Considering HS

[Guest jenpsi]

I have a rising 4th and 5th grader, I am a trained teacher, and I am 90% sure I am going to hs beginning this fall. The 10% of me that is terrified needs some encouragement!! Any advice for someone starting out??!!

 

THANK YOU!!

[Caitilin]

Relax! :grouphug:

 

You can do this. I don't know that you will find that your training as a teacher helps much in your homeschool, (hopefully one of the other ex-teachers will chime in), but it's NOT school, so that's OK. :)

 

Just enjoy your kids and your time together, and feel your way along. You'll be fine.

 

Congratulations on your new venture!

[Mallorie]

Would it help to say that you're not alone? :)

 

I'm not a trained teacher, this is my first year, and my oldest is in 7th! Can you say, scared? LOL

[holdoll]

What an awesome decision you've made. Just B-R-E-A-T-H-E! You're going to do just great! Are your children boys, girls or both?

 

Plan your curriculum and realize it's not going to take anywhere near as long as teaching a whole class. You will be able to teach to their levels. Move faster through their strong areas and let them flourish with things they would never have been exposed to before. Reinforce what's lacking. That's just one of the beauties of home schooling - it can all be tailored to each child's specific needs. Also, they will be missing their friends. Make sure they have plenty of opportunities for interaction that you deem appropriate and check into local home school groups and co-ops for them (and support groups for moms too).

 

Above all, may the Lord bring you and your children closer then ever before and may He make their love of learning blossom into a lifelong desire.

 

You can do it!

[5LittleMonkeys]

Kick that 10% to the curb and dive in!

 

Relax, purchase curriculum that is tailored to your dc's learning styles and your teaching style, take it slow at first, don't be afraid to scrap your plans and start fresh if a certain schedule or curriculum don't work, don't let homeschooling control your life, get plenty of sleep, keep a positive attitude even when you feel like screaming (don't want to scare you there, but it can happen) and most important..ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN!:D

[Jean in CA]

I taught a small class (less than 20) of 6th graders at a private school before teaching my own children at home.

 

In my opinion, it is SO MUCH EASIER to homeschool your own(at least the academics part) than to manage and teach someone else's children! And it takes a lot less time, because you don't have to wait for the entire class to get out their books and sharpen their pencils!

 

Some tips: Ramp up gradually. For example: start only with math and grammar and read-alouds for a week. Add writing, then add spelling, add history and then science-directed reading. Maybe art and foreign language once you find your rhythm. Take 2 months to reach "maximum capcity." Limit all outside activities, sports, trips, errands. Try to group them on one day or just do "less" outside the home.

 

If your children are not already helping around the house, come up with a regular system where everyone does chores together. One result of being at home more is the house is messier! It helps that your kids are older and will be able to assist in maintaining the home.

 

There will be ups and downs and days you wonder, "Why did I choose this?" These are normal feelings and don't necessarily mean you made a "mistake" in homeschooling.

 

The first year of anything is always a bit tricky (remember the first year of marriage and being a new parent? LOL!), but if you give yourself freedom and time to grow and adapt to your own children, you will enjoy your journey more!

 

Jean

Edited July 30, 2010 by Jean in CA

[Karen in VA]

Wow! You're only 10% terrified! I envy you!!!

 

I am going to be starting this fall as well. I have two forth graders (girls)and a second grader (boy). So we'll all be new at this together!!!

 

Karen

[Night Elf]

Maybe it's because you're a teacher and you've been taught that school is done in a certain way. I'm not a teacher but I was scared when I started as well because it's stepping off the traditional path we grew up walking.

 

Think of your first year as a learning curve. It will probably not go perfectly. Children learn by ability and not by grade level. So if you don't cover something this year, don't freak out. It will get picked up at another time. That is really, really difficult for some people to understand. There are many threads on this board from posters who are freaking out because their children are "behind". They aren't behind. They are where they are, and that is one of the freeing things about homeschool. They are less likely to fail when they can truly take the time to understand concepts rather than being rushed through because of an arbitrary deadline set by a group of bureaucrats. That's just MHO.

[brandyb]

I taught middle school for 12 years before finally taking the homeschool plunge with my two boys in March of last year. We are getting ready to start our first full year as homeschoolers and I am so excited. My boys will be in 4th and 7th this year, and I've had a lot of fun choosing curriculum and sketching plans for next year.

 

I find the "planning" part of teaching something I still hold onto, probably because I am just so used to having plans on paper. HOwever, I have learned to plan IN PENCIL so I can easily erase and adjust things as we go.:D

 

The thing I love most about homeschooling is being with my kids all day! My second favorite thing is the flexibility. As a classroom teacher, the schedule was sooo important (to the principal at least). I was always frustrated by trying to make sure I didn't get "off track" even if I felt like my students need more or less of a particular thing. Now, I make my own schedule. If I feel we need to spend more (or less) time on something, we do. If we're having a good time studying something, and we want to go off on a rabbit trail, we can!! There's just so much freedom to do what you know needs to be done, and I love it!

 

Good luck and have fun!

[fhjmom]

I am a reformed public school teacher too! :lol: I was out of teaching for about a decade before diving into homeschooling and we jsut finished our first year. I think being a teacher made me more scared because I did realize how big a task lay ahead of me and instead of sharing with several other teachers, it was going ot be all on my shoulders. I realized though that I am the teacher my kids need most (at least right now) and we had a great first year. Lost of learning and adjustments on my part and we are takign a totally different direction this year but I am now much more excited and confident than I was this time last year.

 

Welcome! You can do it! Enjoy your kids and have fun! Oh, and learn somethign along the way! :)

[TheCoffeeChick]

Welcome to the boards! You'll find there is a huge pool of information and help here. Oh, and welcome to homeschooling. 10% unsure is quite good, if only we all had 90% confidence all the time! :grouphug:

[....]

I have a rising 4th and 5th grader, I am a trained teacher, and I am 90% sure I am going to hs beginning this fall. The 10% of me that is terrified needs some encouragement!! Any advice for someone starting out??!!

 

THANK YOU!!

 

Do you know your state's homeschooling laws?

 

Do you have specific homeschooling goals? Are you going to be following the classical ed method, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, etc? Have you read Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Curriculum Picks and The Well-Trained Mind?

 

Have you heard about deschooling? There's a big adjustment period when you pull your kids from ps. There's an adjustment to learning one-on-one, compared to being in a classroom with a giant mob of kids. When they homeschool, they can't disappear into the woodwork during class....:tongue_smilie: There's also no such thing as not understanding the material. You just don't move on until something is mastered.

 

If you need encouragement, there's a bunch of homeschooling success stories on this forum! :D Maybe you could start a "homeschooling success story" thread!

 

That's all I can think of for now...:cool: Homeschooling is very much a learning lifestyle. Good luck with your journey! :)

[MerryAtHope]

You can do it! It's intimidating to start, just like anything new can be...but you'll get the hang of it, just like with teaching school. Come on in, the water's great!

 

Merry :-)

[mcconnellboys]

If you can do it for a class of 20 or 30, with a million different personalities, problems, and learning styles, you know that you can do it for two children you understand better than anyone else on the planet....

[Guest janainaz]

Research curriculum and make a decision and stick with it. Pick curriculum that you feel comfortable teaching and explaining. If you understand the material the way it's presented, you can make anything work with your child's learning style.

[woolybear]

Try to meet other hsers IRL. That way you can see how others do it and have friends who get what you are doing. You will also have support.

 

Of course, you may already know others. Hopefully, it is a good connection. Find park days, or others for playdates, etc.

[Athome]

You won't regret it! It won't always be easy, but you will be so thankful for sticking with it. As a former teacher myself, knowing I did the best I could for my students, I know I never taught them as great as I'm doing for my own kids. You best know their dreams and talents, their highs and lows, their difficulties and struggles. You are committed to them like no one else, even the best intentions of a teacher. I so sad my former students we're all able to get the same education I'm giving to my own kids.

[the4Rs]

Just chiming in as a former PS teacher.... you will be fine. You ae more than equipped to do this and that has nothing to do with the fact you are a teacher. Homeschooling is so different from ps but if you allow for adjustment time and a time to "deschool" all three of you...you'll be just fine!

[Dolphin]

I am another newbie, my son is entering 3rd grade. I am getting nervous, but I am mostly excited. Good luck to all of us.

[lisabees]

You can and will do this!!!! I, too, was a pubic school teacher years ago and home schooled my 7th grader for the first time last year. Just use these boards for encouragement. I even posted a few minutes before we started on our first day. I was shaking and crying, wondering if I've made a huge mistake.

 

Remember, if it really doesn't work out, it doesn't have to be forever. Remember it take a few months to settle into a pattern. Remember it takes a while to discover your learning style and each of your kids. Remember to only change curriculum if truly necessary. And remember, your training will not come in handy. At all! :lol:

 

I made it through our first year and so will you. You will have a blast getting to know your kids in a way you never have. Enjoy!

 

This year, I have ds17 coming home - yes, a junior who has high aspirations! Am I scared? You bet! Will I shake and cry on that first day? Probably. But...I know I can do it. It will all be fine.

Edited July 31, 2010 by lisabees

[Firestar Academy]

Lisa

Homeschooling ds, an 11th grader, who has been pleading to leave public school for years. This will be his first year! :D

 

 

My dd(10) has been pleading to be hs as well for 4 years. so after the next dd(7) spent 1 year at ps, we are doing the homeschool thing, too.

 

I believe in starting one subject for a couple of days, then add in another subject, and so on. we will not be doing any foreign language or spelling program.

 

Robin in NJ

[Mom2Tess&Gus]

I feel your anxiety! I, too, am a teacher and taught for 10 years before deciding to homeschool my now 1st DS and 4th DD. I have done a practice run this summer since deciding not to send them back to school and already feel this is a wonderful decision. I hope it keeps up. I'm glad I did do some short practice days as it helped me see that planning for lessons is NOT like planning lessons for a classroom of students. I am looking forward to this year (with some anxiety, too). Remember...you were trained to reframe and refocus negative attitudes from students...you know how to see when a student just clicked on (or off) from a topic...you know all about pushing just a bit too far and deciding to stop...you can do this. WE can do this!