Spirituality finds a place in the new schoolhouse

Sunlight streams through the kitchen window, illuminating the countertop that serves as an 8-year-old’s classroom desk. Her feet barely touch the crossbar of the stool as she watches her teacher on her iPad. For many children, education during the pandemic was presented and received at dining room tables, in kitchens, basements and bedrooms: the new schoolhouse.

When school buildings shuttered their doors in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Jehovah’s Witness families turned the challenges of remote learning into an opportunity to expand their children’s education through spiritual activities.

For many parents accustomed to sending their children off to school each morning, taking a more active role in their child’s education has been one of the most difficult challenges.

“At first it was really frustrating and disappointing. My son was looking forward to his senior year being in person,” said Pamela Proano, who lives in Millsboro with her two children, Martin and Sophie.

However, the Proanos adjusted, created a schedule, and looked for opportunities to enhance their education. The JW.org website has proved to be an invaluable tool for both students.

“When my class discussed censorship on journalists in countries such as Russia and China, I was able to use JW.org to research how these laws have affected the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in these countries,” said Martin. “This really helped me personally relate to the lesson being taught in class.”

Sophie had a similar experience when her class studied Nazi oppression during World War II. She focused her project on Simone Liebster, a young Jehovah’s Witness who spent time in a concentration camp because of her faith and later wrote a memoir titled “Facing the Lion.” “Reading an experience of a girl close to my age, who was also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, really made an impression on me. Plus, I got to tell my classmates her story and help them learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses,” said Sophie.

Some families have found that the best education happens during project-based learning. Pamela found this to be true in her household. “Learning doesn’t have to be reading books. Simple things like baking and cooking together have drawn us closer. We live near the beach and beautiful state parks. Taking advantage of these resources draws us closer, creates opportunities for conversations and teaches us about our creator,” she said.

More information on how families can succeed at distance learning and on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses is available at jw.org, with content in over 1,000 languages.