I wish I would have journaled this home schooling journey from the beginning. I kick my self for not. I will give a quick recap, as I can't even beginning to remember all the wonders, doubts, and thoughts from last July but I do remember a few things vividly. It went something like this:
July 2013, a friend invited me to a Common Core Conference in Boise. I debated whether or not to attend. I am so ashamed to admit this now, but I will! My thought was exactly, "I want a day out with friends, but I don't want to learn the flaws of Common Core because I'm not going to home school!" (ignorance is bliss, right?) Well, my craving for a day out won, and I ended up going to the conference and was very much enlightened. I attended with two dear friends, who are home schooling moms by the way. At the conference, as I began to doubt public school and home schooling crossed my mind, I had some serious wonders and doubts. I verbalized to one of my friends, "...but they would be so limited to my knowledge." She replied, "No, they would only be limited to their own ability to learn" and things started rolling in my mind (and clicking).
After this conference, I did my research. I didn't just take their word for it. I read every thing I could find on Common Core, the official websites and both the pro and anti Common Core websites. I was appalled/horrified at everything I read. I'm not giving any synopsis of my research here. My only persuasion to anyone is to do your own research! (I can't believe my ignorant stance before, and I find it ironic that it was my home schooling friends that were informed and were there. Ignorance is not bliss people!) I will state one thing in my research that hit me like a ton of bricks. It was from the State of Idaho Department of Education website. It stated that the Department of Education would reevaluate in five years.
As I did my research, I entertained the thought of home schooling. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. The thought of home schooling grew and grew. Another very important concept that I learned from my friends is that home school is not public school at home. I also discovered an amazing world of good literature and home school curriculum.
As the idea grew on me, I still had my doubts and fears. The idea of home schooling was growing by leaps and bounds, but I doubted myself personally and I admit I was scared.
This was the most important part of our decision. Scott and I listed our goals for our children. (If you don't know where you are going, you won't know how to get there.) So we verbalized where we wanted to "get to". Our top 3 Goals: 1. They have a strong testimony of the gospel, a vast knowledge of the gospel, and are prepared to make and keep temple covenants. 2. They are prepared for their role as a man or woman. 3. They have learned from the best books. And then I knew.
Never say never!
For me, my answer was right there. I knew that our kids could go to public and turn out just fine. But I knew at that moment, that just fine wasn't where we wanted to get to.
And it took a ton of prayer to have the courage to do what I knew we needed to do! (And absolutely amazing friends who answered a lot of questions for me!)
Some things you should know:
1. This is my personal experience that I shared with you. I am not persuading you to home school. I'll be the first say that home schooling is not for everyone.
2. If you read this thinking, "she's no writer, her grammar and punctuation are wrong, etc. how does she think she can teach her kids to write?," I don't proclaim to be perfect any any aspect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Writing is my weakness. My children our limited to their own ability to learn, not to my knowledge. (besides, it's after midnight!)
3. I believe home schooled children turn out as socially normal as their parents are.
4. For the two years before this point, that we had lived in Weiser, I had friends who home schooled and I knew their children. I could see their "fruits" of home schooling as I knew their very amazing children. I was profoundly impressed by these woman and their children.
5. I strongly recommend, that if you haven't yet, you should really do your research on Common Core! Be educated, be informed!
6. Yes, Common Core is what led me to the idea of home schooling. No, it is not why we home school. As I learned the principles of home schooling, I knew I would home school whether Common Core was in place or not.
7. No, not everyone is supportive of our decision. Nor do I let that bother me! "Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost. I have no problem with taking the road less traveled, it's not lonely, it wonderful, and it has made all the difference!
8. If something is not working in our home school, I make a change that instant. I don't wait five years to reevaluate!!
If your wondering how this year has gone, well I'll cover that in Part II! (However, I can not leave without saying that is has been an amazing wonderful year! Details to come!)
1 comment:
i'm so excited that you decided to join the homeschool world. i was excited when i heard about shortly after you started. mine are homeschooled too. we finished our 2nd year with curtis and 1st year with ari. macie is starting preschool level and hopefully she will move up quickly to kindergarten. i'm glad you wrote about it and researched common core.
Post a Comment