A “well being” day instead of remote learning lessons once a week?

[Mumba0111around]

Just found out children’s school is planning on introducing this for the rest of lockdown. Instead of remote learning, one day a week to be a “well-being” day with no formal lessons (suggestions instead include activities such going for a walk or BBC Bitesize). Rest of the week to be pre recorded video lessons for different subjects, worksheets same as currently etc (no live lessons)

What do others think of this? I would be particularly interested in hearing if any other schools have put this into place, and experience of how it was going.

But right now isn't the time for schools to get complacent about the importance of academic progress

Haha, because there is nothing else in the world going on...get real, academic progress is the least of all concerns.

Academic progress to detriment of MH and wellbeing children aren't going to make 'academic progress' anyway.

(Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)

DD5 has a well-being Wednesday, they only set a maths and phonics worksheet and send ideas about fun screen free things to do instead.

I am working at home so I'm grateful for one day of less work, makes me feel a bit less stressed.

@HarrietSchulenberg

For secondary, a screen-free day would be great and I know some schools are already doing this. Work is set to be completed away from a screen for each subject for that day.

5 hours of live lessons online each day is a lot, even though actual teaching is only c.20 mins.

This is a great idea IMO. I'm not happy that my 12yo is sat infront of a screen all day long. With the dark evenings (although this is getting better, obviously) we don't seem to have any outside time in the week.

@DalryPlace for my children their mental health is better when they are learning.

And surely this pandemic has shown the value of doctors and scientists, who I expect all were supported to achieve well academically when they were at school.

..for my children their mental health is better when they are learning.

Here too. I had to sort extra last lock down.

This pandemic has also shown we need to worry about the wellbeing and mental health of all our healthcare workers too

Our school doesn't officially do this, but the work set on Fridays is very light! Tbh, I ignore it and we plough on regardless using Oak Academy, White Rose, etc. We do however spend at least an hour outside in a park or in the woods each each day and take it easy in the mornings; our homeschool doesn't often 'open' before 10 unless there is a class Zoom call 😁.

Technically our school do it every Wednesday afternoon. In reality we are still slogging through everyone's maths and English til about 2pm so it's a bit pointless really.

I've scaled back the amount of work dd is doing because we can't keep up. I spent Friday morning trying to catch her up, then went into work ( NHS) .
Ended up mentally exhausted and realized I can't do it all. I'm educating a year 3 and foundation child and working. Their education is important but I'm not burning myself out over it. So we are having more down time and doing what we can.

@MarshaBradyo same! It's when I discovered their tutor and Outschool . I am actually really glad because my son was often getting upset that school were giving him work that was too easy but the teachers would always come out with excuses (and use him to give 1:1 teaching to struggling children). Now I will always keep the tutors and Outschool going so he can get the "hard enough" work outside of school.

I was the same even as a very small child and "needed" stories read to me /to read the way other children "needed" a snack according to my mum .

or my children their mental health is better when they are learning.
And surely this pandemic has shown the value of doctors and scientists, who I expect all were supported to achieve well academically when they were at school

You must have a much more limited view of learning than my extensive qualifications and experiences in education have formed.

Doctors, scientists....problem solvers, independent thinkers, creative thinkers, initiative, well.

They bounce towards the dining room for sessions with the tutor, and come running out of Outschool classes asking to be signed up for more! I hate the assumption learning is somehow the binary opposite of wellbeing. For children who love learning and who are ambitious, feeling like you are learning and being stretched is central to well being.

Having a well-being day isn't suggesting learning is opposite to well-being. It's suggesting there are other ways of learning than sitting in front of a computer screen all day. Achieving a balance is essential to well-being. Children and families might benefit from some more flexible time in the week, and a reprieve from the pressure of online/home learning.

It doesn't sound as if your children are following a typical home learning program. My children are academic and very bright, but they would definitely be benefiting from some time outside for more unstructured learning.

@ineedaholidaynow

This pandemic has also shown we need to worry about the wellbeing and mental health of all our healthcare workers too

We always did. Most of my family are hospital doctors. (Probably not surprising as we are all bookish). I am not living in some kind of bubble where the pandemic isn't happening.

But it is worth noting that the medics in my family are just as concerned as I am by the devaluation of education at the moment.

Children have missed so much school this year that I really don't think it's a good idea for them to miss even more. There's nothing to do and the weather is awful so they will just be on screens anyway for the most part.

Ours is trying it next week and I have to say I rolled my eyes when I saw the email. If DD is not doing her live lessons, then she will still using screens and will get less interaction with people then usual, because DH and I have to work. As an only child, seeing her school friends on screen is her social interaction, and I’m not pleased about it being taken away from her.

We have heaps of free time. It takes mine 2 hours a day max to do their school work. And that's doing all the extension tasks

Great idea. Although ds doing very little on days at home😤

@Amummyatlast can't you organise a zoom meet with her friends? Some Primary schools are encouraging group of friends to 'meet' up and work on topic work together

@Kolo we probably spend at least 2 hours a day outside if not more, every day. building dens, exploring, climbing trees
Even if they went to a school doing a full day of lessons that would give them 3-5 pm outside.

@DalryPlace

*or my children their mental health is better when they are learning. And surely this pandemic has shown the value of doctors and scientists, who I expect all were supported to achieve well academically when they were at school*

You must have a much more limited view of learning than my extensive qualifications and experiences in education have formed.

Doctors, scientists....problem solvers, independent thinkers, creative thinkers, initiative, well.

Not at all. All sorts of free learning is beneficial too. But lots of children had nothing but that from March - September last year.

[quote KeyboardWorriers]@Kolo we probably spend at least 2 hours a day outside if not more, every day. building dens, exploring, climbing trees
Even if they went to a school doing a full day of lessons that would give them 3-5 pm outside.[/quote]
My secondary aged son is doing a full timetable of live lessons each day from 8.50 in the morning. By the time he's finished, there's not much light left to go outside. I'd really welcome a day each where I could do some unstructured learning with them away from the computer. I'm an experienced and qualified teacher, my academic aspirations for my children are very high, but I feel strongly that their needs are not being met through a full day of live lessons in front of a screen.

Should probably add that I'm not employed in teacher now - I left before the pandemic. I'm home with my children each day.

In teaching / as a teacher ... take your pick.

@Kolo i can totally see that. Do they not have breaks when they would have had PE etc though?
DSD is at secondary but finishes live lessons at 2.30 so we can get her out with us.

Our school are doing it next Tuesday having a screen free day but a list of 15 activities sent that you can do as many as you want of. Activities such as baking/walking/building something which are stuff we do anyway! I think it said in the email it's to for children's mental health awareness week. He's year 3 and has 4-5 hours worth of work a day to do including 3x45 min live lessons so I think it's a good idea and will mean I won't have to try and keep the 2 year old quiet all day.