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‘My Living Room Is Now My Classroom’ My Living Room Is Now My Classroom

Homeschooling Becomes New Trend Post-Covid-19

By Racquel Stephen

CHANTALLE WILLIAMS:
I know for some people it’s like (Ahhh), but for me it was like (Ah ha!) Yup! This is it.

REPORTER:
For Chantalle Williams of Rochester, New York having to transform her living room into a classroom was what she called a divine set up.

CHANTALLE WILLIAMS:
It just reassured me that this is exactly what needed to be done. It gave me that extra push.

REPORTER:
According to a recent poll done by Realclear Opinion Research, about 40% of registered voters said that they are more likely to pursue homeschooling after the lockdown.

CHANTALLE WILLIAMS
The time that you spent at home…take that time, make an evaluation, and really consider whether or not you saw more results with your children at home, or if you see better results with your children are in school.

REPORTER:
Chantalle Williams acknowledges that homeschooling is not for everyone, but local experts say that it’s the most beneficial.

AMANDA WILLIAMS:
Being patient with your child, and picking the right curriculum. There’s no way that you can fail.

REPORTER:
Amanda Williams is the founder of The Homeschool Hub, a non-for-profit that offers elective classes for homeschooled kids in the innercity of Rochester. She said that when Covid-19 forced schools in Rochester to shut down in mid-march more parents began to inquire about the homeschool process.

AMANDA WILLIAMS:
So right now pretty much what they’re doing is crisis schooling. Trying to school at home instead of homeschooling…I try to tell parents don’t allow this experience to traumatize you, because this is not what homeschooling is like. At all!

REPORTER:
Amanda Williams says the difference between crisis schooling and homeschooling is preparation. William said the proper preparations will make for a smooth transition and worthwhile experience.

AMANDA WILLIAMS:
If you are thinking about it..It’s the most rewarding thing as a parent that you could ever provide to your child.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (NCC News) — The coronavirus shutdown has made learning from a home a new normal for students and parents everywhere.  While most parents are having a hard time adjusting to this new curriculum, some parents are settling in quite nicely, like Chantalle Williams of Rochester, New York.

“I know for some people it’s like ‘Ahhh,’ but for me it was like ‘Ah ha!… Yup! This is it’… It just reassured me that this is exactly what needed to be done.  It gave me that extra push,” Williams said.

Homeschooling has always been something Chantalle Williams considered.  Her eldest daughter, Amiya, has special needs, and has been struggling within the traditional school system.  When the pandemic caused schools to shut down in mid-March, Williams took the opportunity to begin the transition to homeschooling indefinitely.

Williams’s is not the only parent that is considering a permanent readjustment.  According to a recent poll done by RealClear Opinion Research, 40% of registered voters say that they are more likely to pursue homeschooling after the shutdown.

Amanda Williams, the founder of the Homeschool Hub in Rochester, a local non-for-profit that provides elective course for homeschooled kids in Rochester’s inner-city, is trying to encourage more minority parents to consider homeschooling indefinitely.

“First, let me make it very clear.  Parents who were forced into this new transition… it is not the same as a homeschool parent who has made the decision, who has taken time to research…who has prepared a nice little setting…it is totally different,” said Amanda Williams.

She said parents right now have been crisis schooling instead of homeschooling.  Williams said the difference between the two set-ups is proper planning.

“I try to tell parents don’t allow this experience to traumatize you, because this is not what homeschooling is like.  At all!” Amanda Williams said.

Williams also said that the Homeschool Hub will provide material and financial support to those that are serious about making the change, but need assistance.  She says that homeschooling is the most rewarding thing as a parent that you could ever provide to your child.

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