Reading this post about homeschooling this morning made me look back a bit. Wendy knew before she ever had children that she would homeschool. How's that for planning ahead? Wow.
I've always admired people who can organize, well, anything. I give a great illusion... people believe I am organized, but really? I am not. One look at my house and maybe a short peek into my brain*, and you'll know for sure.
*please don't look into my brain
It was 1993 when we officially started the homeschool adventure, but when I think about it, we really started when Matt was born. I was so excited to show him the world and it was so much fun to watch him learn!
But I had to learn that schooling and education had no relationship to each other.
Fortunately, it only took two years of public schooling, and even better, we only subjected Matt to it.
It's not that Lyssa is a little flower and couldn't take a little adversity, but I think at that age, Matt was more resilient and recovered from the experience more or less intact. I'm not so sure that Lyssa would have.
We knew we'd be homeschooling in the fall, so I'd begun huge plans. I had curriculum for each subject, lesson plans, and had turned the kitchen in our little tiny house into a classroom. Matt even had a school desk.
I usually advise people against that sort of thing now, but had someone told me that playing school wasn't necessarily the most efficient way for a kid to learn, I would have proceeded to do it my way anyway. :)
I wish I'd been able to communicate with other homeschooling families via email lists and homeschool chats the way we can now, though. There were times I felt pretty lonely.
Anyway, I have nothing profound to put here. I'm just really glad we ended up choosing to homeschool.
Here are links to a couple of my 'how we gave up home schooling and switched to learning' posts.
Cutting up in class
Stealth learning
I liked them when they were written, and I look back fondly on those times. The future and us learning together was so... exciting. I had all kinds of plans and visions. Just because the reality didn't end up being the same as the dream doesn't mean it wasn't wonderful. It was.
It's been an adventure.
Yay for homeschooling! I have errands to run so I'll come back later and read those links but the dog is out of food, the turtle is out of food, we are out of eggs (Hubby is out of food....) so I have to go but I wanted to tell you that I have an award for you!
ReplyDeleteHugs!!
I'm blown away that she knew before she had kids. And that she's not a fanatical christian. Well, link the two together.
ReplyDeleteMy comment mind is not functioning. But I'm glad we've ended up homeschooling as well.
James really would not have done well in a school situation. So many kids don't and just cope as best they can, shut down, or get into trouble.
first time here, but your homeschooling comments and the direct style of your writing got me hooked into reading more about your homeschooling. I didn't consider it an option when our kids were young. Does a returning college graduated kid count as home schooled now that she returned home and still needs guidance?
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe you know of Richard Feynman maybe not. He was a most interesting person with much to say about education and other things.
Here's a youtube video of him talking about learning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taEw97brZis
thanks
We ended up homeschooling due to circumstance, it was not even on my radar for the first few years, but it's definitely the best decision we've ever made. One day I'll tell that long story . . . but not today.
ReplyDeleteHow's your knee and shoulder and headache? I hope you're feeling better.
You always make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is is that now we can all "get together" online? It definitely makes homeschooling much less lonely because, let's face it, we all probably still get the "Here comes the crazy lady" looks.
Well. You might get them ANYHOW. ;)
In 3 weeks Dee will start college and our home schooling adventure will be over. I'll miss it; but its time to move on.
ReplyDeleteWe loved homeschooling so much that we went and had another litter of kiddos so we could keep going on...and on...and on. When we are done homeschooling they'll wheel us straight to the old folks home...Kim
ReplyDelete