Welcome to FHD’s 3rd annual event, Homeschooling for Free and Frugal Series! Click here to begin reading all of the new Homeschooling for Free and Frugal articles. This article is by contributor, Kasey Norton.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the only homeschooling mother who starts the year, every year, with the best of intentions and the greatest of hope only to find myself drowning by mid-year. It’s possible I’m the only one, but I kind of doubt it.
You see, I never thought I’d be a teacher. I honestly never wanted to be a teacher. I disliked school and brought home report cards that earned me a tongue-lashing and a hefty dose of shame. I’m simply not teacher material.
But then I had kids. The moment they placed that first baby in my arms, I instantaneously became both a teacher and student. It was incredible and breathtaking but mostly it was terrifying.
Fast-forward through the birth of a few more children and into the year my oldest turned 5. Decision time had arrived and I did what any perfectly sane person, in way over their mothering-head, would do. I opted to homeschool without a single clue how to begin. And so it began.
Eleven years later I still feel clueless far more often than I care to admit. I still start each year with great intentions and a fool-proof plan. Every year is going to be better than the last, only it never is. I hang my head in defeat, absolutely certain I’m a homeschool flunkie and that my kids will never make it through the 12th grade. I mean, how could they when I have to google how to do my 6th grader’s math problems?
You think I’m kidding and I only wish I were.
So, here we are with spring upon us once again and all the little songbirds are beckoning school kids everywhere to make haste and pack away the books for another year. Only my kids aren’t done. And I’m starting to despair that the year will ever end. But then it hits me…
They’ll never be done. Life is learning. Period.
It isn’t workbooks or projects or field trips or experiments, although those things certainly can add to the experience. And it isn’t staying exactly on schedule. Sometimes it’s realizing you are behind and scurrying to figure out what parts can be skipped without leaving gaps.
Good teachers learn to improvise when they find themselves in a pinch. The only possible way I could ever label myself as a “good” teacher is because I am nearly always in a pinch and have become a master at improvising.
Just this week I sat down and X’d out pages we could afford to skip over. Gasp! I put big, red X marks on entire pages that seemed like busy work. By the time I was done, I felt like we’d collectively lost about 100 pounds of unnecessary stress and I wished I had done it sooner. Then just for fun, and because I like my kids to like me, I went a step further.
- I gave them access to some (extra) really great reading material.
- We started plans for a garden.
- We made some rough sketches for a chicken coop.
- We bought some paint so they could each brighten up the walls of their room.
- We threw on some boots to trek through the spring mud in search of forest treasure.
And they never knew what hit them.
They love it when they think they’re getting away with something. I love it when I can trick them into loving learning at the very same point in the school year in which they are wishing the learning would just stop already.
You know, it’s entirely possible that we’ll finish out the school year ahead, after all.
(Author note: I am not typically a workbook-style homeschooler but in this season, in this moment, it is what we needed. I always, however, encourage mothers to gift their children with the ability to learn in a hands-on fashion.)
Latest posts by Kasey Norton (see all)
- Homeschooling When it Isn’t Your Gift - April 5, 2018
- Finishing Out the Homeschool Year When You are Way Behind - April 8, 2014
- When Homeschooling Means Your Kids Are Left Out - January 10, 2014
- Beholding the Beautiful - December 2, 2013
- Homeschooling: The Forgotten Subjects - September 17, 2013
Thank you! With nasty colds and a broken arm hitting us this spring I am feeling overwhelmed that we will never finish this year. I needed to read this today. I am not even sure how we “got behind” this year yet I am finding way too many weeks worth of schoolwork left. Thank you for the ever important reminder that homeschooling is the school of life and in the end we will keep learning transitionally or “non-traditionally”. Time to evaluate our leftover work and see what can be X’d out!
We are way behind, I am sure we will be working through the summer. My kids are all kindergarten ( two 6 yr old twins, and a 4 yr old) so they don’t know any better that they should get a summer break. We are also in the middle of moving so we are on a break till we get the new place set up. Yeah for a school room without all the distractions.
I so needed to read this. Thank you! I had a private meltdown yesterday after realizing how much bookwork was still left to cover. How is this possible? We have done schoolwork as scheduled, yet it looks like we have barely made a dent. I tried doing year round last year, but the neighbor kids kept interrupting wanting to play. I am thinking that we will go back to a year round approach, maybe the hot afternoons when we are inside anyway; they quit napping when they were 2yo and get bored.
Thank you Kasey! This is just what I needed to read this morning. There are many things on our schooling to-do list that have not happened yet this year. I appreciate the reminder that part of being a good teacher is to improvise and work with our children right where we are right now. And that everyday is full of learning opportunities.
I hope you are having a fabulous week, Blessings to you and your family!
Hi all. It also made me feel much better. We had to move out of our house and is sort of homeless for the month of April. March was bad, we had nearly no schoolwork done. I’m also a first time home schooler, and is always worrying about doing it right. Love you writing Kasey. God bless!
I stopped saying “we’re behind” years ago. I’ve only been at it for 7 years. We are doing school but only on days that we feel like it right now. My hubby passed away on 12-13-14 and so we’re still dealing with all that brings – the grief, loss, confusion, etc and as you said one never stops learning and we’re learning together how to build a new life. We’ve gotten some school done but I’ve given us permission that if we don’t feel like school that day we don’t do it. Dad was our principal, I no longer have that back up and some days I’m just completely lost. That said even though we’re no where near where we usually are such as almost done with 1 science book we aren’t behind – we recently took a vacation and visited Antietam Battlefield, Harper’s Ferry, D.C. talk about learning! that was enough for a whole a month of school!
Thanks! I NEEDED to read this
Thank you for sharing, Sarah. I am sorry for your loss. However, your story inspires me to not fell so much guilt. I was diagnosed with lupus last year (in my case, my immune system attacks my kidneys), and can have days where I feel worn out. It is inspiring to see how other families have taking a different approach to learning, as opposed to traditional learning.
This is a wonderful article. I stayed in the “we’re behind” mode for quite some time, until we started year-round home school. Now, one year just flows right in to the next. In the beginning I was always in panic mode, but now we are “relaxed”. This method works so much better for us.
Again, thanks for sharing your honesty.
We mostly unschool, and my kids are young, yet, but, mamas (and daddies), no one says you have to do the whole workbook/textbook/whatever. That going through the workbook and marking what seems like busywork? Do it at the beginning of your school year, then only assign the stuff that strikes you as busywork if your particular kid needs more practice with that particular concept. You will have less rush in the spring, and happier kids all year.
Also, homeschool years don’t end. We just switch from primarily book work in the winter to primarily outdoor learning in summer! Go outside and revel in outdoors! The outdoor time gives your kids the physical activity and vitamin d they need to stay healthy year-round, and they are learning that being out in the sunlight a lot helps prevent nearsightedness. Plus your kids are learning about nature, developing motor skills, learning by helping you with gardening or whatever outdoor projects you do, etc. All of this is just as important as the book work. It is our responsibility as parents to provide our kids the tools to grow strong minds and strong bodies, both.
This is great to read! I’m in that place now, this is our first year so I’m not surprised I’m feeling this way. 😊