Adapting to our new reality
/Adapting to our new reality
January 2021
Written by Maria Mazarese
Let’s be real. Our lives have all changed!
This time last year, we were all going on about our lives as ‘normal’. We could never have imagined that things could have changed so drastically. Did you ever think that your school would actually be shut? That thought had never, ever crossed my mind. Did you ever think you wouldn’t be able to go to your favourite clothes shop, to your favourite gym or to your favourite restaurant? Whatever you love to do, you have most likely had to adapt to your new circumstances. Currently, Primary and Secondary schools have moved to remote learning (something we have had to adapt to for the past 10 months), with school remaining open to our vulnerable and key worker children.
We have had to deal with a rollercoaster of emotions. Having to come to terms with our new ‘reality’ and the difficulties associated with it. Some of us, more so than others. Whether we have been ‘affected’ or not, we all have stories that make us feel sad, worried and perhaps at times anxious. However, we have also had to adapt so quickly and transform our lives. Many parents have told me that they never thought they would be home-schooling their children. However, they have adapted and it brought me to think how important it is to have an environment in our homes where we can feel calm, focused and motivated. Our homes have become our offices, our gyms and our restaurants! Literally!
Here at Creative Minds Tutors, we believe that it is vital that all children continue with their learning daily and create a schedule that they can stick to each day. We are here to support you and to provide guidance where needed. Let’s be honest, things can be stressful for us right now but it is important to stay focused on our goals. Our children have worked so incredibly hard and we need to ensure that even though they are missing physically being in school, that they continue to learn at the highest standard possible for them. I have had the opportunity to speak with several clients about how their children have been getting on with studying from home. Some children have found it to be a positive experience and others have had difficulties with adjusting and motivating themselves to work independently.
This is where we come in! We are currently offering our ‘Home Learning Support Package’, these packages are a way for parents to support their children during these current circumstances and beyond. We have been running these packages since May 2020 and we have already seen phenomenal results.
These are just a few comments from our current clients:
‘I have appreciated Maria’s personal approach in her Home Learning Support Package as this has helped us support our child during this difficult time. He has really connected with her and looks forward to his lessons.’
‘I have found it very helpful because I can come to you to help teach the areas that I have not been able to due to my work commitments, especially during lockdown.’
‘I couldn’t have survived home schooling in both lockdowns without Maria’s professional and fun Home Learning Support Package! Every lesson has been tailored to be parallel to Isabella’s year group learning and her confidence is continuing to grow, even through these uncertain times.’
These are just a few comments from our current students:
The lessons help me to expand my knowledge in areas that I don’t understand. I enjoy my lessons with Maria (Reyan, Year 5)
The lessons with Maria have boosted my confidence and I am now able to tackle even the most challenging questions. She has taught me not to fear getting things wrong and in fact encourages me to make as many mistakes as possible! After all, that is how I will learn to get things right! (Sam, Year 3)
Here are some of our favourite free online resources (for children aged 5-11):
https://library.thenational.academy/spend-time-with-tracy-beaker-and-jacqueline-wilson/
https://wordsforlife.org.uk/virtual-school-library/
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/try-this-at-home.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/classroom-resources/
We are all aware about the importance of keeping up a very high standard of education during this time. However, just as important is our mental health and wellbeing. Taking the time to look after ourselves and being very aware of not spending all of our day in front of a computer screen! Something as simple as standing up every 15 minutes! Yes, it seems simple but if I’m not mindful, I could be sitting down for a full hour and not have even realised! Set a timer if it helps! Going for walks throughout the day. Being in nature is such a mood booster. I am incredibly lucky to have a beautiful park near my home. I have never visited it so much in my life! I have personally found that I have become a lot more grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life. Practising gratitude daily is so important. I have a gratitude journal, which is a simple notebook and I write down all of the things that I am grateful for. It could be as simple as a wonderful lesson with a student, or a long walk, a beautiful sunny day or a hot bath with my favourite candles! Speaking to our friends is also very important. Although we cannot see many people at the moment we can all take some time out of our days to call a friend and see how they are. You never know, you might make their day! Schedule a Zoom call with family. We are social beings and we all need that interaction with others.
Here are some fantastic apps or websites for your mental wellbeing:
Insight timer
Head space
The 5 minute journal
Calm
Sleep meditations for kids
Youtube has thousands of videos that you can search for Positive Affirmations
I will create another blog to discuss mental wellbeing in more detail! These are just a few of my own personal suggestions. I personally use insight timer and head space daily and highly recommend both other them.
One final thing!
Creating the ideal study environment!
This is of course personal to each individual child.
1. Create your space for studying
Whether this is in your bedroom or in the sitting room, make sure that it is your space. Be organised and have all of the resources and books that you need. If possible, put some calm music on to help you to concentrate. I personally always work to the sounds of nature (my current favourite is rainfall or thunder therapy. I use insight timer for these) If it is noisier than usual in your home, put headphones on. Try not to use other electronic devices (phones!). As we are all spending so much of our time in front of the screen, we certainly need to try to limit our exposure to other screens!
2. Have a daily routine
We all need boundaries. Set a time for yourself to start and to finish. There have been times where I have caught myself still working at the computer at 9pm! If I don’t give myself a limit, I could work all night long! Not a good idea! Set a time to really focus on each subject. But do take breaks! Stand up, walk around, do some jumping jacks! Whatever you like! But MOVE! Go outside and breathe in some fresh air. If it helps you, write your routine down and try to stick to it!
3. ‘Socialise’
Take time to talk to your family. Spend time together having lunch even if it is only for 10 minutes. Talk about how your day has been and if there is anything that you have found challenging. Try not to keep things in. Remember this is a challenging time for all of us, but if we can express our feelings and emotions it will be a lot healthier than keeping it all in.
One final point, please be kind to yourself. These are new times for us all. We may have great days and we may have some more challenging days. I am grateful to work with such positive and motivated students but even they have their tricky days. We all do. We are all human and doing the best that we can. So speak kindly to yourselves and take good care. Do something wonderful each and every day, even if it’s just taking the time to sit and read your book or stretch or do your favourite exercise. Find times in the day to relax and be mindful of your own wellbeing.
If you would like further information about anything that I have discussed in this blog or about our Home Learning Support Packages, please don’t hesitate to contact us at:
