We’re back on the bus. Or at
least David and Laura are anyway, and I’m quite thankful for it. I should be clear about my gratitude here,
which has more to do with reclaiming my time back than it has to do with the
school part of it. I’ve given some
thought to last year and wanted to share things I learned. This
letter is geared towards parents interested in breaking away from the
traditional bricks-and-mortar schools for any period of time as well as those
who simply want to supplement their children’s learning.
Let’s cover the law and regulatory concerns first because this is an
obstacle for many of us. It took me over
half a year of research to come to terms with doing this on my own, walking
into my district offices, and withdrawing my three children. That only took a few minutes. I admit that the withdrawal letter took
longer to write because I included a page of information the district didn’t
really care about. Only a paragraph is
required for our state.
Effective immediately, I am withdrawing my
child, Jane Doe, from the Your Town Public School District. I will be
homeschooling my child in accordance with CT General Statute (C.G.S.) 10-184.
There you go. I waited to meet
the Superintendent but she was busy and the district never asked a question the
entire time we were gone. This proves
that indeed Connecticut is a “Green State” because it is one of eleven states
that have no requirement for contact with parents. Too bad if you reside in New York or Massachusetts,
because these are “High Regulation” states.
Curriculum choices may consume you, but I want to tell you that it is
easier, far easier than you imagine. There
is so much wonderful stuff available today, but you need only focus on three
things in grades K-8, mathematics, English, and history. I used Saxon Math (the old books not the new
Common Core ones published by McGraw Hill), Rod & Staff English set, and
Story of the World by Dr. Susan Wise Bauer.
The English set is arguably the best English program available; it includes
writing assignments every 4th or 5th lesson. It’s dated, I agree, and there are bible
lessons and references which we found entertaining, but the program is
excellent and I learned a lot I was never taught myself. Math is a traditional program and Story of
the World is a history book which lends itself to reading aloud. I purchased the DVDs to reinforce learning in
the car.
Outside the big three of math, English, and history, do what your kids
like, or better, do what you like. I
believe in the classical model which stresses learning from the greats,
building a solid knowledge base in the elementary years, learning to question
and engage in the middle school years and developing persuasive rhetoric in the
teen, high school years. Our extras
included Latin, piano, logic, physics, penmanship, typing, athletic pursuits,
and reading classics.
Schedules are helpful for everyone because let’s face it, kids need
structure but you will as well. I
printed a schedule for each child and they worked on math first, then history,
and English. Working on math first
thing is important, the other subjects they can study as they wish. On a good day they’re done the big three
inside of three hours. In the middle
grades, math will take an hour if they are working at the appropriate level. Our children had very full schedules because
of the extras.
Traveling changed the routine and the children took only their math and
English books with them, studying two or less hours in the morning, touring
during the day, journaling in the evening.
We carried a lot of books the first couple trips and found that tearing
out chapters or copying helped lighten the load. History comes alive when you travel to the destination
and the world becomes the classroom, like visiting Kensington Palace after
studying the Victorian Empire. But after
weeks of travel, we were ready to go home, to see our dogs, to do laundry, and
to sleep in our own beds.
To stay in touch with friends at home, we joined some fun groups and
started some too. We hosted a weekly
board game with my son, invited friends over for both daughters and joined the
youth groups at church. The kids tried
new things like riding lessons and travel teams and they went early while their
peers were still in school. But it was
their friends they missed most, and that is a lifestyle change.
Our lives changed. I have taught
soldiers, corporate employees, and college students, but teaching your own
children is different because the relationship is unique. All parents are educators to some degree
because you are models in all you do and say. Parents are in the driver’s seat
for education and if you forget that, don’t be afraid when you crash. We had a few accidents this year. Teaching three children is consuming and
changes your way of life. My eighth
grader became very independent, the sixth grader needed occasional help and the
fourth grader needed routine instruction.
It’s a few hours of your time each day and kids have good days and bad. They are growing emotionally too, so that
can be quite challenging. The rewards
are great, but the stressors are too. The
path is not better, it is different and it is not for everyone. It helps to have an abundance of patience and
an open mind. The concern is not the
curriculum or whether your child will keep up, because she will. The challenge is most likely your sanity.
It’s taken me time to complete this letter because it’s hard to
evaluate our year without seeing how the children transitioned back into school. Caroline chose, with our full support, to
attend a private school. She has found a
level of contentment and challenge that was not on her horizon one year ago
because she was so influenced by her peer group. We met for conferences yesterday and Dr. Z
who teaches Spanish exclaimed with some fervor, “Caroline speaks English! “
which was a surprising statement from a foreign language teacher. He continued, “And she is the only student in
the class who understands the correct use of whom.” He congratulated me as her English teacher
that she actually understands our language, its usage, and in this she is
unique. Her English teacher also commented
on this.
I was flattered, but I knew it had more to do with the curriculum than
my teaching. The more I used Rod & Staff, the more I liked it. David and Laura have mentioned homeschooling
again, possibly next year. If I had it
in me, I would teach each child two to three years to ensure they knew English,
history, and the fundamentals of mathematics.
I have been close minded about education and this year, for the first
time, we explored other paths, homeschooling and private school. I have serious concerns about public school
and it’s refreshing to see excellent teachers simply teach in private
school. It’s even more compelling to
know that my kids learn and grow wherever they are, in school, at home, or
abroad.
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