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This Shepparton mum taught her children at home over 25 years - here are her top tips
As a homeschooling mum of 25 years, Shepparton's Cheryl Jandesu has some advice for parents facing the daunting, uncertain road of remote learning.
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You will get through this, your kids will be okay - just enjoy the ride.
“So many parents are being forced into this situation due to coronavirus and a lot have financial pressures or single parenting struggles on top of that,” Ms Jandesu said.
“I acknowledge it is hard, but you can do this.”
A mother of seven, Ms Jandesu started homeschooling in 1995 when her eldest child was three.
And if there's one key lesson she has learnt through her long career, it's that every child is vastly different.
“I adapted the schooling according to their needs, interests and passions,” she said.
“Some schooled the whole way through while others moved into apprenticeships or went to high school in their final couple of years.”
While six of her children were taught from home for the bulk of their education, Ms Jandesu's youngest, Joseph, who has Down syndrome, has attended Verney Road School.
Now the school is closed, she will be teaching Joseph at home until term three, bringing her temporarily out of retirement.
With the rest of her children, Ms Jandesu alternated between teaching her own curriculum (which included staples like maths, science and English) and homeschool program ACE.
But her main goal has been to adapt to the individual needs of her children.
“There is no one method of teaching. What may work for one child may not work for another,” she said.
“For parents who now have their kids at home, it can be a struggle - ‘Your sister gets it, why don't you?'
“But some children are kinetic and very hands on. Others are visual and like to see things in front of them.”
Ms Jandesu urged parents to take this opportunity to get to know their children in a different way and "meet them where they are at".
“It can be a tough balance for parents: am I a parent or am I a teacher?" she said.
“These two roles can often clash. My main advice would be to focus on the relationship.
“This is only temporary, so be relational and intentional about what you're doing with your children.
“Make the journey more important than the end result.”
While many district parents are anxious their children will fall behind on their studies, Ms Jandesu encouraged them to stay calm.
“Relax and enjoy the ride. You're not trying to precisely replicate school at home,” she said.
“You just have some activities to do - and kids are pretty savvy, they know what they need to do.”
However, she acknowledged some parents and children would need structure.
“We started at 9 am, had morning tea at 10.30 am and finished at 1 pm,” she said.
“Other parents milked the cows, completed heaps of other chores at home and then got into schooling. So it's all about fitting in with your family structure.”
Ms Jandesu also recommends families have a dedicated workspace.
“Whether it's a desk or a kitchen table, work together with your kids to create a relaxed environment,” she said.
“It's also great to have a discussion with your children about how schooling is going to work. Ask them what's best for them and what the rules should be, so they feel empowered.
“And as you teach, be creative and relational. Don't try to be their teacher, you're not their teacher. Just be their parent.”
As for those hair-pulling moments when everything seems to be falling apart, Ms Jandesu said they're inevitable, but not the end of the world.
“If something isn't working, it isn't working. Stop and do something different, but don't push your children,” she said.
“This is not forever, this is not life and death. It won't hurt your children if they miss a couple of days along the way. They missed days at school, too.
“Just do the best you can and your kids will be okay.”
More stories on remote learning from the Shepparton News
Senior Journalist