You're Doing What?! - Part III of My Homeschooling Story

Can I confess that I've done more reading the past month than I have over the past year?  There is so much information to absorb in regards to homeschooling.  SO many resources!  I should consider it a blessing considering overflowing resources was not the case even 15-20 years ago.  But it is also very overwhelming.

I hear about recommended books and I go straight to the library website and put them on request.  I'm reading them as they come in.  It's been great.  Even if I don't homeschool forever, I am definitely enhancing my knowledge about parenting, my kids and ME.

But to sum it up, here is where I've landed for this school year.  My first grader will be using the Ohio Virtual Academy. It's an online charter (state-funded) school.  We are assigned a teacher who will provided assistance and direction when needed; however, I am responsible for her day-to-day learning of course!  As a 1st grader, my daughter will work about 20% online.  She will still take state-assessment tests at the end of the year.  All supplies & curriculum are included and sent to our home for free. (Free, although I've paid for it with taxes.  At least I'm getting my money's worth this year.)  A computer, printer, all school workbooks, literature, paints/brushes, music/instruments, science project stuff and more -- all packed up and shipped directly to us.  We received our "goodies" last week.  It seriously felt like Christmas!  All four Catons had so much fun opening the boxes.  So far, everything is well organized and easy to figure out.

It is different in several ways from traditional homeschooling.  It's very structured and I have to keep track of attendance & times working on subjects.  I think that will be the most tedious part that I'll have to get used to. She will be required to log an estimated 25 hours per week, along with anything else I want to supplement.  So, it's more flexible than public school but not as flexible as my own curriculum & our own timing.

We feel OHVA is a great start and a good fit for us this year.  I feel more sane knowing the curriculum is already set up and lessons are ready to go.  I like having the structure, especially as a newbie.  It's an appropriate time in our lives for the curriculum to be free.  It will allow my daughter to go at her own pace and have access to great learning tools.  I've heard wonderful things about the program from other families.


I'm open to other options in the future.  My youngest one will still be attending pre-school this fall.  Again my motto right now:  One year at a time.  One child at a time.


I'll keep you posted on our progress.  Thanks for tagging along on my journey!

You're Doing What?! - Part II of My Homeschooling Story

Has the shock worn off from my first homeschooling post yet?  You're not the only one.  My close friends and family were quite surprised when I told them the news.  I was thinking about going back to "outside work" this fall, for crying out loud!  I told you it was out of left field.  But my peeps are very supportive,  and even if they think I'm crazy... they still love me.  :)

Why should the Catons consider homeschooling?  Here are my conclusions (not an exhaustive list & not in any particular order):

1- A Tailor-Made Education.  This point could be a blog on it's own, but bottom line -- I know my children will blossom with one-on-one education at their own pace & with their own learning style.

2- Flexibility.  My family does not work a typical Monday-Friday, 9-5 shift.  My husband works weekends and has a day off during the week.  There may be times where I need to travel due to extended family health issues.  And then there's that darn snow in the wintertime.  Late nights.  The pros for flexibility go on and on!!

3- Transferring Our Family Values & Building Character.  Moral character is something I want to invest in my children, even more than any sport or academic program out there.  I know it sounds so general and "ideal" but honestly... it is one of the biggest pros.  Homeschooling allows me to have that extra time to nurture, develop and help my kids grow -- just like I have been doing for the past seven years! 

I have been learning all about the disadvantages as well.   It will be a lot of hard work.  It will be a lot of hard work for ME.  And then, there are the unrealistic expectations.  It will not always look pretty.  There will be bad days.  From what I hear, I will see many of my own character flaws.  My kids may not have a "typical" education like most kids, sitting in a classroom with 25+ kids their age -- therefore, their experiences will be different. (not a bad thing in my mind, just dealing with the differences)

The socialization question comes up constantly.  Have you seen the Caton's social calendar?  Let's just say I'm not concerned.  I'm aware it's important for my kids to interact with other kids their age, and to have friends.  They will, don't worry.  In fact, I have to guard OVERsocializing my family all the time or we run ourselves into the ground.

I've talked to many people who sit on both sides of homeschooling.  I've listened.  I've learned.  It's been real.  I've met incredible people -- strangers who were willing to have coffee with me and tell me their stories.  Students, parents, teachers.  I am still overwhelmed by the love and passion all these people have for children and their families. 

I still feel the positives still outweigh the negatives.  I'm also thankful my decision not based on fear or guilt.  That would be scary.

So, I'm giving it a try.  One year at a time.  One child at a time.  I'm still laughing about all of this.  And I'm scared of the unknown.  We could be back at public school next year for all I know.  But there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I'm supposed to try this. 

Where do we go from here?  What will homeschooling look like for us?  There's about 15 million different ways to approach it.  I've got a plan, thank goodness.  School starts in less than two weeks!

TO BE CONTINUED....

You're Doing What?! - Part I of My Homeschooling Story

I laugh as I type this.  You couldn't have told me 6 months ago that I would be writing this blog about this topic.  Homeschooling.

"You're doing what?!"  "Wow, Amy, that's... interesting." "I don't have the patience for that.  Good luck!"  I've heard this a lot in the past month, as well as much encouragement.  Thanks, friends!  Yes, it's true, I am entering a brand new world.  I promised to blog about how this all came about.  So here I am.

I have friends who homeschool.  (Mostly people who live out of town, actually.)  I've seen some bad results with homeschooling here and there, but overall, my friends and acquaintances have had great success with homeschooling.  When I think back to conversations with these friends, I remember either thinking or saying, "Wow, that's great.  I totally get why you are doing this.  Maybe I can convince you to homeschool my children?  I can drop them off in the morning at your home & pick them up in the afternoon.  Seriously." :)

Fast forward to 2010 -- homeschooling started entering my brain as a possibility in the future.  Even the thought of homeschooling being a possibility to me is so out of left field.  What in the world??  I've had a great experience with our elementary school in the public school system so far.  I am a big cheerleader for our teachers, school administrations, and others working hard to better our communities.  So the big question... why do this??

I don't know what made me start investigating more about homeschooling besides a nudge from the Holy (God's) Spirit.  (You may not believe in that, but that's really the truth for me!)  A conversation here, a story about someone, a curriculum I heard about, a blog I read and so on.  No one was trying to convince me.  It just all started adding up. 

By mid-July, I gave it up.  I was out with a friend at Starbucks and we were talking about it.  She doesn't even homeschool, but we were just discussing it.  I came home that evening and decided to tell Matt what I was thinking about.  I wasn't sure what his reaction would be.  We've had plenty of conversations over our 9 years of marriage where we've, ahem... we've made fun of homeschooling.  What was he going to say?

It was 10:30pm.  "Matt, I need to tell you something.... (pause)  I'm thinking we maybe... might... think about homeschooling."  He smiled.  He always smiles, so that doesn't give me any indicators.  After about five minutes of asking me more questions -- yes, it took me that long to get it out of him -- he confessed.  "Amy, I've been feeling the same thing for awhile now, but there was no way I was going to bring it up."  WHAT??!!  We have NEVER even talked about homeschooling in the past couple years.  He told me that he prayed that God would tell me... because there is no way he (Matt) was going to bring it up to me.  He knows I'm stubborn - haha

We both stood and looked at each other, AMAZED.

OK, now I'm really going to have to investigate.  What will homeschooling really look like in the Caton house?  What are the pros/cons?  Thus, I have begun a wonderful journey of exploring a whole new world -- the world of homeschooling.

To be continued....