Our Next Adventure: Homeschooling

It just doesn’t feel right without a new big thing we’re introducing into our life. Usually it’s babies, but each year I feel like we make a major shift in our lives and this year is no different.

These last few days of school also mark our last days of public school (for at least a year).
This hasn’t been a quick decision by any means; the possibility of homeschool is something we’ve bounced around for years to varying degrees of sincerity. But things have a way of falling together in their own time and this year it became increasingly clear that now is the right time for our family.

I have talked to people about our decision and I thought I’d start with a few answers to a few FAQs about this new adventure.

1. What made you decide to homeschool?
There are about 100 factors as to why we’re making this change that I’m just not going to go into on this post.  But I do want to say this:  Our children have gone to wonderful public schools and worked with fantastic teachers.  I have gotten to know the administration at their current school and they are hard working, wonderful, educated people with their hearts in the right place.  My husband teaches in public schools, and I continue to believe in the value of public schools.  I won’t get into what our decision to homeschool is right now, but I will say what it isn’t: a religious/political/educational statement or criticism on the public school environment, parents who send their children to public schools, or on children who thrive in public schools.

2. Are you going to homeschool forever?
We’re going to take things one year at a time.  If Max or Hudson decides that they want to go back to school, I am certainly not going to stand in their way.  I will also do my best (as we have done on other important personal matters) to try not to steer them in one direction or another when it comes to that issue. For now, we’re focused on 2nd grade and 5th grade.  We’ll get to next year, next year.

3. Are you going to homeschool all of them?
I don’t know.  Right now, the two older boys are my focus as they are actually school aged.  We’ll see what’s best for Marlowe when we get there.  That being said, I would like to send Marlowe to preschool to get a little time with kids his age and allow a little more time for me to focus on the big boys.

4. Are you going to do Montessori/Project Based/Charlotte Mason/School-at-home style/unschooling schooling?
Probably.
I think there is value in many different teaching philosophies and I plan to steal from anything and anyone.  What is most important to me is that my children learn in the way that is best for them and that will be my guide. We may do a little bit of this or a little bit of that; what works is more important to me than following any particular philosophy.

5.Aren’t you worried about socialization?
No.

6. How do you feel about it?
There’s a big fat mix of emotions happening but mostly I find myself wavering between being incredibly excited and incredibly terrified. Mostly now though, I’m excited.

So, over the next 6 months or so we’ll be getting out and about and discovering some new things. We’ll be taking some time to explore our interests, find an everyone-is-at-home rhythm, rediscover our learning styles and develop a homeschool that works best for us.

 

Max and I came up with a working list of things we’d like to see and do in the coming months which we’re calling Operation: See Cool Stuff.    I will try to share as many of our “field trips” on the blog as I can.

For now, we’ve been counting down with anticipation to the end of the school year and the start of our next adventure.

Have you ever thought about homeschooling? Was the decision difficult?