Several weeks ago my inbox was flooded with messages from frantic parents. The message was always something like this …
I think I’m going to have to homeschool this year. Can you help me figure out what to do?
So I put together a survey, and did a short Zoom call. Would you believe that up to this point, I had successfully avoided using Zoom during #corona?? But this seemed like a good reason to give in and go virtual. With parents all across America trying to figure out how to best set up their home environments for learning, I felt like maybe I had a few things to share. I promised to share much of that information in a blog series, so today I bring you Part One, with many other posts to follow this week.
I’m no expert in homeschooling, but after 4 years of trying to figure things out, I have learned a thing or two, and am happy to share what I know with those of you feeling overwhelmed and out of sorts. Whether you are feeling like you want to go all in with homeschooling, or your kids will be home for Virtual/Remote Learning, I hope this series of posts can give you some helpful hints and help you feel more at peace.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Homeschooling 101: Where Do I Start?
First of all, take a deep breath. You can do this. Remember that we are living in a unique time in our life. This is a historical time - we’ve never lived through something like this. Some of our great-grandparents may have experienced something similar back during the Spanish Flu of 1918, but the world was vastly different then. This is a temporary time in our lives. We will come out of it changed, for sure, but this year (or two, depending on how long it takes), will not ruin our children’s education. Or their socialization. So stop what you’re doing, and just breathe.
One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me 4 years ago was to not get caught up in the many years of education ahead of us, but to simply focus on making a decision for the most immediate school year. Every year circumstances change, and educational needs of each child change, and there may be a time when homeschooling doesn’t fit for one or both of our children. So we give ourselves a lot of flexibility to change things as needed. Many of you are looking at homeschooling for just one year, due to COVID-19, and this advice is crucial for you. Don’t stress about your child’s educational plan past this year. Focus only on this year ahead of you.
Now that you’re laser focused on just the 2020-2021 school year, sit down and list out your priorities and vision for your year together. Remember, these are YOUR priorities. The choice you make is 100% okay - this is a no judgment zone! Some questions to think about:
Do you have to work while also schooling your child? Do you have to go into an office? Do you have to work at home, and if so, is it a flexible schedule - or do you have certain hours?
If you have to work do you have people that can help while you work?
Does Virtual Learning through the school system mean your kids will be on the computer 5 hours a day instead of in a classroom? If so, is that something you’re okay with?
Do you have the freedom to forget about standardized education for a year and create something different?
Do you have babies or toddlers to care for in addition to school-aged children?
What do you want your days to look like? Do you want freedom in your days (and do you have the ability to create that freedom), or is it better for your family to have a stricter routine/schedule each day?
Once you’ve thought about your family priorities, sit down and create a Vision for your homeschool year. We choose to homeschool, year after year, because we want a different lifestyle than the one traditional schooling forces upon us. This year, many of us are forced into a different lifestyle, so if you have the freedom to stay home with your kids and a work schedule that can be flexible, I encourage you to think of this year as a year of living intentionally together. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to create a year of learning and a year of memories that you can look back on as a special time together - even in the midst of turmoil around our world.
I know I know …. but you’re worried about whether or not your kids will be able to transition back to public/private school after this year, right? Trust me on this … they will be fine. There are tons of studies that show that kids who are homeschooled transition just fine into a regular school setting - and many times they actually go back to school ahead of their peers. And besides that, listen to me when I say this …. this is ONE year. You are not going to completely screw up your kids’ education in one year.
Yes, you can do this. It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be so rewarding in the end. I’m going to walk you through creating one of the most memorable years of your children’s childhood - so take a step back, and just breathe. Nothing worth doing well is ever easy.
Today’s Assignments:
List your Priorities
Then come back here tomorrow and we’ll talk about creating a schedule for your year of learning together.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.