What is the point of homeschooling, anyways?
Academic challenge, family closeness, learning in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Being there to answer tough questions because they don't only come up between 3:30 pm and bedtime.
Having time to forge real relationships as a family.
Having time to explore things that get neglected when the busywork of school overwhelm life. The time to explore things like carpentry, ants, origami, cooking, drawing, singing.
How do I do it all? Should I classically educate? Use textbooks? Charlotte Mason living books? Plain old living books?
What way is my compass pointing? How can I get it all done? What is the "all" that matters, anyways?
I read and read and read and each book argues well about why that way is good. I'm overwhelmed.
How do I figure this out?
By taking a deep breath first and realizing that you cannot teach everything but you can teach love of learning and inquiry. With homeschooling there is the opportunity to explore what is of interest rather than what's one the agenda. You can take the time to enjoy a deep dive into a question. With any form of schooling you will find that by facing the same 'facts' over and over you begin to question more and more the facts and enrich your 'factual' knowledge by asking more questions, questions beyond the basic concept. In fact you can allow for questioning the significance of the concept, is there a more efficient way of absorbing the concept. I think that homeschooling gives you freedom that you should embrace rather than fear. If your children love to learn, if this is what you install into them, they will love to learn and to ask questions for the rest of their lives. --Teo
ReplyDeleteTeo, thanks for the reminder! If someone is interested in something and knows how to learn, they will learn what they desire to know. I don't know why I sometimes feel so overwhelmed, though it probably has to do with the fact that any decision for something means I choose not to do something else. I'm feeling a lot less confused and much more focused now. Thanks!
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