- swanpbl

It is a fortunate country that allows its citizens a selection of educational opportunities such as the United States of America.

It is not for everyone but Homeschool may be worth your interest and time to explore it as a learning alternative. I hope that sharing my experience may offer you encouragement.

My mother was in her fifties and had raised nearly all of her twelve children when she returned to college. One evening after classes she voiced to me, “They used to give us an education.” She could see the values and systems of America’s classroom was changing during the 1970’s, a time of America’s Social Movement. Over the years, her words remained with me, and I grew to realize the difference between being taught information and receiving an education.

My earliest school days were complex. My fondest memories were of positive progress reports shared with my mother by teachers during evening visits on Parent-Teacher Day; singing favorite American Folksongs such as, “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” in weekly Music Classes; and winning seven rounds of Musical Chairs during a school annual fest. Safely strolling home at night with neighborhood schoolmates helping to carry the prizes of seven home-made, layered cakes to my mother depict the best of times.

Soon afterward, outside community program workers turned into gangster and began to terrorize our neighborhoods and schools. I saw and heard about traumas that I hoped my children never would. Eventually, the violence became a national crisis.

Fast forward to motherhood, it did not take long for me to recognize maladjustment in my first child during primary school, although the place was considered to be one of the best facilities at the time. She had never seemed to have a problem with other children before. The free-spirited little soul left home every morning but shifted in demeanor by afternoon into a quiet, withdrawn stressful facial contour. It was paining me to watch the death of her beautiful spirit, and I shared what I had observed with my husband.

Also, we had a friend couple who was Homeschooling, and we were learning from them.

So, we decided to give Homeschool a try, and I am not sorry. For all of the listed reasons below and more:

It can afford more time for involvement and participation in a child’s learning
It can afford a closer observational setting during a child’s developmental stages
It can be a richer educational experience
- It may be more rewarding in forming a closer teacher-student bond
- It may prove to be a restorative experience and a richer historical experience for the child
- It may be more time-efficient
- It may be more cost- efficient
- It may require a more focused setting by removing classroom distractions
- It can be safer
- It may afford a closer social bond among siblings as fellow- students
- It can prove to be an accelerated learning experience
- It can afford a more creative learning environment
- It can promote open communication
- It can offer an overall rewarding experience

Many are the demands placed on teachers today in the public-school setting. Primary to high school levels with twenty-five plus students make it difficult to apply the necessary practical standards of observation for development, planning, and preparation. Multi-tasking, multi-subjects, new information weekly, grading, establishing parental relationships, and constantly increasing time- demand tasks placed on faculty is has become a literal health hazard.

Chaos in the classroom is also a major concern for teachers. The time it takes to maintain order each day could be properly utilized for much productivity.

But the most important issue, from my observation, is the removal of the basic fundamental values of life:

Hope in God.

How can we expect a child or anyone to be motivated to learn when we have removed the very hope for his future.

The fear of God.

What is there to make a child respect the value of a life when there is no fear of anyone beyond himself?

America has more information, yet our students are the most Bible, reading, and math illiterate individuals than we first started out.

We have more spending power but are the most in debt than our grandparents and great-grandparents. Alot of them owned their own homes, though they may have been smaller, and they were not as informed by colleges and universities.

We have the most social status but are the loneliest souls committing suicide and the angriest, most murdering people who have ever been so much featured on the breaking news.

Some people argue that the Holy Bible has been tampered with by Europeans. Maybe things have been lost in translation, but as I recall, there is enough power for the many who believed in it to free slaves, create unity across cultural boundaries, and bless their family lineage with prosperity as we are witnessing today on a massive scale.

I pray we return to the hope of our fathers who knew of a truth that there is something to be desired in the bare basics.

Many families today are considering Homeschool as an educational alternative. In the section below are starter tips offered out of my thirty-three years of teaching experience (twenty-nine years Homeschooling).

THE GOOD NEWS.

You may be the best educator for your child, so you do not have to be the superhero teacher but be the best you can be.

The best teacher skills are said to be ones who care, motivates learning and communication, and utilizes good judgment in relating each subject matter with the student. A good parent practices these skills on a daily basis. So, you may already possess the most important qualifications.

TYYPES OF HOMESCHOOL

Select the Homeschool that best suits your preference

There are numerous types of homeschool programs today but essentially there are five that I am familiar with of which are listed below.

A few schools may provide all the services you prefer at the same location, while some may offer one or two helpful features.

Most likely, you will compile a number of programs and resources together to develop your school’s program which will include your State’s Grade Curriculum.

Homeschool Full-Time:

You, the homeschool teacher, will take responsibility for the entire school program. Give your Homeschool a name, and even a crest, if you want.

You will provide an annual schedule for subjects, books and resource materials, a weekly schedule, weekly grades, Winter/Spring report cards, medical records and etc., throughout the entire duration of your teaching term.

According to the 3 districts- national, state and city are set regulations to follow. Inquire of the requirements.

You may have to report annual grades & shot records to your city’s Board of Education or join a Cover School in your local area that keeps student records all in one place and submits them to your state.

2. Homeschool Part-Time/Campus School:

Some homeschool facilitators (private schools) offer classes of which you may want to enroll your children in as an integral part of your itinerary. They are required by state to place your student under a certain school category, so inquire of their specific programs.

Parents can enroll their children into classes and drop them off at school for a shorter period of time, which offers a parent more time to teach other children if he has multiple students.

Also, inquire of this school about their state classification status. There may be a monthly charge of about $130 for this service.

3. Extension School:

Be willing to work long hours but it is much more rewarding to work in fertile learning environment. This program provides resources for teachers, even as far as books, testing, in-house tutors, and grade keeping.

Upon graduation, they may also send ACT scores to colleges of your choice. They charge a monthly fee of about $75.

Inquire about student classification of their program too, because they may not want you to call your school a Homeschool when they offer so much of their services.

If you would like to offer more for your child than what the school provides, that is the opportunity afforded you in Homeschool. The investment is at your discretion.

There is a minimum requirement of daily Homeschool hours. Check with your state’s regulations for this.

4. Tutoring Sessions:

This service appears to be more frequent these days in wake of the 2019 Pandemic. Online classes and tutoring sessions are more useful than ever because they offer families safe, economical and convenient alternatives for learning.

Private tutors charge agreeable fees per session or per weekly class.

5. Cover Schools:

Many U.S. states regulate that homeschools select a Cover School, which represents the homeschool to their state. You may choose to select a Cover School for a fee of about $80 a month. Additional students are pro-rated.

The teacher registers each student into the database, and provides required state information, i.e., the projected year’s curriculum, last semester’s grades, and maybe even shot records.

Some of these programs provide necessary information for you in their database (your account page), such as updated state regulations and other helpful resources. You can also create pintables student reports of each student from their database.

All of this new information may look overwhelming but it is just a matter of time and preparation before you will be skillfully managing your own school system.

GET READY!

Receive Direction. Pray first and meditate on your decision to gain wisdom and a plan.
Ask your spouse for Agreement of Your Plan. Give him time to mentally and financially prepare for the adjustment.
Ask Your Children for Their Agreement. Also give them time to emotionally prepare for the adjustment.
Do not quit your day job just yet.
- Search online for your state Homeschool regulations, and your local school board Homeschool regulations.
- If you have a local Homeschool Cover Schools in your area, they may also provide additional information of state requirements.

GET SET!

After you decide to Homeschool, develop a Weekly Class Schedule. Include Holidays on this sheet.
- Four of these sheets can be utilized to create a Monthly Class Schedule. Set 5-minute breaks between classes and 30-minute lunch breaks.
- Review an entire year’s plan.
- Save financially. if you can, plan a Financial Exit from work.
- Gather Learning Materials and Supplies. Collect inexpensive resources to set up your first year.
- Determine and organize your Workspace. You can adjust throughout the year and following years as desired.

GO!

Learn good information. Have Fun.
Create colorful schedules. Set it inspirational posters on the on the wall.
Add educational and Art posters to promote interest, creativity and communication.
Review the Monthly Calendar with your family at the beginning of each month so your family can know what they have to look forward to.
Be Courageous. Some family members or friends may not be as supportive as you would expect. Do not exhaust your emotions or energy trying to convince them that it is a good idea. Just let your fruit be your proof.

Although it requires a lot of time to Homeschool, one must be intentional about self-care. Giving is gratifying but constant self-sacrificing can lead to neglect, and even depression and bitterness. Organizing and prioritizing tasks are essential.

Planning a weekly list of personal tasks should be first on your list. Next, may be necessary home chores such as Laundry. Although, your primary activities may vary before and after Homeschool.

Homeschool is not a formula for producing good children. Only God can make promises and has the power to keep them.

Homeschool can be an investment in a child’s education and can provide more thorough information for a better preparation of life.

But children are another story altogether. Sometimes children are not as happy about Homeschooling as a parent may be, even when the results are clearly rewarding.

Like an investment, it may take years to see the harvest. So, we must be patient and continue to water our seeds.

Check out the “Teacher Resources” page for a copy of my Weekly Class Schedule.