Pandemic Pods: Set-up, Hiring an Educator, Support Structures

Helping Parents Figure Out Remote Learning During School Closures

This course is taught by a veteran public school educator who was hired by a group of four families to teach their remote learning pod (aka "pandemic pod") during emergency school closures from COVID-19. Learn ways to proactively design your learning pod, including considerations for structures, agreements, and communication. By thinking things through in advance, families can avoid unexpected surprises and frustration.

Pandemic Pods covers:

1. How to get started: The negotiating process, agreements, use of space

  • Allowing for breaks
  • Not a babysitter - an instructor --
  • How will teachers / tutors be paid
  • Medical Waivers, social media sharing, exposure to the virus
  • Consider the space and how it will be used

2. Communication with Families

  • Introducing your child to the teacher
  • Feedback about student strengths and areas for improvement seen during
  • End of quarter logistics
  • Ways to give feedback to the teacher -- sentence starters.
  • Ways to ENRICH learning for the student and bring / keep JOY in their learning!
  • A RESOURCES LIST with lots of links!

3. When “School” Starts - To Work Out with Kids (and these are traits parents should be looking for in the educator who they hire / engage in the “Teacher” role) --

  • How can we make sure that we’re all safe and healthy?
  • Understanding the value of relationship building, play, and SEL for the kids.
  • What will we do when we run into problems?
  • How can we structure our time together?
  • Routine


Your Instructor


Erin Gannon
Erin Gannon

Erin Gannon is a passionate educator with 22 years of classroom experience in grades 2-5. In early August 2020 she launched a "pandemic pod" to support four families (8 children) with remote, at-home learning. She trains and mentors other educators and parents on a local and national level. She contributes to the development of curriculum and assessments for Discovery Education and serves as National Faculty with PBLWorks.


Course Curriculum


  Pandemic Pods Course
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and ends at midnight on December 14, 2020. It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
You have access to this course as frequently as you like from now until December 14, 2020. After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

This course is closed for enrollment.