September 7, 2024
This first week of homeschool seems so different from last year. Last year, I felt half guilty for homeschooling. I had that nagging feeling that I was doing something wrong, going against the rules. And growing up as the “good girl, the “shy girl it was a hard feeling to reckon with.
But I’ve come to realize that nagging feeling was the pressures and expectations of society that have been ingrained in me. Who am I without the public schools? I am free.
Free to explore. Free to teach my son the way he learns best. To know he’s learning. Free to teach how I want, using materials that align with our values…like structured literacy.
And if you’ve been around The Reader’s Drop Inn a while, you know I’m a fierce advocate for the science of reading (a vast, multidisciplinary body of research spanning decades that shows us how proficient reading develops in the brain) and structured literacy, (which is basically the science of reading in action).
This year I’ve taken a step back from society’s expectations. I’ve started questioning. I’ve taken a breath and relaxed into my role as homeschool mom and teacher.
I don’t care about grade levels any more, and when asked, I say, “My son is 10; we’re homeschoolers.” There is no behind or ahead in homeschool, there just is. How’s that for zen?!
But seriously…Last year, I found myself trying to mimic public school with my curriculum. We HAVE to finish this lesson, this worksheet today! If we didn’t, I felt a failure. But now I question…Why does he have to finish all the math problems if I know he knows how?
That was one of the most stressful things about public school. The homework, but also bringing home work that didn’t get finished at school. And let me tell you, it was like pulling teeth!
Now, we are homeschoolers. Now, we are doing things differently Now, we are doing things our way.
I was a horrible public school parent, but I'm an amazing homeschool teacher. We're figuring out what works best for us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.