When pulling our 6yo and 12yo out of public school Nov 2019, we figured it would be an adventure, but one we could end at any time. They could surely go back to school when or if we found homeschooling wasn't for us.
Then we moved from one town to another and then another. Finally settling in what would have been the 3rd school district change for them in one year. In times of upheaval, like moving homes 3 times, children are known to adapt easily, right? That was actually one of our many reasons for starting this process.
Then, right after we moved in, Covid-19 happened, and everything shut down. Now families all around us were asking "how do you do this every day?" Which amused me, because I wasn't doing NEARLY the same amount of work they were. One neighbor in middle school had to be logged on to the computer for each class at different intervals through the day for a total of 6 hours! I was told by other parents that some classes were meeting for an hour every day, while others were meeting for and hour every WEEK. My 12yo was getting his work done in about 90 minutes, 60 if he sped through it (I wasn't happy, but things were crazy).
I loved the freedom of being able to say our school year ended on May 30th. The public schools went longer that that, but we did some non-structured "science". We went to the beach. We learned about erosion, how sand is made, what the water table is, and how fun it is to bury your sibling in sand (that last one was a particularly favorite lesson). We learned about how the sun heats the sand and the roadway differently, and how different the pain can be from each one (anatomy).
I learned that almost anything can be a teaching moment if you just take a moment.
I've learned a lot about my kids through this. I discovered they don't do video lessons well, at least not when being taught the particular lesson. I learned that the 7yo needs me to guide her through her lessons every day. I learned that they need 2 different schedules, but I need to be available for both, and I can be. And I learned that I like learning stuff at the same time as my son. I can even understand math some now!
I now know more about homeschooling that I did before. So now I feel ready to make a plan for next year. That's where this blog comes in. I plan to write out the plans I have for each kid. It will be a great way for them to keep track of assignments, but it could help anyone that is exploring like we were. It will also help me in planning out these assignments.
So here's to the new school year of 2020-2021. May it be a whole lot better, easier, and more fun than last year. Not a high bar because last year was rough, but it is something to plan for!
One of my favorite quotes is "shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will still be among the stars".
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