I know. Stress city!
Those days...
...where you learn mostly by discussing things
...you watch a stack of documentaries about <insert favourite topic here>
...it is all getting a bit too much, so you take the dog and the kids for a walk around the block/down the beach/to the park
...you worry about how late your teens are sleeping
...you have concerns about the lack of "written work" (aka "school work" or "book work")
...you spend the entire day reading novels (that aren't prescribed on some kind of list)
You know, those days!
Well, we ALL worry that "those days" and not doing "enough" are somehow going to ruin our kids education. Go on, admit it. You're a bit worried!
We had our first parent-teacher interviews this week, since going back to school. I have to warn you, I wasn't looking forward to them because back in the day, before homeschooling, they usually weren't pretty. There was a lot of "well, Video Boy is obviously smart...BUT..." and "well, Wombat Girl is obviously doing well in maths, BUT..." (so many BUTs).
So it was with a slightly wary air that I found myself in a school hall, searching for name tags that matched up with the names on the paper list. BUT I was pleasantly surprised!
"I love Video Boy's intelligence and I can't see why he wouldn't be getting A's in science"
"Wombat Girl is very diligent" (said nearly every teacher!)
"Video Boy's reading of Macbeth is just superb!"
"Wombat Girl came first in the class in chemistry test/short story task/history oral"
"Video Boy's knowledge base is amazing"
"I'm very impressed with your daughter - to be self-taught and be better at Japanese than all the kids in the class that I've taught for the last 3 years is very impressive"
And so on!
And you know what? That means I can breathe out. They HAVE settled well back into school. They are getting on well socially ("you can't even tell they've been homeschooled!"). They are doing well (great, even) academically.
You know what else? That means that homeschooling CAN work. And even though it doesn't "look" like school, they are still learning. Learning lots (more!) and setting themselves up well for future study (if they want to).
So, Aunty Ingi says:
- keep reading
- keep watching
- keep talking
- keep playing
- keep loving those homeschooled kids of yours and know you are doing the best thing educationally FOR THEM.
No BUTs about it :-)
That is great news! So glad the transition was smooth for everyone. :)
ReplyDeleteSmooth-ish! There were a few bumps, tears and whinges along the way. Hey, there still are (every day).
DeleteGreat to hear your guys are getting on so well. Well done you!
ReplyDelete(Of course part of me is over here thinking, "Well what Aunty Ingi did worked, but what if *I'm* doing it differently... what if...{insert homeschooling mum paranoid thought here}"? ) Thanks for the encouragement, though. :-)
Doesn't matter if it's "different" from what we did - as long as you are doing what's right for your family, your kids, it's all good :-) Trust me...I'm a teacher!
DeleteThank you for the reassurance. xx
ReplyDeletexxx right back to you!
DeleteYay!!! I love hearing that all is well in your world, Ingi, and the homeschooling reassurance doesn't hurt either. You must be feeling like quite the proud mum.
ReplyDeleteI am very proud. Mostly. I also nag a lot. A lot. But I am also really proud that we homeschooled, it worked and it didn't "fail" them in any way - in fact, I think it really helped them become the wonderful young adults they are today :-)
DeleteI love the "I'd never have known he was homeschooled" comments from the boys' teachers. Duh, what does that look like?
ReplyDeleteI know right? Maybe it's lack of denim, or something ;-)
DeleteYes, homeschooling reassurance doesn't hurt either as well. And I think that transition will smooth at all. You know man I was eager to know. Thanks for this efficiency reading.
ReplyDelete