as many families struggled with virtual learning and working.  I want to begin this post by sharing I have two boys.  In the spring, they were both in middle school.  Now one is in middle school and one is in high school.  I am a single mom working from home.  I have had people ask what I would do if they were younger.  I can not answer that because my children are older.  But being older doesn't mean I don't have to support them. They both need me, but in different ways from when they were younger.

Having a dedicated space for "school" or "work" is important in the virtual environment.  Physically going to that space changes the mindset from one of relaxing at home to one of working.  

We originally prepared our space in the dining room last spring.  And then when we had the idea to paint the dining room over Spring Break, we moved our work space to our Guest Room.  Our learning environment worked for us in both cases.  That is the key.  You need a space as a working adult and they need a space for their studies.  You have to make the space work for you and your family.  

One son is very much like me - his ducks have to be in a row.  Last winter, when he attended basketball try-outs and my other son had a test for entering high school he told me to be sure to leave the high school no later than 7:40 to be sure to pick him up on time at 8:00 (anyone who knows me knows that I am the schedule queen...I felt like my mini-me was talking to me).  

So I don't touch his desk or work area.  If something moves, he will notice.  He has objects that are special to him on his desk, but plenty of space to work.  He likes rolling or standing more than sitting in a seat to work.  He prefers the rolling stool.  When in a Zoom meeting, he will often pick up one of his objects and fiddle with it during the meeting.  But through it, he is fully attentive and if he needs to write or type something, he will.

As a pre-teen, he needs space and so he chooses a corner and creates a space to work.  His space has certain things like his cat decor, some fidgets of all varieties (lava lamp, squishy ball, bouncy ball, and clay), a place for his technology, a place to write, and a bulletin board behind him that he decorates with things he likes.  He also has a planner to plan his work for the week.

My other son needs my direct touch to keep moving through his assignments.  He is a teenager, but he needs very strong adult support to keep him progressing through what he is supposed to do.  We try to limit anything not needed for school from being on his desk.  In fact, usually only his planner and Chromebook are there all the time. So while in the dining room, I had one corner of the dining room table and his seat was adjacent to mine.  He had his space for the computer and for his work on paper.  I had my space as well that was similar.  I could be in a Zoom meeting and tapping his paper with my finger for the next problem or could motion what to do next without anyone in my Zoom meeting knowing.  But I was right there pushing him along subtly while I was doing my own work.  Once we moved to the guest room I had a desk against the wall and he had a desk perpendicular to mine.  The same motions and non-verbal communication was used to keep him on track.

So moving into this fall, we plan to use the workspace in the Guest room which we adjusted slightly and made more into an office.  One adjustment we made was to my desk being adjacent to my one son.  Right now they are more opposite one another as in the picture above.  I'm not sure this will work for me to keep him moving, but if it doesn't work we can move it.  We also have some space downstairs in the dining room if any of us need quiet for a Zoom meeting.  

Also, you will notice a bed still in the room.  We call this the space for our "cats." They can often be found cat napping while we work.  They have to have the space work for them, too :)

Take time now to think about, discuss, and problem solve through what each of you in the family need in the physical space to make working work. Discuss what each of your need to make the environment work.  Be flexible and willing to change it if something is not working or you think of a better way. Find your space and set it up to be ready for the first day.