We started homeschooling six years ago, when my oldest was in 3rd grade. He had went to a private school for K, 1st, and 2nd, and when the next little one came along, our budget won out and we had a choice to make: homeschool or public school. At the time, I had three little ones, a photography business, was working part-time still, and at my max at home. Homeschool? That's pushing it. Yet, the alternative wasn't going to cut it either.
So many of my own fears, desires, and selfishness took over at that point. Fears that I would mess them up for life if I tried to teach them because really, who am I to teach my kids? Fears that I wouldn't be "worth" as much as a wife, friend, and in society, that I wasn't contributing anywhere. Fears that I wouldn't have time because I had a business that needed attending to. Fears can cripple us if we let them, and prevent us from growing and blooming where God has us. I can't imagine the outcome, had I let my fears triumph.
In hindsight, I see where God was taking us and what He was doing. And I'm so very thankful.
I was homeschooled. I graduated from our home. My living room to be more exact. I started from 6th grade and continued on to be a senior. It was a good thing academically for me, but how could I teach my own kids? I was caught in the trap that nobody can teach my kids better than a teacher, and I would only be a dis-service to them. But again, the budget.
We started looking into homeschooling. So. Many. Options. Because of my fears, and consequently my husband's skepticism, we landed on a charter school. Even that was a huge decision, with a lot of outside voices vying to be heard over our own. Having an IST/PSP/whatever-else-you-may-call-them tell me what to teach and when was very helpful and exactly what I needed at that time in our homeschool journey. It had so many benefits (money, help, support) and yet, kind of unfulfilling in a way. I know, it wasn't MY education...it was my kids. But there was something missing and I knew it. God. God was missing and I didn't like it. He's supposed to be the center, the core of everything we do and even who we are. And He was missing from our daily work. Oh yes, I added Him in there as best as I could, but then, I was re-writing the curriculum...a daunting task!
With that, my fears subsided, my confidence grew abundantly, and we decided to file our own affidavit with the state and become our own homeschool: Heritage Academy of Academic Studies. We purchased our own Christian curriculum and we were on our way! We have been through a gamut of books, curriculum, more books, curriculum, and even more books and curriculum. I feel like we've tried it all! But we haven't...not even close.
What we HAVE landed on, however, is our own style, groove, and way of learning. The baby learns best by walking around as I read from room to room, another colors or makes mazes for us while he listens, and another will fiddle and doodle. We rarely have a textbook, and most of our books are living books. We almost exclusively use Christian curriculum, and we are laid back about learning in general. We don't do school-at-home. We homeschool. We learn with our hands, learn with nature, learn with God.
All of these things we've discovered as we went on our way, over the course of six years. We didn't start out this way, and I'm sure we'll morph and grow even more as we continue. But God has given us clear instruction and direction on how to teach our kids, and that's all we need. Nothing more, nothing less. Just God directing, and us following.
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