Our world has been completely turned upside down for over a year now due to Covid-19. While it has been difficult for adults and parents to handle all the change, it has been particularly challenging for our children, the students. They have been whiplashed between home schooling, to online learning, to in-person learning and there has been little to no consistency for them. We all know that children thrive on consistency which is why, during National Teacher Appreciation week, it seemed fitting to celebrate the heroes at SchoolHouse, the teachers.
What is SchoolHouse?
I was fortunate to learn about SchoolHouse many months ago and was elated to see that there was another option for parents and students. SchoolHouse is a microschool that can take place anywhere. Your living room, the basement, the garage, a local community center, anywhere. It is the reinvention of the one room school-house where 4 to 8 students (many of which are friends) come together to form a pod. The pod is taught by a highly qualified teacher. SchoolHouse takes all of the administrative work out of creating your own school, connects you with the perfect teacher to meet your groups needs and manages everything from the curriculum to legalities, including payroll and professional development. Your child receives more attention and dedication from the teacher due to the size of the class and the needs of your pod. A microschool is the same as “real” school from an education perspective, but you get so much more.
Teachers are Super Hereos!
We have all likely said aloud many times during this pandemic, “thank goodness for the teachers” and it’s likely that many of us have also heard our kids say while homeschooling, “I hope I don’t have the same teacher next year!”… Don’t take it personally, many parents are happy to pass on the role to a more qualified (patient) teacher! Many parents gained a new appreciation for educators when they were at home with their children feeling frustrated, challenged and overwhelmed. They were able to truly appreciate the role of educators and what a difference a good educator makes on their child’s life. Whether it was due to school closures, difficulties learning online, inconsistent schedules, or academic challenges, many families knew that becoming a microschool student was the right option for them. SchoolHouse, which launched just before the pandemic started, was there to find the best educators to make the perfect match for many families.
SchoolHouse Teachers
I had the pleasure of hearing from many SchoolHouse teachers about why they love being a SchoolHouse teacher as well as from many families who have been extremely grateful to have SchoolHouse as an option.
Danielle teaches a Kindergarten pod in New York. She has been teaching for 5 years and shared that her year at SchoolHouse has been her best year ever. As a teacher, there is so much to be done and very little time to do it all. Danielle shared that this year, she has had the time and the opportunity to get to know each of her students so well, which allowed her to do a lot of personalized learning, an opportunity that can be very hard to find in a large class. She learned her students strengths and weaknesses very early on in the school year and was able to use differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each individual student. She also shared how much one-on-one time she was able to give each student. What Danielle shared as being an amazing experience for her, translated into an incredible experience for her students and their families as each child in her pod was able to be seen and taught in a way that met their own personal needs. The families in her pod received a true SchoolHouse experience and were pushed well beyond their limits at a time when they needed it most.
Danielle explained SchoolHouse like this: “It doesn’t feel like school, it just feels like a family and it’s amazing!”
Christina teaches a 2nd grade pod in Connecticut. She shared that one of the most magical things about being a teacher at SchoolHouse was that she was able to teach more than just in the classroom. Christina had the pleasure of teaching 2 of her students how to ride a bike! She was so honored to have been able to do so. She has 7 children in her pod, 2 sets of twins and 3 other children, all of which are friends. She says that this has created a lot of magic in the pod and has been a very unique situation. Additionally, she has been able to push her pod father than she would have expected. One of her favorite projects that she did with her students this year was a study that they did on countries. The students picked a game from the country of their choice, they wrote a persuasive article that they read to the class to get their pod mates to choose their game. The class played a variety of games from different countries which then followed by them making their own games. After their games were completed, they created their own commercials as well. Seeing her face light up while she spoke about the project and the learning that was taking place was such a beautiful thing to see. She was so proud of her students and their accomplishments. The connection between the students and the teachers is evident listening to their stories and while they have changed their students lives, it is clear that the SchoolHouse students have done the same for them.
Christina explained SchoolHouse like this: “I hope (my students) remember these days as they get older because it’s just been magic!”
When I was listening to the teachers share their experience about SchoolHouse, I couldn’t help but smile. This time has been so difficult for so many families and students. Many parents have felt that they have no option, but SchoolHouse has given families so much. On top of consistency, they have paired so many children with an incredible teacher giving them the education that all children deserve. In a dark time, the teachers at SchoolHouse have been able to give students around the United States a safe space to learn no matter what. These teachers are the heroes of so many students and they deserve to be celebrated today and everyday!
Follow @getschoolhouse as they highlight their teachers in honor of National Teacher Appreciation week and to learn more about SchoolHouse. Want to learn more or get started? Visit www.getschoolhouse.com to see why SchoolHouse is right for your child.
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