The greatest but perhaps most humbling part about blogging here for nearly seven years is reading my contributor archives.
Because people, I am like a switchback going up the side of a mountain, especially when it comes to scheduling a school year, recognizing mine and my kids’ limits, and fighting off overwhelm.
You think I’m joking?
Let me disillusion you with a few blasts from my past.
OCTOBER 2008 – A Day in the Life of a Structured Homeschooler
“On a sheet of scrap paper, I begin charting out a school day in rows of fifteen-minute increments,…We begin the school ‘schedule’ every morning at 8:00, but that’s not when we begin our school day. Up at 7:00, the kids eat breakfast, lull about playing, visiting, snuggling, or whatever, until 7:30. At 7:30 we all get dressed, make beds, do early morning chores, and clear the kitchen table for school.”
Scheduling in 15-minute increments was not smart. I would imagine it still isn’t smart, but since I do not do it and haven’t done it in years, I speak in past tense.
If you click to read the post, you’ll see a schedule. A schedule I strongly enforced. A stupid, stupid schedule that everyone but me could see was not going to work after Week 1.
Why?
Because little kids with active bodies do not align with military schedules without getting constipation of the brain while simultaneously having diarrhea of the mouth.
Consider that your warning.
Love,
Me
MAY 2009 – Re-re-research Paper
“It is hard not to lead too heavily during this process. I kept in mind that this was HER research paper, surrounding HER interests. I did take the time to teach her about plagiarism and how to properly write direct quotes.”
Let me tell you. This first day of researching for Meredith’s 3rd-grade research paper was almost blissful.
The remaining days? Not so much.
I will go to my grave strongly suggesting parents not force their children to write research papers before they hit puberty.
Teach them library skills.
Teach them to love reading.
Teach them to be resourceful.
Teach them internet safety when seeking information online.
But know this, if you force a 3rd-grader to write a research paper, YOU will be writing that research paper. You may not think that’s the case, but you’re fooling yourself.
It may be THEIR research paper. THEY may have picked the topic, but it will be you dragging them through each and every step. And don’t be surprised when you find yourself tempted to write it for them in the middle of the night JUST TO HAVE IT DONE.
FEBRUARY 2011 – School Hours
“I work full-time from home, so depending on my workload, there are weeks here and there when I need to put in more hours in the day. On some occasions this requires us to stretch a week’s worth of curriculum over a two week period of time. Bottom line, we go with the flow, understanding that flexibility is key and learning, not maintaining a perfect schedule, is our ultimate goal.”
If you haven’t caught the extreme switchback, scroll back up to the first post I mentioned.
In a bit more than two years, Emelie began working part-time, I enrolled all three of the kids in co-op classes, and we regularly attended field trips.
The 15-minute schedule died (thankfully), and a more reasonable and flexible alternative took its place.
Fridays were FREE days, and though we were busy, I wasn’t fighting an uphill battle.
OCTOBER 2011 – How To Draw a Balance
“I’m often tempted, like a friend of mine discussed with me today, to sell it all, move into an Airstream with my family and live life without the constraints of so many things, commitments, debts, and other ‘time stealers.’”
Reading this post makes me tear up because I remember the overwhelm I felt when I wrote it.
In fact, this was not the first post I wrote about finding balance, needing rest, or feeling like I was coming unglued.
You cannot know how much you have inspired and encouraged me through the years. Yes, even those who told me to suck it up.
I didn’t realize that I could responsibly put things down, and the world would not fall apart.
But then, I did.
I stopped teaching in a co-op.
I chose one ministry in at church — Jeff and I still do it together.
I still work full-time and plan to continue, but our needs have changed significantly.
And in September 2014, we moved, just not into an Airstream.
We made choices to better balance our life.
SEPTEMBER 2012 – The Learning That Comes From Within
“As the primary ‘teacher’ of our homeschool I have set personal challenges for each homeschool year. When we first started homeschooling my goal was to make it through the year. Believe me, that was a major undertaking in that first year.
In the 2nd and 3rd year, my goals were to read aloud a certain number of books and complete all 36 weeks of our curriculum. As the kids have grown older my goals are significantly less concrete, like helping them develop a sense of confidence and expression in their writing, leading by example, and showing them the importance of finishing the school year strong – ‘running the race’ with diligence.”
As the kids grew up the goals changed, and while it seems this should make homeschooling easier, it doesn’t.
It makes it harder.
I have three unique individuals counting on me. Three students now ages 12, 15 and 18.
They set their schedules now (another switchback), and sometimes they fail miserably at this, but then, they “recompute” and try again.
SEPTEMBER 2013 – The Ebb and Flow of a New Homeschool Year
“Since I have no desire to strap-on knee pads and crawl my way, frazzled and exhausted, through another school year, I started making an effort to slow down and focus before it even begins.
Educators across the globe will agree my ultimate objective is entirely more difficult than it sounds, but I have a three-fold plan.”
The three-fold plan involved flipping my work hours, limiting my activities during school hours, and “eating the frog.”
While I began to realize midway through this year that I would not teach in a cooperative the following school year, this method pushed me through a very difficult year.
I knew I needed balance.
I found the balance –for that year at least (it changes with each new year).
FEBRUARY 2014 – Year-round school? Say it ain’t so.
“I tell you all this…to set the stage for something I never thought I’d say: I’ve decided we’re going to try a more relaxed schedule and integrate year-round school.”
I should have titled this post “And Then, I Done Lost My Mind”, but I didn’t because I REALLY, REALLY MEANT IT…at the time.
I’m not saying that we don’t DRAG through the 9 months (180 days) of school.
Nor do I want to dismiss the importance of a love of learning that extends into the summer.
And I certainly recognize that not cutting the year short means more cohesiveness and comprehension of yearly studies.
BUT.
And, it’s a huge “but.”
No one and I repeat NO ONE, in the family wants to do it.
So, after making every sensible argument in the world for year-round homeschooling, we all reached the conclusion we’d rather not.
SEPTEMBER 2014 – Change
“Our family is in a “transition” period, and every woman who has ever labored knows that when “transition” hits all doubts, concerns or insecurities rush in at full force.
For us, right now, this difficult change is a manifestation of our move, but for others the difficulty lies in switching classes, schools, districts, from public/private to homeschool, or vice versa. Maybe it is not even directly related to actual schooling, but a change in job that has forced the family to dig up their roots and move to a new location across the city, state, or even another country.”
Four months before this post, I was ready to start the school year. I had all the curriculum organized and a clear direction.
And then, everything changed.
We moved, switched curriculum, and well…we switched it up A LOT.
For the first school year ever, I did not have a single homeschool resolution.
What happened to the picture perfect planning?
Don’t worry. It is still there–just toned down.
Meredith got her groove with homeschooling at night, Kenny gets up and starts his work around 9:00 am, and they are both independent in their work and schedule. Emelie fits in her last class in between shifts at Starbucks.
They do what works for them, and I’m here when they need me.
When I look back at all the years and posts, it looks a bit discombobulated.
It makes me feel a bit squeamish that you guys have seen my ups and downs, my ins and outs, my indecision, poor decisions, and knee-jerk decisions. But that’s the way this homeschooling thing works; I think.
I’ve got a few more years ahead of me, so I’ll keep you posted.
What’s the biggest change you’ve made in your Homeschool through the years? Anything you did THEN that cracks you up NOW?
Heather Sanders is a freelance writer who prefers to stay home and work while homeschooling her three kids. If you’d like to learn how to pursue your passions and earn an income while working from home, subscribe today.