"Back-to-school" season has long been one of my favorite times of the year. As a student, I enjoyed the learning and social environment of school and was ready to return to the routine after the haphazard days of summer. As a parent, I've entered into my children's excitement over new backpacks and tennis shoes, reunions with classmates, and their anticipation of new achievements.
After months of prayer and much discussion, my husband and I made the decision to homeschool our daughters for this school year. Once we finalized our plans a few weeks ago, we got busy ordering curriculum, reorienting the playroom into more of a school room, and generally preparing ourselves for this new phase of life.
It feels like most of the major decisions have been made and we are all very excited about beginning this adventure! I think "adventure" is an appropriate word for this undertaking; the first definition I found for that word is "an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity." So I anticipate homeschooling will be - unusual some days, hazardous on others, and all told, an exciting experience for our family.
While I won't turn this into a homeschooling blog, I will share some of the things that happen on this journey. Through other blogs, I am finding a wonderful homeschooling community online. I look forward to learning from them, as well as from "real-life" friends who are already on this path. For now, we've committed to one year of homeschooling and will simply wait and see how the months ahead of us unfold.
Next Monday, August 22nd, will be our first day of school. For those of you who are veteran homeschoolers, feel free to share any wisdom you've gained from your experience.
Let the adventure begin!
Oh! A wonderful adventure it is! Words of wisdom for now....
ReplyDelete1)Remember, there are more good days than bad
2)if it seems like your just spinning your wheels...you most likely are, so just move on to something else for the moment
3)Here's the biggest one for me....what I have planned is not always the best plan! Be opened minded to find another way if what you had in mind is just not working.
I just know that from reading past posts you are going to be a wonderful teacher! I look forward to hearing your ideas, as I lack in the creativity part of homeschooling. It's really hard for me to deviate from a lesson plan that is already laid out for me, but I'm trying to loosen up a bit and broaden out this year. I also plan to have more homeschooling posts this year as well.
I will remember you all in my prayers as you embark on this wonderful journey together. Let me know if I can be of any help. :)
Good luck and God Bless!
Congratulations on your decision to homeschool! We're starting this year, too, but I think my experience will be a little different from yours since I'm starting fresh with a kindergartener. But we'll learn together! And I bet you'll enjoy spending more time with your girls. And I bet they'll enjoy not being in school all day long!
ReplyDeleteOh, how exciting! I had a feeling this was going to be your news when I read your blog on Saturday. I have been reading your blog for awhile but this is the first time commenting. I have always thought you would be wonderful at homeschooling!
ReplyDeleteI also have two daughters and this is our second year homeschooling. First, with both daughters home. We love being together and learning. It is so special. I look forward to your future posts. You inspired me with your summertime learning and we started incorporating that into our summers! Thank you :-)
I too plan to take this homeschooling journey one year at time. But....my advice for you would be not to base it on your first year. The first year IS an adjustment when you have had kids in school. I will be praying for you and your family. You are going to be a wonderful teacher to your daughters!
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI love #2 - and know I will need to refer back to your words of wisdom often. Thanks for your encouragement and especially the prayers! I look forward to reading your homeschooling posts and hope you and your daughter have a great school year!!
Nikki,
ReplyDeleteI look forward to following along with your homeschooling experience as well! I think it will be a year of growth for us in many ways.
Hope you have a great week!
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words of encouragement! I do think I will be learning right along with our girls (or at least refreshing my memory on subjects that I haven't revisited in a long time!) I do expect these first few weeks to be an adjustment as we transition from what we are used to when it comes to "school" to what will work best for us here at home. I'm starting with a schedule, but understanding the need for flexibility as we go along. That all sounds good in theory; we'll see how it comes to life next week! ;)
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience as we begin this journey.
Hope you have a great week!
Very exciting! While you will have those days that don't go the way you want them to, you will have a wonderful time! We have entered our 9th year of homeschooling and don't regret it one bit! If you have any questions, just ask!!
ReplyDeleteJoy,
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm counting on my blog readers who homeschool to guide me through when we hit a rough patch! ;)
Hope you have a great week!
We, too, just decided to homeschool! What a fun journey I am anticipating this to be!
ReplyDeletePraying for a fun, successful, year for you!
So excited for your new "adventure"! Your girls are blessed to have such a talented and devoted mother/teacher! Blessings to all of you. Will be tuned in!
ReplyDeletehow exiting, you will have a interesting road ahead, but Trust the lord who will guide you along the way and ENJOY the road,
ReplyDeleteblessing
renee
What fun news :) You know that I am a newbie homeschooler too - it will be fun to travel this path together!!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on your decision. I think this is my first comment ever on your blog. I enjoy reading it. I homeschooled my son most of his life. He went to a Christian school in 11th and 12th grade. It will probably help you grow closer to each other and them to each other, too.
ReplyDeleteChris
Tracey - I had a feeling you might homeschool! How exciting!! :) I've been homeschooling for over 3 years now and it is an adventure that is always changing. Sometimes it seems really frustrating, other times it is a lot of fun! At times I have felt completely inept, but if you go through those moments, don't give up! The Lord will give you His wisdom and patience, and you will learn a lot about yourself and your girls as you go through this journey with them (and learn right along beside them).
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will enjoy it (you seem like a very organised person to me), and I'm sure your girls will enjoy it too. Something I would suggest is that you not try to do everything at once - keep it fresh, keep it simple.
I believe that by homeschooling you are giving your girls the best possible opportunity, because learning should never be just about books and sports etc. Schools tend to stamp out children's creativity as they have to stay within the bounds of the rules and other school-imposed limitations. At home with you, your girls will be able to flourish and pursue their interests and round out their education in becoming women for God.
May God bless you through this year of exciting opportunities to mould your girls to be more like Him! I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for you!
Clara,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement! I do look forward to all the opportunities that homeschooling will provide and know that I will have to rely on the Holy Spirit to help me do this job as I should.
Enjoy being together. That's my advice. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful choice to make for your girls. We have been homeschooling since 2003 and every day is an adventure. I love all this great advice. On good days love every minute of it. On rough days remember to ask God for his advice. Sometimes that is take the day off! Don't for get you are homeschooling not schooling at home. This means that your school day will look totally different then the school day of a child who goes to a brick and mortar school. You might finish in only 3 hours one day and might go for hours with lunch and dinner breaks cause you are on a roll and your girls want to keep going on the subject they are so into. (yes this has happened in our day)
ReplyDeleteLil' Momma
Living with a hard working husband, 1 toddler, 1 preschooler and 1 middle schooler who are Five in Training for HIM
Tracey! I have been "offline" for so long, I just saw today that you are homeschooling! How exciting!
ReplyDeleteIt was my motherly desire to "not send my baby off to school" that brought us to homeschooling, but little did we know the call God had on us as parents, and the work He would do in our family through homeschooling.
After homeschooling two girls K-12, I will say it is NOT easy, and I have "given up" many times, but the reward is greater than I can even say.
I pray you have a wonderful year!