Here are some things we considered when setting things up:

Location:

You want your kids to be close enough they can be ‘watched’ from a respectable distance, but far enough away, so they work independently. It’s also helpful to spread out as much as you can, to give everyone some quiet, or the hope of some quiet!

It’s best not to have kids in bedrooms, unless you know you’ve got one of those kids that can focus, no matter what. I’ve heard there are a few of those kids out there. Try and get kids set up in other parts of house, so their bedroom can remain a peaceful sanctuary, without the stress of school.

Supplies:

Be sure each student has a clearly defined desk or table area. A friend of ours has two kids at the dining room table and used project boards to help separate and define their spaces. I loved that idea and even with one kid in the room, feel like it helps make his space feel cozy. More focused. They’re also great place to mount class schedules and teacher contact forms. They’re a little bigger than you’ll need, so you may need to cut down a bit.

Headphones are a life and sanity saver. Each child should have a set of headphones at their desk. They stay there and never leave! Using headphones will help cut out extra noise and distractions for kids and cut back on extra sound for the rest of the family.

Classroom goodies should be close by and well organized.  Make a place for notebooks, pencils, books, markers, scissors, etc. We also have a box with hanging file folders, one for each subject, color coded of course. This is a good place to keep worksheets, assignments, books and any extras for each class.

Whether it’s at the kitchen table, in the middle of the living room or in the home office, having a designated space for distance learning with minimal distractions and supplies at hand is going to make this so much easier.