I am in our 7th year of homeschooling... and we have finally gotten in to our groove. let me tell you, it took many curriculum, may tears of frustration from me and my daughter, and MANY tries and errors, but we are here. We are to a point that we know what our end goal is, and we are cultivating the lovely in our home. Here are 5 truths that I struggled with as a new homeschooling mama, and why I now embrace them.
1. We are not behind.
I have a background in teaching, so for me it is hard when I feel like we are a little behind in a subject. I have to constantly remind myself that we are right where my daughter needs to be, and we are learning/mastering at her pace, which will lead to a more fulfilled education in the long run.
2. We do NOT have to have a "set Schedule"
While I like having some structure for our school days, I do realize that we are NOT doing school at home...we are homeschooling. Sometimes we need to stop and move on to another subject before my daughter gets burnt out on the subject, and then there are days that we throw out our schedule and focus on something that she is inserted in. Being able to stay with something that is interesting to her, and that is pushing her to find more information on her own is one of the reasons we choose to homeschool. We don't have to be chained to a specific schedule everyday.
3. Its OK to have lazy days, as long as its not every day.
Sometimes we need a break from work...how many times have you heard " I need a vacation from work". I have actually said those words...its the same with kids. They get overworked and need a break. We have started scheduling in lazy days. I let her sleep in, she can be in jammies all day and we just rest! I Love these days, it lets us recharge and stay on track!
4. Not all kids learn the same.
This was a hard one for me, but thankfully I have learned my lesson, and I now know how my daughter learns. My daughter does not learn like everyone else. She can remember anything if she has SEEN it. She can "write" beautiful stories...as long as the "writing" is done by using her IPAD's speak to text app. Math is not a strong suit...but by identifying the tools that she needs, switching up her curriculum and working with her in small time increments, she is progressing much faster then before. We needed to tailor her education to her and her learning style, and it was life changing.
5. I don't have to be a perfect teacher.
I have been asked so many times why I feel like I am "qualified" to teach my daughter. 1st of all, lets put aside my education...because I really don't need my degree to be able to teach my child. I am her parent, therefore I want the best for her...which means, I am going to provide opportunities, give her access to information that sparks learning, and set her up to be whatever she wants to be. I want her to be able to follow her dreams, and I will work towards her goals more then any other person ever would (besides her family). she wants to learn about robots...we do classes on coding. She wants to be a fashion designer, we go out and get her a sewing machine and fabric...She wants to work on animation...we buy the app that allows her to spend hours creating cartoons. all of theses things have been done in our home over the last few years. Right now she is into painting...which means her room has paints, paint brushes, and canvas' propped up all over the room that are in various stages of being done. She leads, and we put opportunities in front of her.
1. We are not behind.
I have a background in teaching, so for me it is hard when I feel like we are a little behind in a subject. I have to constantly remind myself that we are right where my daughter needs to be, and we are learning/mastering at her pace, which will lead to a more fulfilled education in the long run.
2. We do NOT have to have a "set Schedule"
While I like having some structure for our school days, I do realize that we are NOT doing school at home...we are homeschooling. Sometimes we need to stop and move on to another subject before my daughter gets burnt out on the subject, and then there are days that we throw out our schedule and focus on something that she is inserted in. Being able to stay with something that is interesting to her, and that is pushing her to find more information on her own is one of the reasons we choose to homeschool. We don't have to be chained to a specific schedule everyday.
3. Its OK to have lazy days, as long as its not every day.
Sometimes we need a break from work...how many times have you heard " I need a vacation from work". I have actually said those words...its the same with kids. They get overworked and need a break. We have started scheduling in lazy days. I let her sleep in, she can be in jammies all day and we just rest! I Love these days, it lets us recharge and stay on track!
4. Not all kids learn the same.
This was a hard one for me, but thankfully I have learned my lesson, and I now know how my daughter learns. My daughter does not learn like everyone else. She can remember anything if she has SEEN it. She can "write" beautiful stories...as long as the "writing" is done by using her IPAD's speak to text app. Math is not a strong suit...but by identifying the tools that she needs, switching up her curriculum and working with her in small time increments, she is progressing much faster then before. We needed to tailor her education to her and her learning style, and it was life changing.
5. I don't have to be a perfect teacher.
I have been asked so many times why I feel like I am "qualified" to teach my daughter. 1st of all, lets put aside my education...because I really don't need my degree to be able to teach my child. I am her parent, therefore I want the best for her...which means, I am going to provide opportunities, give her access to information that sparks learning, and set her up to be whatever she wants to be. I want her to be able to follow her dreams, and I will work towards her goals more then any other person ever would (besides her family). she wants to learn about robots...we do classes on coding. She wants to be a fashion designer, we go out and get her a sewing machine and fabric...She wants to work on animation...we buy the app that allows her to spend hours creating cartoons. all of theses things have been done in our home over the last few years. Right now she is into painting...which means her room has paints, paint brushes, and canvas' propped up all over the room that are in various stages of being done. She leads, and we put opportunities in front of her.
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