I recently went to a home school workshop. I sat in the room full of about 80 women and maybe four men. All of whom seemed pretty normal. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was surprisingly comfortable. (I think I’m still in the stages of caring about what others are thinking about me homeschooling.) Strangely, I’m proud of my decision. I hope I can hold onto that feeling and that people around us continue to be supportive. Time will tell.
There was a panel of four homeschooling women that described what works best for each family. Their information was very useful, encouraging, and helpful. I found myself nodding in agreement with what they had to say. It gave me a good feeling and I couldn’t help but feel like this is right for us.
I jotted down some notes about homeschooling that hit home…
- one on one attention, ability to focus on individual needs
- teachings based on child’s learning style
- have the time to teach about life – cooking, exercise, health, gardening, home maintenance, mechanics, personal finance
- ability to live life in a more relaxed atmosphere – no rushing, no time constraints
- more opportunities for traveling
- hands on learning, in the real world
- better respect for the family and others
- no feelings of being compared to others
- not as many distractions
- ability to spend more time on difficult subjects
- ability to spend less time on easier subjects to avoid boredom
- less germs
- ability for my children to choose who they want to be and be proud of it
- safe place for my son with allergies
- peers based on choice
- schedule flexibility
What surprised me the most was how four different women could have such different ways of schooling. Each described what a normal day is like for them. Some were very disciplined, using text books, schedules and tests. Others were very relaxed, using child lead learning and life as their guide. I would definitely lean more towards the disciplined way. Any of my family or friends could tell you that I run a pretty tight ship, which I now realize will be very beneficial for this whole homeschooling thing to work well. Glad I did something right!
As I walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but feel excited, happy and confident. I feel like this is right for us and will open many other doors of opportunity for all of us. However, it doesn’t go without some feelings of nervousness, vulnerability, and fear as well. It isn’t easy to do something that isn’t “normal”. I suppose it would be much easier if I didn’t blog about it all over the internet…but I find it so much easier to express myself through writing, then I do when speaking. So, easier or not I’m here to write it all…the good, the bad, and the ugly. Boy am I hoping there’s more good than ugly!!!!
Wish me luck! I’m going to need it!
-Elizabeth 🙂
Have you ever done something outside what society considers “normal”? How did you handle the situation?
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