We have decided to homeschool the kids. Maddy will start this September with me. I know that this may come as a surprise to some people, while others may just wonder what led us to this decision. For the most part, questions about homeschooling are generally the same so I also hope to cover some of those too. Instead of trying to have conversations with friends at various times talking about our decision, I've decided to blog about it. This is going to be long, so don't feel you need to read this at all. I wrote this partly tell those who are interested why we decided to homeschool, but also as a reminder for me. I'm sure there will be times in our homeschooling journey where I'll question why I ever thought it was such a great idea! ;)
Before I start, I want to begin with saying that
- I don't think it's right for every child
- It's not the only way to being well educated
- I think it's the right choice for our family
We decided to homeschool because:
(These are in no particular order by the way)
It allows us to have a somewhat slower paced lifestyle
I have this thing with being late. It. Kills. Me. I don't know where this came from, but I've always hated the feeling that I am running late for something. I'd even go as far as heading out earlier, and sitting in the car for a few minutes in order to not be late. I feel like homeschooling will allow us to have a less hectic lifestyle. Some mornings, particularly the days I work, it's like a race to get everyone up, dressed, fed and clean in order to get out the door. Happier, less stressed Mama=happier less stress family, no?
It gives us freedom to travel
Even before the kids were born, we always talked about returning to places we've travelled to in order to show them the world. We've dreamed of showing them that life as they know it, is not necessarily the life that others in the world are so fortunate to have. Homeschooling is very flexible in that we can 'school' during the summer months, if it suites us, so that perhaps we can take an extended holiday during regular school times. Or we could take 'school' with us on the go. Either way, cheaper air flights, more comfortable weather conditions, less line ups for attractions are all bonuses.
School will be a constant for the kids
It is very reassuring to us to know that no matter where life takes us, school will always be a stabilizing factor in the kids' lives. I'm happy to know that we are not in such a rush to find a permanent home in order to keep consistency in the school we send the kids to. School is hard for kids who always have to be the 'new kid' in class. I also know that situations can change with work and living situations but it's reassuring for us to know that with homeschooling, 'school' will always be the one grounding factor in the kids' lives.
I can have my cake and eat it too.
I'd like to start with saying that I do feel blessed to have been able to work only part time since the kids were born. I know that not many professions can allow for that and certainly not just two days a week. Unfortunately the down side of job sharing is that I think it has had an effect on the pleasure I used to get from teaching. It's hard to develop a very good relationship with students that is essential to teaching kids when you are only there 2 days a week. It's also a lot more work that just the 2 days and I feel like I'm always playing catch up. I've found myself wondering would I be happier if I worked more? Full time? Then the answer is always a resounding no because I don't want to lose the time with Maddy and Ethan either. Homeschooling gives me both. I get to do all the parts of teaching that I LOVE (the teaching, the conversations, the "a ha" moments) and best of all, I get to do it with my own children! This is what I am most excited about.
It gives us freedom to choose the curriculum
We do plan to stick as close to the Ministry designated learning outcomes as we can, especially in Language Arts and Math. By that I mean that if Maddy or Ethan are able to meet grade level learning outcomes for their age level in LA and Math, I will stick to that. If they are not at grade level (or above grade level), I love that I can choose to teach at their level. Often, children don’t fit neatly into a single grade level, and when you homeschool, you can move a child through each subject at a rate that is appropriate for them. This way I can keep things challenging and interesting but not overwhelming.
Freedom to choose their curriculum also means that they can learn about certain topics that interest them in subject areas such as Science and Socials. Maddy has said that she wants to learn about dolphins (because she now dreams of being a dolphin trainer thanks to our Hawaii trip), so our first Science unit will be studying dolphins. In elementary Social and Science, it's not so much about the content (ie: weather, electricity, the Inuit etc.) of what the current unit is. The content is just the vehicle used to teach the skills the kids need to learn. Being able to choose the content though can help to increase the desire to learn or simply make it more enjoyable.
I can have a lot of say about who influences my children.
I like that I can choose which children spend time with my children. Young children especially are very open to influence
I also like that I can make sure that unkind behavior from other children doesn’t interfere with their ability to learn. Bullying is serious business, and sadly, sometimes schools are unable do a good job of dealing with it.
ADDRESSING CONCERNS MOST OFTEN RAISED ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING
Post-Secondary Education
We do hope that Maddy and Ethan will be able to attend the College or University of their choice if that is what they want in the future. Out plan is enroll vs. registering the kids so that in the end they will receive a Dogwood Diploma just like students in tradition school programs.
Socialization
This is probably the biggest argument against homeschooling out there. For the most part in our research, we've read good things about homeschooled kids and their social skills. We know that we will need to put a heavier emphasis on extra-curricular activities for the kids so that they will get ample opportunities to socialize with peers.
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Phew! If' you've made it this far, wow! Thanks for reading. This is not a complete list and I'm guessing that things will change the further we get going down this path. Some things will likely be added, while others may change or come off the list! I hope it helps you to understand a bit more about why we’ve chosen this educational method for our family.
Before completely ending, I'd like to add that from what we've read and what I've seen in my experience as a teacher is seems like the most important ingredient in educational success is parental involvement. What I mean to say is that it doesn't matter if kids go to public, private, faith based or home school. It just happens that homeschooling feels like it would works for us.
