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“The party of the first part must come to a contractual agreement with the party of the second part in order to arrive at a solution that both parties find amenable. This contract becomes null and void if one or both parties agree together to renegotiate or one party fails to keep his end of the agreement.”
Now that’s what all homeschooling parents should read and sign with their children every year! A parent has got to love such an agreement because it’s neat, clear, and takes care of all contingencies. It’s also an obfuscating paragraph (that means ‘cloudy’) that may be difficult for you to understand at any time of the day, not just in the morning before you’ve had a strong cup of coffee.
The beginning of the school year is bound to be confusing for new homeschooling parents as they try to figure out which curriculum should be used, what time of day to start teaching, how many breaks to allow during that time, and other weighty issues. The following suggestions are designed to help you in this first year. If you are an experienced homeschooling parent, these suggestions are meant to give you a boost in this new year.
1) Choose two or three family goals for the year. Put them on the refrigerator, in your planbook, and discuss them with your children. Throughout the year, remind yourself of the important reasons for your family decision. Review them with the children to see if any goals have been reached.
2) Try to stay focused on why you are taking this move and realize that you may be the first person in your whole family to take this action. Enjoy the spirit of pioneering feeling!
3) Find a local homeschool support group and join it. If you are an experienced homeschooling family, invite a new family to your group.
4) A schedule is just a written plan for the day or week. It is designed an outline to help you be organized. It should not rule the homeschool, but be there to remind you of the basic order. Be prepared to take excursions away from the plan and remember that variety is the spice of life.
5) Decide on the best way to keep track of what your child does each day: teacher planbook, spiral-bound notebook, spiral notebook, journal. It’s not a good idea to use folders because it's too easy to lose the papers. Try also to take pictures of your child at work on projects and also while proudly displaying finished projects.
6) You are not locked into the 8 to 3, Monday through Friday routine anymore. Decide what works best for your family. Some families have discovered that taking Sunday and Monday off is better than Saturday and Sunday. Others routinely take off Friday and Saturday. Whatever works for your family is right for you.
7) Be consistent. Homeschooling is a disciplined experience. This does not mean that changes cannot and should not occur, just that children do better with a regular flow to the day. It is important to learn what time is best for your child to be involved in formal teaching (such as doing math). Most of us were schooled in a traditional setting, so we tend to think that that is how the homeschool 'clock' should run. Don't get locked in.
8) If you are going to be homeschooling a child who has been in a traditional classroom setting, there are certain phrases and accompanying behaviors that may need to be overcome. "That's not the way my teacher taught me" is one. Another phrase that will no longer be relevant is "My teacher never told me to do that." You are now in the role of the teacher. You and your child will need to adjust to role changes together. Try to be sensitive to each other.
9) If more than one child is being taught at home, consider using a multi-level curriculum for science and/or history. Konos and Weaver are just two examples of such material. If you decide that individual science books are more appropriate, try to match up units so that you are all discussing the same concepts at the same time. This makes your job easier when it is time to conduct experiments, go on field trips, and find library books. Don't assume that the younger child will not be able to understand what an older sibling is learning. If the subject matter is too difficult, the young one will tune it out.
Remember that the family does not start and stop like the traditional school. Family members don’t say goodbye to each other in June and hello again in September. Family life is more like a river with its twists and turns, with perhaps even rapids and submerged objects.
I have never gone whitewater rafting, but sometime I would like to experience the thrill of speeding down the river while conquering white-knuckle fear and bone-numbing tiredness. From what I’ve seen in talking with friends and watching news clips, it is highly unusual to never get wet. Actually, it’s impossible because the raft tends to fly above the water and then dive into it. The trick is in listening to the raft captain and being obedient to every command with no discussion. If you are told to paddle in a certain way, you do it with no thought of refusal. Sometimes you’re told to hang onto the ropes. After first quickly stowing the paddle, you grab the rope and hang on for dear life.
It’s important to wear a life preserver when rafting because of the very real possibility of going overboard. Its buoyant construction allows you to live while bobbing along helplessly. You don’t put on a life vest in the middle of trouble, but when all is peaceful and calm. I think there is a lesson for the homeschooling family in this. They will experience trials that send them overboard, too. With the right equipment and the earlier right preparation when all was going smoothly, the family will survive the trials down that river. The exhilaration they feel when they make it through to calm waters again makes the trip all worthwhile.
About the author:
Shirley is founder of Home Education & Family Services, a full-time service organization offering helps and resources for families who want to provide the best education for their children., and Royal Academy, a unique alternative to traditional schools that is based upon the model of parental involvement in the education of their children. You may contact her through the web site: http://www.homeeducator.com, or telephone: 207-657-2800
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