Five Things I’ve Learned From THE HOMESCHOOL LEAGUE

1.       Socialization is not an issue.

The first thing I hear when I tell someone that we homeschool our kids is, “Aren’t you concerned about their socialization?”  When I first made the decision to homeschool, my answer was yes.  Now, my answer is no.  Thanks to The Homeschool League, my kids are very well socialized.  The Homeschool League families engage in social activities on a weekly basis.  Our kids gather at the library every Wednesday for story time with Ms. Robin.  We also go on field trips, and offer group education-based activities.  Trust me when I say, “Socialization is not an issue.”

2.       It gets less stressful.

The age of children in The Homeschool League ranges from preschool to high school.  So we have some parents in our group who have been doing this for a very long time.  They serve as a comfort to all of us who are just getting started, with our children still in elementary grades.  As they’ve promised, the longer you homeschool, the more confidence you build in yourself and in your children.  We are learning from them and through our own experience, it does get easier and much less stressful. 

3.       Mommy-time matters.

While we have chosen to spend our daily hours educating our children, we have come to realize that prolonged exposure to long division, punctuation and grammar, spelling rules, and reading comprehension can bring a mother to the brink of insanity.  The Homeschool League can help with that.  While the kids have story time with Ms. Robin, we hide in the corner and enjoy adult conversation.  We also plan monthly outings, also known as Mom’s Night Out, because mommy-time matters to The Homeschool League.

4.       Everyone homeschools differently.

We have close to 30 families who participate in various aspects of The Homeschool League.   We often quiz each other on what type of curriculum we use, what type of experiments we’ve done, how we teach certain subjects, or how we have remedied certain situations.  It’s amazing to me that no one educates their children in exactly the same way.  We have a family who discovers learning through books.  We have a family who uses the computer as the foundation of their learning.  We have a family who uses workbooks to guide their education.  We have a family who tries to mimic their own educational experiences.  We have a family who unschools, allowing their children to choose when and how they learn.  Every one homeschools differently.  And that’s okay.

5.       There is not one right way to homeschool.

What’s even more impressive is, despite the wide variety of homeschooling methods employed by the families in The Homeschool League, all of our children are learning.  All of our children are gaining information.  All of our children are getting educated.  There is not one right way to homeschool. 

It's May.

It's May.

Do you know how I know it's May?  No.  Not because I looked at my calendar.

I know it's May because I've got that feeling.  You homeschool moms, and probably public school teachers, know exactly what I'm talking about.  That feeling I like to call ~ "I'm done".

For those of you who don't have the luxury of lesson-planning, grading papers, conducting tests, and pretty much being fully responsible for the education of your children, let me explain it to you...

My two boys and I have spent the last nine months doing organized learning in our classroom.  We start with Science, then move on to Handwriting and Social Studies.  I give them their Reading assignments.  While I fix lunch, my boys take turns working on their typing skills on our computer.  After lunch, we resume our studies with an afternoon activity such as art, poetry, or critical thinking.  Then they do some Language Arts, followed by Writing.  And our school day is done after Spelling and Math are completed.

At least that's how I plan for each day to be...

As you can imagine, it doesn't always work out that way.  In fact, the closer we get to the end of our school year, the less likely it is that our school day looked anything like the schedule I described above.

In fact, today...

Weeeeell...

I'm almost too embarrassed to share this with you...

But I guess if it makes you feel better about your school day, it will be worth my embarrassment...

This morning we had breakfast with friends at Cracker Barrel.  Then we went to Lowe's and Wal-mart.  Then we gathered with friends for story time at the library.  Afterwards, we met for lunch at the Sub Shop.  Now I am in my office writing this blog, while my boys are watching television.

That's what we've done today.

And I'm totally counting it as a day of school.

I know it sounds like a completely unproductive, all-fun, no-education day.  And at the beginning of our school year, I would totally agree.

But today, I would argue that point...

They played Checkers at Cracker Barrel.  That's educational, right?  Math (circles, squares), Science (ummm...  surely there's something scientific about Checkers), Critical Thinking (Oh come on.  You can't argue that one.  Checkers is definitely critical thinking).  So Math, Science, Critical Thinking.  Check, check, check.

They had story time at the library.  Reading (Mrs. Robin read to them), Art (They painted strawberry pictures).  Check, check.

They ate lunch with their friends.  Now isn't everyone always saying homeschool kids need social interaction?  Social Studies.  Check.

Right now they are watching Disney's Kickin' It.  Hmmm...  how can I make that educational?  Afternoon Activity?  Yes!  Afternoon Activity.  Check.

So all we've missed is Spelling and Writing.  Wait a minute...  

...   ...   ...

Okay.  I just made them spell "writing".  So we've covered both items there.  Spelling.  Writing.  Check.  Check.

And you thought they didn't learn anything today.  Don't you feel silly?

...

You see, I've reached that point in the school year where I am so burnt-out on our learning routine.  I am just trying to survive.  And I am just desperate enough to justify my educational choices for today.   Don't judge me!

I'm tired of talking about plants, and communities, and writing, and multiplication.  I just want to take a nap.

...

So...  in my own defense...

I can tell you that we've finished our Science and Social Studies curriculums for the year.  Those are the most fun. 

Handwriting.  Bryson is good with his handwriting.  Camden...  I don't want to talk about it.

Math is pretty much done.  It's just review stuff from here on.

Writing.  Ah Writing.  Writing is my arch-nemesis.  I know that is ironic, considering I love to write more than anything else.  What can I say?  It's much easier to do it than to teach it.  So I've pretty much given up on writing for this year.  Don't worry.  I'll try again next year.  Eventually I'll get it right.  I hope...

That leaves us with Language Arts and Spelling.  We're on Unit 8 out of 10.  Ugh...

...

On paper, we've still got five weeks of school.  Mentally, I am so done.

That's how I know it's May.

...



Seeds of Faith - inspired by Elisha Skeen

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

As moms - and in this case, as homeschool moms, - I think we try so hard to be perfect.  And when things don't go perfectly, we feel ashamed.  

Take comfort in knowing that God does not condemn you for skipping Spelling.  Or for counting Checkers as your Math activity.  



Yesterday was Teacher Appreciation Day.  I hope you told yourself you are doing a great job.  :)

A Week in the Life of my Students

Everyone has their own opinion about homeschooling.  Many people choose to share their opinion, whether you want to hear it or not.  Yesterday, my little brother chose to share his opinion with me.  The words that came out of his mouth were so unexpected, I don't know how I maintained my composure.  It was an eight-word sentence that nearly brought me to tears.

"I think what you are doing is great," he said.  And then he looked away so the moment wouldn't become awkward as we both fought to conceal the emotional impact of what he said.

The truth is, I don't hear that very often.  I mean, I tell myself every day, but that doesn't boost my confidence as much as you might think.  :)

...

Someone once asked me if I want my children to be socially awkward, indicating my decision to homeschool was not in their best interest.  A stranger told me my kids will hate me when they grow up.  A high school classmate asked if we actually "do school" or just hang out all day.  I've been verbally slapped and told homeschool is just "BS" (that's the PG version).  People want to know if my kids are learning art and music "because that is such an important part of their education".  Most recently, someone told me it just wasn't realistic to think one person can teach every subject, every day.

If you know me at all, you can probably guess my response to all of the above.  A nervous giggle.  Because frankly what am I supposed to say?  Yes, I want my children to be socially awkward.  I don't care if they hate me.  

Seriously?

I know I shouldn't care what other people think, but I do.  It bothers me that anyone would view me as a mother who doesn't want what is best for her children.  Especially since that is the entire reason I do what I do - because I believe it is what is best for them.

I have never gone up to anyone who has their children in public school and questioned their motives for keeping them there.  To be blunt, it's none of my business how you choose to educate your children.  And to be equally blunt, it's none of your business how I choose to educate mine.

But since so many people choose to comment, and so many people dare to ask, "What do you do all day?", I'd like to take this opportunity to provide you a glimpse into a week in the life of my two students at Chapel Hill Academy...

Monday
Most Mondays, we watch my 2-year-old niece.  My boys spend about three hours helping our neighbor on his farm.  They clean chicken houses, or feed the cows.  When they get home, they have to take a shower because they smell really, really, really bad.  I mean REALLY bad.  We eat lunch, and then head to the classroom.  Yes, we have a classroom.  The boys have a school table and cubbies with their names on them.  They even have book bags and lunch boxes.  Of course, we rarely use those.  But we do have them.  

• Calendar
• Day Starter Activity
• Social Studies
• Famous Americans
• Language Arts
• Writing
• Spelling 
• Math

SCHOOL TIME = 2 hours

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Tuesday and Thursdays are our long days.  We usually try to stay home on these days because we have soooooo much work to do.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I drink a lot of Dr. Pepper.  I've also been known to kick back a few tylenol.  

• Bible Study
• Calendar
• Day Starter Activity
• Science
• Handwriting
• Social Studies
• Reading
• Computer
• Center Time
• Famous Americans
• Language Arts
• Writing
• Spelling
• Math

SCHOOL TIME = 5 hours

Wednesdays

Wednesdays are our fun days.  We go to the library for homeschool story hour.  We usually have lunch with some friends.  We have also been known to sneak over to the park on a few occasions.

• Devotion
• Calendar
• Day Starter
• Science
• Handwriting
• Social Studies
• Mind Benders
• Writing
• Spelling

SCHOOL TIME = 3 hours

Fridays

Fridays are another short day for us.  We have mostly tests on Fridays.  We try to schedule all our field trips and/or playdates for Fridays.  Of course, that doesn't always work out.  So Friday can also be known as our "catch-up day".

• Bible Study
• Calendar
• Day Starter
• Science
• Handwriting
• Social Studies
• Reading
• Computer
• Center
• Art/Music
• Language Arts
• Writing
• Spelling
• Math

SCHOOL TIME = 3 hours

...

So if you've pictured me sitting on the couch all day, eating bon-bons and watching The Young and the Restless, let me assure you...  Well, actually I do watch Y&R...  BUT I prefer drinking Dr. Pepper to eating bon-bons.  

Still, the majority of my day is spent in our classroom, sitting across from the two greatest gifts God has ever given my husband and me.  I plan all our lessons.  While I don't teach every subject (we use videos for math), I do guide all their learning.  I have researched and determined which curriculums work best for us.  If I don't know everything about the topic (like botany), I can learn right along side them, which is my favorite part of homeschooling.

Also, we are not socially awkward hermits.  Along with a friend, I initiated the creation of a homeschool group in our area.  We get together with other kids on a weekly basis through the program at the library and activities offered through our homeschool group.  My boys are actively involved in Tae Kwon Do, where they see their friends twice a week as well.  We do leave the house.  Although, often times, we do forget to fix our hair.  My bad.  :)

...

So, there are a few morals to this blog...

1.  If you are worried about the education and socialization of my children, don't be.  I've got this.  

2.  Just because I homeschool, doesn't mean I think you should.  So please don't think that just because your children are in public school, that's where my children should be.

3.  Homeschooling is not as easy as it looks.  But it is more fun, and more rewarding than you can ever imagine.