Like a lot of families who find themselves in the role of
reluctant homeschoolers you are probably feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. As a former homeschooler and current classroom and online teacher, let
me start by saying that this is normal and it’s okay to feel that way. Take a
deep breath, this temporary and you will get through it. You may even enjoy it!
I promise!
Now that you’ve collected your thoughts, let’s get down to
business. The first thing I want you to do is to STOP! Stop fretting. Stop
worrying over curriculum. Stop trying to force your kids to do things that,
right now, they don’t want to do and are likely unable to do because they’ve
never experienced this before. For most kids homeschooling is a huge change
from what they are used to in the classroom and it takes some time to adjust.
Give them that time! Let them adjust. Let them decompress. Let them process all
the stress that they are under right now. It’s okay. Really. I promise. Believe
it or not, this is part of the homeschooling process. It’s called deschooling.
Everything that they are used to about the process of learning will be
different when homeschooling. And that’s okay.
Even though you are deschooling right now this does NOT mean
you are doing nothing. It does NOT mean you’re letting them do what they want. During
the deschooling process I urge you to continue to maintain some type of rhythm
within your family. You don’t have to be a drill sergeant about it, but some
kind of routine that is the same day in and day out is going to be imperative
to their sanity and yours. Leave out
academics for the first week or so. Give them time to explore art, music,
movement, handwork, gardening, and baking this first week instead of immediately
forcing them into more academic pursuits. This will allow them to decompress and
find a bit of goodness and beauty in their rapidly changing, upended world.
When they are ready to begin academic pursuits again you
will need to understand that it is going to look much different than in the
classroom. The good thing is that it doesn’t take near as long to get through
lessons when homeschooling because you are cutting out much of what is
procedural in traditional school. Thankfully, some schools are providing tons of
guidance as to what needs to be done during this time, which makes it easier
for you! Yay! Even better if your school is doing live online classes because
they will continue working with their teachers and be able to maintain
connections with their classmates. In the case of schools assigning independent
work, your job is simply to work with your child to ensure these tasks are
completed. Set aside time in the day to do it and help them work through it. If
they are reluctant let them step away from a few minutes and then let them come
back and try again. Encourage them! Use positive words and phrases even though
it might be frustrating and they might be reluctant or even defiant. If it’s
difficult for them to focus find a way to engage all their senses so that they
can channel their energy and still learn.
What if you have no idea where to begin and no guidance? Lucky
for you there are tons of resources out there for homeschoolers. The world of
homeschooling and homeschool resources is HUGE! There are live online classes,
there are online programs that are self-paced, there are tons of choices for
boxed curriculum and even free options as well. Pick one and go with it. DON'T GET OVERWHELMED. Seriously, pick one. Just one. Otherwise, you will end up with tons of curriculum that you will never get through. I know this because, well, let's just say that my bookshelves are stocked with curriculum that will never be used!
I am going to work on compiling
a more comprehensive list of curriculum and education options and will posting it soon. In the meantime,
please feel free to ask me for help via our Simple Cottage School Facebook page
or email at simplecottageschool@gmail.com.
But, in the meantime, a bit of shameless self-promotion:
Check Out Our LIVE online classes at Outschool here:
Check Out Our Self-Guided classes at our website here:
I wish you much luck in your new and exciting role as
homeschool teacher and I assure you that this too shall pass. Hang in there
families!
