Homeschooled or Homeschoolers

Life is full of choices. Twelve years ago we decided to figure out how we could educate our three kids at home, instead of continuing to send them to the local public school. Private school wasn't an option at that time. To afford private school would've meant me working way more hours than what I would ever have been able to handle and still keep house and take care of kids. I know a lot of moms do it, but I also knew I couldn't. But I wasn't so sure private school vs. public school was the issue for me. And it wasn't that the public schools here weren't good. We live in a blue ribbon school district. National magazines rate our schools at the top of the charts. After meeting a few families I admired, who home schooled their children, I made a pro/con list. Studying the benefits of educating our kids at home convinced me that I wanted to give it a try.

It's probably no surprise that when I approached I.T. with the idea, he was tentative about how it would work. His wife (me) had been known to come up with super incredible, amazing ,fabulous brilliant, ideas, jump in with both feet, but not a ton of thought, go after it like a wild woman, then stop dead in her tracks with a big sigh and walk away from the whirlwind she'd just created, because one little piece didn't fit perfectly into her plan. I'd say I.T. was justified in his initial reaction. So, I did about six solid months of research on homeschooling and got together a trial lesson plan for our kids- who were at the time 11, 8 and 6 years old.

Then we went on our regularly scheduled, annual vacation to The Cottage ( I posted pictures of this year's annual here and here) and I incorporated my lesson plans into the week's activities. For example: this was the year we discovered that an eagle was nesting on the lake. We paddled over to the tree where the giant bird liked to perch, as she scanned the water for tasty fish. It was exciting to see this national bird soar and dive. Later, back at the cottage, I handed out construction paper and colored pencils and challenged each child to draw their version of the bird and put it together with a poem or paragraph that described how they felt about her. I wondered if they'd do it or if they'd think, "hey, this is like school and we're on vacation, we're not doing this", but they did it and they enjoyed it. I still treasure their finished works. I tested out a few more "assignments" over the course of the week and all went well. I decided it would work.

When I got home I wrote a seven page paper titled, "Why I Want to Homeschool Our Kids" and I gave it to I.T. with a loving, personal cover letter that started: "Dear I.T., " That was the summer of 1998. We've been living the adventure ever since.

Outside the Box was home schooled 6th through 12th grade. By his junior year, he ran two home based businesses- he took senior pictures and did family portraits for pay and he taught approximately ten cello lessons per week in our home. He designed a website for his photography business, learning how by reading HTML for Dummies and one other book about web design. He drummed up business for cello lessons by visiting local schools and passing out homemade promotional materials and working with the orchestra teachers. He did the bookkeeping for both businesses. He did some AP coursework at the local public school and some AP coursework at home. His freshman year of college, he entered with 21 credits and he graduated cum laude with a double major in music and youth ministry. He works full time as director of youth ministries at a local church, is drumming up business for cello lessons again and just invested in a new, fancy camera.

Pilgrim was home educated for five and a half years. He went back to public school in the second semester of eighth grade- his choice. He played soccer as a freshman. After that, he spent almost all of his time working in the theater department and making short video promos for local companies- part of an internship offered by the school. He always had huge compassion for the kids in the special education program. At a high school awards ceremony, Pilgrim received a monetary scholarship for furthering his interest in the film making industry and two certificates of appreciation from the special education department for work he'd done with the kids. Pilgrim longed to be out on his own, to see the world and make his way in it- sans classrooms. He currently works three jobs and lives, on his own, with a roommate, in California. I know Pilgrim's post high school education has only just begun.

Fash has been home schooled first through twelfth grade. She's an artist and designer, so it's fitting that she is looking for the perfect place to study fashion and interior merchandising and design and all things art and be involved in theater. We've been touring the country searching for this perfect place and we're not finished yet. Every week she spends six hours working with folks at a retirement home- doing art related projects. The activity director and the residents adore Fash. She'll be on stage again soon, this year as Lily St. Regis in the musical, Annie.

Homeschooling isn't for every family, just as public school isn't perfect for every student and private school doesn't work out for everyone. It's okay though, because all three are valid options in this country and most kids can gain a great education from one or the other or a combination of the three choices. I find good in all.

Of course, stereotypes are inevitable. Some people think that home educated kids are a bunch of introverted, cling to momma's skirts, button your shirt to the top, societal rejects and because some of these people are outright verbal about their thoughts on that, a few home schooled kids have been motivated to defend their preferred method of education.

As for us, we've fared pretty well. Nobody has really bashed our decision to home educate- not to our face anyway. The roller coaster ride of home education is almost over for us. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Was it the best choice? I don't know. All I know for sure is God met us in the midst of it and He was our ever-present help and guide. I have many examples, but the post is already too long. The point is: there are many choices, there is more than one way to do a thing, we won't always choose the best way or the right way, but if we ask him, God will meet us in the midst of whatever choice we make and show us a way to get through in one piece.