I have spent the better part of the last two days in back-to-homeschool mode. We had a busy and productive summer working on problem areas, and even managed to get in a bit of travel by taking a working vacation for one of my daughters pageant activities. This year it meant looking a long list of syllabuses and determining what each child needed for each class. With the kids beginning the 7th and 9th grade this year, most of their learning will come in the form of classes outside the home. Their schedule this year resembles being in college.
Many people would say, and have said that our current eclectic, class based approach to homeschooling is not really homeschooling, but I know that as long as I am in charge of their program and can adjust and arrange the best fit for my kids, that we are still homeschooling.
We have many goals for our kids this year. Our daughter has been bit by the acting bug, so we want to find opportunities for her to spend more time on stage. We also want our son to continue working on his website and his movies and to develop something noteworthy this year. His Avid Editing class should help a lot, and he plans to teach himself XML this year as well. We also have to make sure our kids meet physical fitness and sports goals too.
Whether you are beginning a new year of homeschooling or homeschooling for the first time, it helps to take some time set goals and decides what is actually do-able within one school year. As kids get older, you also have to balance their desires and aspirations with your own plans for them. It is definitely a balancing act. Some desires will have to wait for holiday and summer breaks. Others will happen on the weekends and in once a month workshops. A family calendar is necessary; PDA’s that synchronize do not hurt either.
Read:
Why We’re Not Going Back to School
Beginning Homeschooling again
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