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Thank You Teachers

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Dear Teachers,

As this school year comes to a close, I am reminded of all that you do.  I have to take this moment to say thank you for choosing to nurture and educate the children of our great country.  I can’t begin to imagine what this world would be like if there was no public school option, or if there were no adults willing to accept the challenge of public education.

I have been homeschooling two of my three children the last two years, and I know how hard it is to motivate two children.  You motivate entire classrooms of children every single day.  You teach them about the world, the universe, math, reading, writing, and you do this all within a small community called a classroom.  I don’t know how you do it.  Each child’s personality is so different.  Their educational levels vary so greatly.  Yet, you find a way.

When these kiddos look back on their school experience, they will remember the great moments you inspired.  They will remember the kind words on a frustrating day.  They will recall the funny joke that made the entire class erupt with laughter.  They will remember you.

As a parent, I thank you.  As a teacher, I thank you.  As an American, I thank you.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you hard work, love, and concern.  You truly are teaching a nation.

 

With complete respect,

Amber Harris

Let’s Get Real

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I am a homeschooling mother of  two, soon to be three, beautiful kids. I came to the homeschooling community with an interesting and atypical background. I have a master’s degree from Arizona State University in education. I was trained to work in the public schools. I feel like this training gives me some interesting insights into both the typical schooling system and the homeschooling system. I started this blog because I want to share my experiences and expertise. I am unfortunately going to offend some people on both sides of the homeschooling debate. I believe there is a place in this world for both public schooling and homeschooling. I have a hard time finding people who share this belief. It seems the proverbial “line” has been drawn, and most people just pick a side.

My blogs are driven by topics I find to be relevant to parenting and homeschooling. If you don’t home school, but have opinions or questions you would like to share… feel free. I try very hard to base my stance on factual information, but my stance is still just an opinion. Keep this in mind as you read and respond to this blog. We all are entitled to our opinions and should be respectful of each other as we discuss the topic of education. I love to hear any and all perspectives others are willing to share. I am always learning and growing because of the brave souls who are willing to put their beliefs and opinions out there.

I have stated time and again, on many different forums, that homeschooling is not for everyone. There are a plethora of circumstances where it is logistically impossible for a parent to home school their child. But if you are interested in homeschooling and are committed to the process, you absolutely can be successful teaching your children at home. The day my son came home and asked me if I would consider homeschooling him I picked up the phone and called my friend Krista. She homeschools all four of her kids, and was my “go-to-gal-pal” for this situation. Krista was a sounding board and an insanely insightful resource for me in a moment of confusion and fear. I want this blog to be a “virtual Krista” for all of us. This needs to be a safe place for asking questions, sharing frustrations, making friends, and building up your network of homeschooling families.

The New Homeschoolers

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It seems to me that homeschoolers are seen as unconventional, but I would like to publically challenge that perception here today. We, as a nation, educated our children at home longer than our government has. In 1776 we issued the Declaration of Independence, and by 1783 we were officially recognized as the great independent nation of America. For over 135 years we homeschooled our children or hired tutors to come into our homes. The obvious pitfall with this system was the fact that not all kids had the opportunity to receive an education.  In 1918 the education of our children became big business for our government. This was the beginning of compulsory education. This public education system gave all children the right to education, but this system has so many flaws.

I am all for universal educational opportunities. But the government’s “universal” plan is clearly not producing universal achievements. According to a New York Times article (Dillon, 2009) in 2009 there was just a 53% high school graduation rate in the inner cities as opposed to the 71% graduation rate seen in the suburbs. I believe this issue, and the many others, can be rectified in a number of ways. The most obvious starting point would be to give some power back to the local residents. Decisions about curriculum need to be influenced on a local level. This would allow communities to help develop programs and curriculum based on common belief systems.

America’s public school system used to involve heavy community support for the teachers. Teachers often times ate in the homes of the students, and even lodged there on occasion. In the beginning, teachers and parents had close relationships due to the financial necessity of community involvement. Now we are discouraged from getting “overly involved” in the education process. And by overly involved, I mean parents in some school districts are not allowed to attend the celebration of their child’s birthday in the classroom.  I think this is ridiculous.

I love having the option to home school my kids.  I have the ability to create a learning environment and curriculum based around my belief systems as opposed to the belief systems of people who have made it their life goal to become known for their innovative “common core” movement. I have no desire to be known for the methods in which I educate my kids. I only want to make sure that my children have a solid foundation of knowledge before they enter the world as adults. I have tailored each child’s process to their strengths and weaknesses. Each of my kids learns through a slightly different approach. Having the ability to adjust my teaching methods according to each child’s needs, has been one of the greatest aspects of teaching my children at home.

This is partially why I am such an advocate for homeschooling. I have the ability to guide the learning process of each of my children. I can tailor the way information is presented based on the learning styles of each of my children. I am back in a position where I can truly guide my children towards a healthy, highly educational, God centered life. I never thought I would be one of “those homeschooling moms”, but circumstances have molded me into exactly that.

Dillon, S. (April 22, 2009). Large urban-suburban gap seen in graduation rates. New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/education/22dropout.html?_r=0

Homeschooling

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My experience has taught me some precious lessons. When someone questions your decision to home school your children, you should not take it personally. The question is often times a reflection of the person asking it. They don’t believe they could do it, and therefore tend to doubt another’s  ability to home school.

There are tons of different programs available for homeschooling. You will absolutely find one that works for you. It may take a couple of tries, but you will find a program that is a good fit for you and your kids.

One of the first things you should know about me… I do NOT think that homeschooling is for everyone. There are families who would not benefit from bringing their kidddos home and trying to take over the education process. If the public school option works for you then you should use it. It has some fantastic aspects. However, if you are interested in homeschooling your children then I can help you.

Some things to consider when choosing a homeschooling program…

 

  • You need to decide upfront if you want to purchase a preplanned program or if you want to start from scratch.
    • There are so many great programs out there that are put together in a very orderly fashion. The lesson plans are complete and the work is divided out into a daily schedule for you and your child.
    • There are also insanely amazing books available to help you plan a totally individualized curriculum for your child. My personal favorite is The Well Trained Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. They outline the best resources and provide you with reasons for their choices. It is the most complete guide for planning an individualized program that I have found.
  • Do you want your child to have a high school diploma?  Some states recognize home school as a legitimate schooling program and will allow the parents to create a diploma, but some states will require a GED.
    • If you are not willing to let go of that diploma, you need to plan on researching some of the accredited programs. They are typically a little more time consuming, when it comes to busy work. I have my master’s in education, and I chose an online “public” school program for my children. I may change in the future, but for now I am not comfortable walking away from the stigma of having a diploma. (See how well trained I am?   I am outside “the box”, but pressed right up against it!)
  • Do you want to do a primarily online program, or would you like to utilize more of a traditional “book based” school plan?
    • I personally like the interactive nature of online programs. This is definitely not the case for all homeschooling parents. Traditional books are also a great way to educate your kids. There are programs that incorporate nearly equal amounts of both books and internet, and there are programs that focus on one or the other. Look at all your options and choose the best one for you and your child.
  • If you are going to home school your kidddos, I strongly suggest having extracurricular activities. Kids need to have time to be with their peers, and it is a wonderful opportunity for your children to learn from someone else.
    • I know this can get a bit expensive, but it is well worth your time and money. Each of my children has one activity they picked, and a few I picked. I have had each kid try out a number of sports, crafting classes, and music lessons. For our family, we have stuck with piano for all, and one sport for each. I am also the resident crafting expert. Let me amend this… my husband is the king of sewing and has become exceptionally adept at making stuffed animals from scratch. We own the only rainbow butterfly patterned unicorn that I have ever seen.

These are just a few of the factors I think are important when picking out a homeschooling program. I would love to hear more from you about your experience and your concerns.