The next few posts are catching this blog up with some of my facebook activity in the last two weeks…
Firstly – regarding homeschooling, schooling at home… isolation schooling… social distance school – whatever you want to call it. Kids are coming home to learn due to schools needing to close.
Ultimately, the reason I wanted to homeschool was for the freedom of it. Over the years I’d have expressed that differently but I think, bottom line, that’s what it always was.
Having a Dad and a sister who were teachers meant I saw up close what being a dedicated teacher cost so I’ve always held teaching in the highest regard but I’d never respected it more than when I started wrapping my head around curriculum requirements, and never understood so many of the why’s of certain things than that first summer when I went through the whole bang lot.
Starting at years 10 and 2 meant I wanted to see how the year levels flowed from one area to another.
Having had kids in school for 20 years, having 4 already out the other end, having done the rosters and the fund raising and the excursions and the socks (ooooooooh so MANY socks) and what in the end was nearly 3 hours a day 5 days a week in the car for the last half of that meant, I was well ready for a rest.
And was it a rest?
You betcha baby.
In the sense that a change is as good as a holiday.
Apart from the daily face to face that homeschool is, the parents become responsible for seventy thousand choices overnight. We always were overarchingly responsible, but now instead of outsourcing a lot of them and watching over their progress and well-being – we actually have to MAKE those choices.
For me, those choices are a part of the freedom, and a part of the reason I desired it, and love it still.
There are no rules – except for general courtesy and care, there is no uniform – odd socks heavily encouraged, there is no timetable – outside of our goals and a general sense of what needs to get done in a week/month/year and we can flick it any day we want (sort of) and head for the beach.
Yes the choices are many and the responsibility sits square, and are there days that are overwhelming? – well no not really for me in the sense of homeschooling as I’m down to 1 in year 7 and that’s pretty cruisy. There once would have been though had I been granted my wish when there were 6 in a bunch of 10 years.
I really really hope the parents that have their kids at home now, or may do soon, will get wind of the freedom they have for this time… not try to do it the same as school… enjoy each other… revel in the sunshine, make some memories… love each other.
Life isn’t a rollercoaster – its 2 sets of tracks – the good and the hard.
Please keep eyes open for the unique opportunities and ways of doing things in this next while. It won’t make the bad disappear – I’m not suggesting head in the sand – but eyes on the potential and real and concurrent good has gotta help.
Grace and peace.
Heather