How to get to top of class as temp teacher

ENCOURAGING kids to swap games consoles and iPads for school books and learning apps isn’t easy.

Here are 10 tips from online learning experts at Oxford Home Schooling that might make the process a bit easier:

1 TAKE BREAKS

You might find 30-minute blasts followed by 10-minute breaks help to keep their concentration up. Alternatively, work for longer periods then enjoy a longer break.

2 MAKE A ROUTINE

At school, a typical day might consist of seven 40-minute periods – four in the morning and three in the afternoon.

So, if your child is receptive, maybe try to emulate this, with possibly shorter stints. Most children, and adults, are not able to concentrate for long periods of time, whatever the learning environment, and kids do not concentrate on their studies for five hours a day at school.

The average lesson is filled with interruptions and the real “work” might be condensed into 10 minutes.

3 GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS

Concentrating is easiest when you’re in a quiet, comfortable place, so look at how you and your child study – sitting, standing or lying down; inside or outside; with lots of light or without.

4 DIVIDE UP THE WORK

It can be difficult to motivate yourself when faced with a really big or difficult task.

The best solution is to break it down into smaller pieces, planning out the various stages that need completed before you start. This way, your child will know what needs done and you’ll both get a good sense of progress as you work.

5 GET LOTS OF SLEEP

If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll find it harder to concentrate, learn and retain information.

Most people between the age of five and 11 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night, while 11 to 18-year-olds need eight to 10 hours.

6 DON’T MULTITASK

When there’s lots of work to be done, it can be hard to resist the urge get lots of jobs done at once.

7 REDUCE STRESS

If your child is resisting your calls to learn, try not to get annoyed or stressed as that will only exacerbate their stress and they won’t be able to function to the best of their ability. If they get upset, close the books and go back to it later.

8 UTILISE TV AND ONLINE LEARNING

Sites such as BBC Bitesize and Geography Games are great for delivering educational content in a fun, engaging way.

It can also be used to keep in touch with the homeschooling community to share tips and advice.

If you’re temporarily homeschooling, tools such as Google Classroom can help you interact with your class and teacher from school.

9 STICK TO THE CURRICULUM

It’s important to try to cover all the subjects your child is learning about, but don’t worry too much about spending an equal amount of time on each.

10 MAKE IT FUN

There are hundreds of games you can play to exercise your brain, including memory tests. Get your kids painting, drawing, crafts and baking.