A week or so ago the boys and I were walking through Target. As I was making my way back to their "seasonal" corner I noticed that all of their summer outdoor furniture and accessories had been put on clearance. Not only was it on clearance, but half of it was already gone. In it's place we were already beginning to see the signs of "back to school" moving in. Several of the shelving units were loaded with backpacks and lunch boxes - you know how it works. It made me happy. Happy to know that this year we would not be joining the throngs of people buying five color-specific 3-prong folders, three packs of pre-sharpened No. 2 pencils, six boxes of Kleenex, five purple glue sticks, one pack of white board markers, etc. I was happy because this year we would be able to happily stroll along right past that entire department knowing that just about everything we will need for the upcoming school year is already at home. That's what happens, I've found, when one decides [finally] to homeschool ones children. Yep, we finally bit the bullet and decided to homeschool.
The decision to homeschool has really been a long time coming. I think maybe it has always been the direction we were going - it just took A.J. and I a while to see that. There are a number of reasons we came to this decision, but it was without a doubt the last two years since we moved Alex to public school that it became increasingly clear that traditional school was not the intended path for our kiddos.
Our first year at our highly acclaimed "exemplary" school was not a real positive one. Alex struggled a bit socially but we just attributed it to his being the new kid, never mind that had never been an issue before. Midway through the year, his teacher told us she thought Alex had ADHD and that we ought to have him tested. She then told us she was really concerned that Alex would not be able to handle 3rd grade with the increased work load, changing classes, etc. A.J. and I didn't feel like that was an issue for him, so we opted out of having him tested. His teacher, incidentally, didn't return to the school last fall.
But last year, third grade, was what really brought about a mindset change in A.J. and me. The social situation remained about the same for Alex only it seemed like a few of the boys were not just indifferent, but flat out mean. That killed me. Contrary to what his second grade teacher predicted, Alex had zero focus issues or difficulty with the rigor of the subjects he was being taught and even maintained an "A" average (at least until the last 8 weeks). That was great. But by November Alex was starting to become really negative about school - something he had never verbalized previously. He hated his classes. What's more, he hated his favorite class, science. He mentioned that all they ever did was paper work and listened to the teacher talk. Also, as a parent, having been in the school during school hours helping with some school needs I was disturbed by the militant atmosphere. I know that it is essential for teachers to be able to keep order, but I felt more than once, that they were a little over-the-top with their demands, responses, etc.
Of course a big thing was testing. I'm sure I don't even need to explain it. All I can say, being polite, is that the benchmark/STAAR test preparations are absolutely ridiculous. I firmly believe that the "exemplary" rating our school so proudly displays on a giant banner outside the building only means they know how to produce exemplary test-takers. I could tell stories about the use of "strategies" and things told to the kids that I know people would not believe if I didn't have the proof of the paperwork. I am extremely biased in regards to all things related to the state testing - Bad! Bad! Bad! :)
Certainly there are a few additional more personal reasons that helped us come to this place, but the above are some that really precipitated the move.
By December my mind "went there." I started to wonder about the idea of homeschooling. I didn't initially even bring up the idea to A.J. because I didn't think he'd be on the same page as I was, even though I know he had many of the same concerns as I did. By February he and I broached the topic and began praying about it. I went on an email writing frenzy, contacting anyone and everyone I knew who was homeschooling. I asked question after question about their experiences. It was very encouraging, and people we so supportive about our possible direction. By April we finally decided that this would be not only the right move for our family, but also the best move. It was not a decision made in haste, and certainly one that we take seriously. Believe me when I say, I feel the heaviness of this awesome responsibility. But I'm absolutely thrilled to have the freedom and opportunity to get to do this.
The decision to homeschool has really been a long time coming. I think maybe it has always been the direction we were going - it just took A.J. and I a while to see that. There are a number of reasons we came to this decision, but it was without a doubt the last two years since we moved Alex to public school that it became increasingly clear that traditional school was not the intended path for our kiddos.
Our first year at our highly acclaimed "exemplary" school was not a real positive one. Alex struggled a bit socially but we just attributed it to his being the new kid, never mind that had never been an issue before. Midway through the year, his teacher told us she thought Alex had ADHD and that we ought to have him tested. She then told us she was really concerned that Alex would not be able to handle 3rd grade with the increased work load, changing classes, etc. A.J. and I didn't feel like that was an issue for him, so we opted out of having him tested. His teacher, incidentally, didn't return to the school last fall.
But last year, third grade, was what really brought about a mindset change in A.J. and me. The social situation remained about the same for Alex only it seemed like a few of the boys were not just indifferent, but flat out mean. That killed me. Contrary to what his second grade teacher predicted, Alex had zero focus issues or difficulty with the rigor of the subjects he was being taught and even maintained an "A" average (at least until the last 8 weeks). That was great. But by November Alex was starting to become really negative about school - something he had never verbalized previously. He hated his classes. What's more, he hated his favorite class, science. He mentioned that all they ever did was paper work and listened to the teacher talk. Also, as a parent, having been in the school during school hours helping with some school needs I was disturbed by the militant atmosphere. I know that it is essential for teachers to be able to keep order, but I felt more than once, that they were a little over-the-top with their demands, responses, etc.
Of course a big thing was testing. I'm sure I don't even need to explain it. All I can say, being polite, is that the benchmark/STAAR test preparations are absolutely ridiculous. I firmly believe that the "exemplary" rating our school so proudly displays on a giant banner outside the building only means they know how to produce exemplary test-takers. I could tell stories about the use of "strategies" and things told to the kids that I know people would not believe if I didn't have the proof of the paperwork. I am extremely biased in regards to all things related to the state testing - Bad! Bad! Bad! :)
Certainly there are a few additional more personal reasons that helped us come to this place, but the above are some that really precipitated the move.
By December my mind "went there." I started to wonder about the idea of homeschooling. I didn't initially even bring up the idea to A.J. because I didn't think he'd be on the same page as I was, even though I know he had many of the same concerns as I did. By February he and I broached the topic and began praying about it. I went on an email writing frenzy, contacting anyone and everyone I knew who was homeschooling. I asked question after question about their experiences. It was very encouraging, and people we so supportive about our possible direction. By April we finally decided that this would be not only the right move for our family, but also the best move. It was not a decision made in haste, and certainly one that we take seriously. Believe me when I say, I feel the heaviness of this awesome responsibility. But I'm absolutely thrilled to have the freedom and opportunity to get to do this.
2 comments:
We finished our first year of homeschooling and look forward to starting the next (in 2 weeks!). It has been amazing for our family relationships. My daughter, who did 3 years of private school, has said she doesn't want to go back and asks if she can homeschool college.
Congrats on taking the leap! I pray you will enjoy it!
Laura, that's so exciting to hear. We'll be starting on August 12th. I'm, overall, really looking forward to it - though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous/anxious as well! :)I'd love to hear more about your experience sometime!
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