How to Prepare Your Home for Remote Learning

The question of how to prepare for remote learning is a question many parents are asking. Back to School learning has been completely turned upside down lately with the introduction of remote learning. If you have been homeschooling your kids from since the beginning then you are a master at this. However, not all of us can be as awesome so we need some guidance to prepare. Here is how to prepare your home for remote learning. 

How to Prepare Your Home for Remote Learning

Back to School Essentials

You are going to need to make a list! Since you are going to be home there are a few things that are essential to keep around the house. Even better, if you can start a small supply stash for extra supplies just in case you run out, you are good to go. Here is a list of a few things that you should have in your home inventory:

• Package of Pencils
• Package of Pens
• Highlighters
• Markers or Pencil Crayons
• Ruled Paper or Notebook
• Sticky notes
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Printer Paper
• Printer Ink
• Batteries (for calculators or wireless mouse)
• Waterbottle 

Get your desk area set up for maximum focus

Your desk area should always be clutter-free. Why? Because messy equals stress and overwhelm for many people including your kids. Therefore we need to set a foundation ahead of time so that their workspace can run smoothly. 

Here are some essentials you should have on your desk:

• Computer Accessories – computer, mouse pad, mouse, ect. 
• Pencil/Pen Holder
• Sticky notes or notebook 
• File tray or File Holder
• Lighting/Lamp
• Coaster for your drinkware

By having fewer items on your child’s desk they will be able to focus more. Of course, take the time to make your desk area comfortable and inspiring. Get them a comfortable chair since they will be spending many hours there and also, think about purchasing accessories in their favorite color. Don’t forget to sprinkle some inspirational quotes or a photo of their best friends or animals to really brighten their space.

Remote Learning Productivity Keys to Success

1. Make sure you have a calendar –  whether that is an inspirational themed monthly calendar on the wall, a whiteboard version, a planner or one that is on your phone, I strongly believe it is a great central place to jot down when an assignment is due. 

For older kids, they may rather have it on their phones instead so make sure that it is sync to their computer as well. That they never miss a notification. Or create a central family calendar so everyone knows each other’s schedules and deadlines. 

2. Create a schedule/ routine – Since your kids will not be a school for their daily routine, create your own at home by putting up what they are going to do today either on a piece of paper where you can use your creativity to design it or simply by writing it on a whiteboard.  Not only will everyone be on the same page, but you give your kids a sense of independence too. 

You can also use the schedule to create time block-outs for your older kids so they know when to not disturb you. This is perfect for when you have meetings at specific times and are unable to assist them at that time. 

Computer Organizing Tips for Remote Learning

Your child’s computer or laptop is going to be busy which is why you need to get it organized ahead of time. Here are some organizing tips to help you:

Create Files on the Computer – Since many of their assignments and documents will be coming from their online classroom. Make sure that you create a file on my computer to easily store their assignments. There are many ways you can label them that are similar to the way you would label a binder and that is, by subjects or you can even label it by teachers. You can take it a step further by even creating a folder called Due Soon or In – Progress.

Utilize Cloud Service Apps – One thing I strongly recommend is backing up these documents onto a cloud service such as iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive. Computers and even a flash drive (USB) stick can be unpredictable at times so make sure it is backed up or sync to the cloud. 

Some of them like OneDrive has a scan by phone feature where you take a photo of your printed assignment and it will turn it into a pdf and save it for you. This makes it super easy to upload to your virtual classroom and perfect if you don’t have a scanner feature on your home printer. 

Final Thoughts

Make remote learning easy by making sure you have your back to school essentials. Remember that your child’s desk should be set up for maximum focus which means less clutter. Remote learning productivity keys to success are great so get yourself a calendar and set your computer with folders to match their school subjects. These are fantastic suggestions that anyone can do! Happy back to school and I hope these tips on how to How to Prepare Your Home for Remote Learning helps you out. You got this! 

Bio: Shanice Bannis is recognized as an Organizing Expert who empowers busy women to create a stress-free, organized home without spending thousands. Website: ShaniceBannis.com | Blog: City of Creative Dreams | Instagram: @cityofcreativedreams