BOISE, Idaho — Many parents are finding themselves in uncharted territory with schools closed and classes now diverted to online.
It can be overwhelming having to fill the role of teacher.
Karen Haines, the Principal of Inspire Connections Academy, which is a statewide virtual school, says it's important to establish a routine.
"For the younger students, you may want to set a 30-minute timer and have them work for 30 minutes and then set your timer for 10 or 15 minutes to take a break and then let the kids go back to working," said Haines.
Haines says creating a schedule for older, high school students is important too.
"This is a critical time to be gaining the credits to be able to graduate within four years," Haines said. "So, really stay on top of where your high school students are in particular."
And as far as where to setup class in your home, Haines says somewhere with minimal distractions.
"If you can have a centralized space with the least amount of distractions possible," Haines said. "No TV, none of those types of things in the background really helps."
And if you can't answer your children's questions about their schoolwork, reach out for help.
"Probably the most important thing I can tell you, reach out to your teachers," Haines said. "We never ever want a student to fall behind or be confused or not understand what they are supposed to do and the teachers love being able to assist the student."
Gretchen Parsons is an anchor, reporter and producer at KTVB since 2016. You can follow her on Instagram @gretchenparsonsKTVB or @gretchenKTVB on Twitter.
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