Nothing stays the same. Ever. Life changes and we are responsible to adjust. As parents, it is our responsibility to think about how our children’s school year went and how we can make it more responsible. Homeschooling or not.
Even in homeschooling, even if we are planning to homeschool our children their entire thirteen-ish years, it’s wise to evaluate each year and make changes accordingly.
So… I’d like to share some questions that are important to think through in regards to your children and his, her, or their education. These questions can apply to those who school outside the home, with little tweaks.
Ask yourself the following {answering too would be good}:
How did our start time work?
Were we productive from the beginning? Do we need to sleep a bit more or a bit less? Do we need to start differently (together, in prayer, with song, with breakfast, etc)?
Were meals effective?
Do we need quicker meals? More time to visit? Healthier options?
Which subjects did each child struggle with the most?
Do I need to change how I interact with the child and that curriculum? Do I need to change curriculum? Do I need to change the pace?
Which subjects did each child find too easy?
Is this just a natural gifting? How can I challenge the child? Is the curriculum too easy?
With which subject(s) did I drop the ball?
Is the curriculum not a fit for me? Am I being lazy? Is this subject too much? If it is a matter of not enough time, how can I rearrange our schedule or our subjects to do this or is it a subject we should drop for a year?
Did we end our days well?
Did we finish subjects in a timely manner? Were we doing school too late in the day? Do we need some kind of “wrap up”?
Which day of the week were we most productive?
Is this due to outside influences of some kind (ex: do they work more efficiently when they have park day?)
Which day of the week were we least productive?
What affects this? What do I need to change to make us more productive?
Were each of the kids rested well for the school day?
Does anyone need a different bedtime? A different bedtime routine?
What outside activities were worth it?
Can we continue to do these? Any changes need to be made?
What outside activities were not worth it?
Do we want to substitute with something else or leave that time unfilled?
How did my preparation affect our homeschooling?
Did I prepare well enough? Do I need to do work ahead of time to be more efficient?
Was I a good steward of our money for homeschooling this year?
Did I use more than we planned? Less? Do I need to change curriculum or make some kind of changes to make our money go farther?
How did my attitude affect our homeschooling?
Am I motivated well? Am I spreading joy? Am I walking in excellence?
Did we further our goals as a family and as individuals?
Was our family intentional about striving towards God’s direction for us as a group and did we help each member in their personal goals?
What was my least favorite aspect of our school year?
Can it be changed or do I need to change?
What was my favorite aspect of our school year this year?
Is this something we can continue?
What did we learn about the LORD this year?
Whether through Bible study, church, or a curriculum, what did we learn as a family about God? as individuals?
Was our homeschool a model of the church?
Were we growing in godliness and knowledge of the LORD, did we seek to serve the kingdom within, and did we share about the kingdom without?
How was God most glorified in our school year?
As I said in the beginning, these questions would be wonderful for any parent to address, regardless of where the child/ren school. We can not just let life happen and expect to achieve our goals and God’s best.
We need to evaluate and adjust. Seeking excellence in all areas and giving grace we will stumble.
May these questions help us do so. And to God be the glory!
Here is a free PDF file of these questions with space for you to write out answers. Enjoy!
Questions to Help Evaluate a School Year
