NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Parents are turning into teachers with kids home from school because of COVID-19.
Just this week Governor Bill Lee urged all Tennessee schools to close until April 24. Metro Nashville Public Schools director Dr. Adrienne Battle says full remote learning isn’t really possible for the district because every child doesn’t have access to the internet or a computer.
With such a long shutdown, they’re trying to come out with alternate ways for kids to keep learning.
Wednesday, Battle announced Metro Schools is partnering with Nashville Public Television. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., they’ll air educational shows for kids. Metro Schools are also working to come up with hard copy lessons on top of their online learning tools.
For parents who aren’t used to homeschooling, the National Home School Association has some tips. They say it’s a good idea to come up with a designated learning space that works for your child. This is a big transition for kids, so be patient with them. Use this as an opportunity to find what your child can love about learning.
"If you find something that actually instills the joy of learning again in a child, they'll take it on themselves and they'll run with it and you really don't need to push them or guide them," National Home School Association executive director Allen Weston said.
It’s also important to remember, schools will pick up teaching right around where they left off, so just do the best you can to keep your child learning. NHSA is also offering 75% off an annual membership, so it's only $10 per family to get access to their resources.
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
