Home School On My Heart

When I first became a mom, the word home school never came to mind. Of course, I would always circle back to the thought of being a stay at home mom just to have that extra precious time with my kiddos. But, never did I ever think I would be called to bring our girls home and allow myself to be responsible for their academic growth…

You just never know what crazy opportunities life is going to throw your way…

This is my attempt to get it all out. I am going to walk through a journey to convince myself of something I am quite certain I have already decided. Maybe it’s something you are working through too? Or, maybe you haven’t reached the tipping point yet. Where ever you stand in your journey, I am going to leave this fact right here…

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, as of 2019 there are approximately 2.5 million home school students.

And, I am absolutely positive that in the 2020-2021 school year, this number is going to grow.

The Awakening

This pandemic has opened my eyes to A LOT of things. Things that I may have overlooked in the hustle and bustle of a busy schedule. And the habit of our daily lives (pre-pandemic). From our haphazard routines, to the food we eat, to our medical care. Let’s just say we have been evaluating it ALL since March. And to be honest, I am extremely thankful that we recognized what is at stake, and seized the opportunity to re-design significant areas of our lives.

One area that has hit the foreground in recent months is education. Can we all just agree that our districts have had ample time to devise a plan (and multiple back up plans) for the new school year? I am honestly in shock that we are in mid-August and still have no clear idea of what September is going to look like.

There are basic protocols in place that I do not want my girls to have to endure as a “normal school experience”. The lackluster planning, coupled with the government control throughout this pandemic was the clincher that led us to favor home school over a traditional education.

FOUR REASONS TO SAY "YES" TO HOME SCHOOL

Honestly, I never thought that home school was a viable option for our family. I am a product of traditional education, and I turned out okay. I know, don’t oversell it. Plus, I’ve always had this idea of home school kids in my head…

via GIPHY

But, since I took the leap and researched the “crazy” idea of home school, I have been pleasantly surprised with what I have discovered.

Here are four reasons why I think your family could find value in the home school model too:

One

Bring the wonder and joy of discovery back into education
My daughter experienced only a few months of Kindergarten. But I could tell the transition wasn’t an easy one for her. It wasn’t an easy one for me either. The constant measurement of progress, and push for her to fit the mold was taking an obvious toll on her spirit. I am hoping a more flexible schedule will allow her imagination to unfold. As well as, strengthen her love for learning and encourage her to explore her interests.

TWO

Self Directed & Self Paced Learning
When we took the leap and moved back home from California – best decision ever, you can read more about that here – we knew our daughter’s preschool experience left much to be desired. We even considered keeping her out of school for a year to catch her up on things she should have already mastered. This is something we struggled with but, ultimately decided to register her for Kindergarten (as a five year old).

Her teacher was quick to point out her deficiencies. My first parent teacher conference was in October. She was sure to arrange the extra support needed. But, it did little in the way of progress. Our daughter thrives when given personal attention, not when lost in a large classroom. Something her teacher was quick to pick up on.

We know 1:1 support is near impossible in a public school setting. So, the opportunity for self-directed and self-paced learning through home school is a blessing.

THREE

Allow your child’s interests to guide the curriculum
Could you imagine what your school experience would be like if you got to spend a little more time on that art project or extra time in the library thumbing through the pages of your favorite novel? I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I wasn’t led through an assembly line of classes so set on meeting the academic standards. Don’t you?

Maybe I would have had a clearer idea of what major to choose in college and how to apply my very expensive university education after graduation…

I am happy that I get to jump in and explore an alternative for our girls, one based on their choices and interests. A tailored, individualized education plan, how beautiful is that?

FOUR

Build upon strengths while working through weaknesses
I hinted at our journey above, and I won’t sugar coat it. We have some catching up to do. However, our experience with distance learning has afforded our family the opportunity to see that our circumstance isn’t as dire as we were led to believe.

My husband and I soon realized that since our daughter needed extra help in class she was often excused from completing an activity if she needed a little bit more time/instruction. Wtf?! How on earth is that acceptable??

The draw of homeschooling is that our daughter will be given the tools and attention she needs to focus on her strengths while simultaneously developing her weaknesses. Aren’t we all advised to play up our strengths when we hit the workforce running? Why aren’t the same principles applied throughout our education?

I guess you could say that part of the draw to home school for our family is that it is a model that fills in the gaps that a traditional education is missing.

An opportunity...

The jury is still out on whether or not homeschool will be better than traditional school. But, I have a feeling it is going to be even better than we imagined in the long run. Did you happen to catch the one word woven throughout this entire post?

Opportunity!

Saying yes to homeschooling is an opportunity to venture out into the unknown. A world I have absolutely zero experience in, a world where my daughter and I can be on a path of exploration and discovery side by side.

One thing is certain, we have only just scratched the surface of what our decision has in store for us….

Maybe reading this post is your opportunity to have an awakening of your own?