When my husband and I made the decision to homeschool our children over fifteen years ago, we had almost no idea how to proceed. All we knew was that we were convicted of the need to become more directly involved in the education of our children, and to do our best as parent educators. Our oldest child was 7 years old, and the youngest was three.
Being the indecisive people we are, we finally summoned the courage to phone the principal two days before the local schools were scheduled to open. We were encouraged when the principal responded positively and told us, “I always tell parents they are their child’s first teacher.” Whew! We were now free to begin our journey! We stumbled through our first year and were very thankful for helpful advice on home schooling from friends and the owners of Rainbow Resource Center, Bob and Linda Schneider.
Just to keep things interesting, we had a truant officer show up at our door a month after school began to serve us papers to appear in court with our curriculum. Thankfully we had joined the Home School Legal Defense Association just days before this incident, and they were able to promptly resolve this issue. Despite minor setbacks or distractions of this kind, our first year of home schooling was still filled with a number of encouraging and rewarding educational experiences, and plenty of excitement.
As the new world of home education began to open up before us, we soon learned to love the freedom we had to do meaningful things during the middle of the day with our children. Many great memories were created as we did things like take a walk through the park in order to identify trees, or examine locust shells as a part of our study of natural science. Along with teaching the basic skill subjects, we also spent time reading captivating books aloud to our children and taking a number of field trips that were both educational and fun. In my new role as home educator and mom, I soon began to devour several books that focused upon learning styles and teaching methods. Slowly but surely, my husband and I began to grow in confidence, and to feel more comfortable in the work of teaching and training.
The next year I felt even more prepared and better organized as a homeschool mom. Of course, this did not stop neighbors and other friends from asking me why I thought I was capable of teaching my children at home, or why I decided to take them away from their friends at school. Comments like these did tend to make me to second-guess our decision, and to spend time considering what my children were learning compared to students in the public schools. In spite of this peer pressure, however, we determined to persevere in our commitment to home education.
We live in a small town, which has its positive and negative aspects, particularly when it comes to home schooling. I gradually felt compelled to reach out to other home educators outside of our local community, and to eventually start a homeschool group at our local church. From time-to-time, parents that we met would ask us how long we were going to continue, and our answer was commonly, “As long as it is working.”
Jump ahead 17 years, and here we are in the present. This spring my two oldest children are college graduates, and our youngest son has graduated from high school. I cannot believe my journey through homeschooling has ended! Looking back, I would not trade the experiences and memories that I forged with my children for anything. We have such a close bond with each other. During those formidable years, we were able to be there whenever challenges arose in our children’s lives. Even though we sometimes felt like we didn’t know what we were doing, by the grace of God, they learned even more than expected. They were able to learn at their own pace, pursue individual interests that sharpened their talents, and receive academic college scholarships. Yes, there were stressful days, but looking back the enjoyable days far outweighed the difficult ones.
Before I close, I would like to share with you a few lessons that my fellow curriculum consultants and I have learned as we have homeschooled our children over a period of many years:
Remember why you began homeschooling. What were your goals for your children and family when you began homeschooling? Do not lose sight of your core objectives and mission, and be sure to remind yourself of these fundamental principles on a regular basis.
Develop a routine. Do the hard subjects in the morning and the easier or more enjoyable subjects in the afternoon. Begin each school day at the same time, and preferably with prayer. Avoid answering phone calls during school hours, and resist the temptation to check emails and Facebook, etc. until your school day is completed. Work hard to develop a weekly schedule that works well for your own family, and then stick to it.
Spend time with each of your children every day. During the busyness of the school day, sometimes more independent students get lost in the shuffle. Take a little extra time to spend with each of your children on a daily basis, and strive to keep the lines of communication open with them.
Combine certain subjects if you have multiple children. It is much easier to get history, reading, Bible, art, and certain electives completed in the elementary years if you teach them to your students in one combined session.
Be a student of your students. Each child is different, and being aware of their needs and learning styles is extremely important. I had one child that learned independently, and another that needed more teacher-led material. Staying in tune with how each of your students learns best will ensure success.
Engage in like-minded relationships. Surrounding your children with other families who are like-minded will promote healthy social experiences for your children.
Teach your children to learn independently. When students learn how to take responsibility for their own learning this will benefit them throughout their entire lives and help them tackle the challenges that they will face in college.
Don’t compare your home school with other schools. Little value and much discouragement will come to those parent educators who regularly compare their children and their school with others outside the home. Home educators must stay focused upon the things that they need to do to reach their own goals, with the understanding that there is not just one “right” way to impart knowledge.
Hopefully these tips will serve as friendly reminders as you continue down the path of training your children for time and eternity.
Gina
