How do you handle sick days?

Update:  Today, three of the kids stayed after class to make up labs.  Zach led the labs because he’s awesome!  His mom, Sarah, watched the kids so I could teach Brit Lit and monitor James, who is working on passing his Periodic Table test.  Honestly?  Sick days are rough on all of us.  But, I’m checking off missed assignments!  Another kid is coming tomorrow.  We’ll be back on track in another week.  By then, we can expect a blizzard.

Absences are tough.  All kids miss class.  I have my Co-op kids stay after class or come Thursdays to make up missing work.  Thursday mornings Anna comes for Human Biology class.  Usually, Lacie comes for the day for lessons, too.  Thursdays there are many people.  Tomorrow, Lacie is sick, Andrew needs help with metric conversions, and another family is out next week.  Tomorrow, I have an enzyme lab for Anna making yeast spheres to test.  I need to teach inorganic nomenclature to Gen and graphing calculator exercises to Andrew for Stats.  How?  We will all meet in the basement.  I’ll get Anna started on her lab and series dilutions.  At the same time Andrew will start conversions.  I’ll give Gen some nomenclature to see how she does with ionic compounds.  I have more nomenclature notes.  When we do make-up or get ahead because someone’s going to miss class, I carve out time on Thursdays.  I have a ham and chips; we may break for lunch and resume after to finish covering material.

After class, Tuesdays and Fridays, kids stay to finish, catch up, or retake a test.  I have Brit Lit after class.  I’ll give a kid a timeline or test to work on while I teach Brit Lit.  Yes, there are frequent disruptions.  The key is to keep a list of missing work or an excel sheet with assignments.  I like to keep extra copies of materials and Mark the kid’s name on them for make up.  I try to keep the kid after class—often for hours.

Lacie is sick tomorrow.  When her dad called, I gave him Bible readings for next week’s Theology lesson, a rough draft of the Robinson Crusoe paper, and Oliver Twist.  In other words, if Lacie can do some time consuming work tomorrow, I can focus on Algebra, History, Latin, and Grammar Friday.

One student in Brit Lit was out Tuesday.  I emailed Angel with an update and an assignment.  Do whatever it takes to keep the kids up to date.