McGrath Institute Blog

In the first part of this series, I offered some foundational thoughts on homeschooling and crisis management during quarantine. Part two covered meeting everyone’s essential needs. With basics covered, a daily routine comes into play.

In the first part of this series, I offered some thoughts on homeschooling and crisis management. In this installment, I’ll give suggestions pertaining to essential needs.

New to homeschooling and overwhelmed? I hear you. Though I homeschooled my three children—now 10, 8, and 5—for years, I returned to full-time work in January. Social distancing has been a learning curve for me as I figure out how to weave homeschooling with professional responsibilities. Thankfully, we had a huge leg up given the familiarity of our homeschool routine, formed in the crucible of many mistakes. My hope is to spare you the trouble and give you the benefits I’ve come by the hard way.

Classes resumed at the University of Notre Dame after the conclusion of an extended Spring Break. My large lecture class, 230 students strong, called “The Catholic Faith,” resumed with the rest of our classes. I showed up to my usual classroom at the usual class time with my usual feeling of nervousness before teaching. I prepared the blackboard as usual, with the topic for the day, “The Descent into Hell, The Resurrection, and the Ascension of the Lord.” Our class is based on the Apostles’ Creed. We have reached the end of the second article. I put on the screen an image of the two classical icons of the Resurrection, the one of Christ descending into Hell and liberating Adam and Eve from the kingdom of the dead, and the one of the Spice-Bearing Women, come, as they thought, to anoint the body of the Lord. At the appointed moment, I started my lecture.

Although many people experience a “let down” in January after the holidays are over, students, parents, teachers, and others associated with Catholic schools have an opportunity to continue the festivity through Catholic Schools Week (CSW). Special liturgies, essay contests, community receptions, “dress-down” days, and other thematically-linked activities celebrate the gift of Catholic education.