Amanda Lecaude's morning routine looked very different this week.
With her Moonee Ponds home now acting as a secondary school and an office, she helped her sons log into their online classrooms and download their lesson plans before getting started on her own work as an academic coach and consultant.
Amanda Lecaude has been home-schooling her sons Jarrod and ReganCredit:Simon Schluter
"They've only just started so that's a challenge but they're old enough and they can manage pretty well," she said.
"We're all in separate rooms doing our own thing."
It's the new normal for most families as the state rolls out remote learning for term two in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
From Wednesday families and teachers muddled through this new way of schooling children. In the weeks leading up to the first day of term teachers and principals put in long hours, redesigning our education system from the ground up.
The first few days were a mixed bag. Suddenly, there was a newfound respect for teachers. Parents have reported being overwhelmed, particularly those who are trying to work from home and also educate children.
"We're all navigating this together; no one's ever done this before, it's all very new, " Ms Lecaude said.
"We all just need to do the best we can. Nobody's expecting us to function in our normal way and there'll be good days and bad days and that's OK.
"The biggest thing is mental health, we have to make sure the kids are supported."
Greg* reports trying to work from home with three children learning under the same roof has “all but destroyed” his productivity.
“My wife is out of the house at work and in addition to having a full-time job where output is being severely scrutinised, I am a high school, primary school and kinder teacher as well as a policeman, referee and diplomatic negotiator.”
Others are learning more about their children.
“I have realised that my boys muck around and don’t concentrate,” Age reader Rob relates. “That stops today and I will be a more attentive assistant teacher from home from now on.”
Another reader said she checked the sites her children have been visiting and found Instagram, Snapchat and Houseparty but "not a lot of learning".
On Thursday Education Minister James Merlino said 97 per cent of children had stayed home in the first two days of term two. In a small handful of schools, not a single child turned up.
It's a case of "so far, so very good" for secondary teacher Mark Cisar.
"Students [via email] seem comfortable with clear, concise explanations and instructions on what needs to be achieved each lesson," he said.
But for teachers who are also parents, the situation can be more complex.
Juliet* says she is "struggling".
"I have two preschool kids at home and am trying to lead a team to move to remote learning," she said.
"As a working parent in a school, it's such a different ballgame. It's only been one day and I'm exhausted. I don't know how I'll do this for an entire term."
Rebecca Weir is director of clinical services at Northeast Health, based at Wangaratta Hospital. She is the incident controller for the COVID-19 response, and is putting in 12-14 hour days. Her husband Paul, who teaches at Cathedral College, is also homeschooling their two children – Jack, 13, and Sophie, 11.
For the Weir family, it is working well. Rebecca says their school was prepared for remote learning early and made timetabling, devices and expectations available to all students from the start.
Rebecca says that most of the nursing and midwifery workforce who report to her are women, and early modelling showed 30 per cent of them could be prevented from coming in to work if they were exposed to the virus or had to take up caring responsibilities if schools were completely shut.
“Having it open just releases the stress and pressure for parents who are essential service workers,” she says.
Her message for parents trying to endure the twin pressures of working and remote learning is simple: “Be kind, be reasonable and know most of our kids will be OK”.
*Greg and Juliet chose not to use their full names
If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue's coronavirus mental wellbeing support service on 1800 512 348.
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