Home Schooling the High School Years...
When we were first blessed to start this journey of home schooling, there
was A LOT to learn!!! So much more than I had ever even thought. All I knew
was the Lord had laid it on my heart, and my hubby was for it, so we
started... I thank the Lord for making me so brave during that time to even
attempt to try it out. Now as I look back on the past 10 years, I can hear all
of the questions I have been asked about our decision and the answers, even
unsure ones, ringing in my ears...What about socialization? What qualifies
you to home school? How long are you going to home school?...just to point
out a few that everyone I know have been asked. I have always felt
confident in answering those questions and over looking the judgement,
but one question I was a little nervous about...Are you going to home school
them all the way through? My answer was always, "I hope to", and is still
my hope today. The thing that changed inside that response was my
confidence, from seeing the Lord provide what we needed in school year after
year and him sending others who have gone before me to graduate their
children has boosted my confidence to home school through high school.
Recently I was blessed with a CD on Home Schooling through High School,
and I was so encouraged once again to keep on the path that I wanted to
share it with you. It is an older recording from the writer and teacher of the
Apologia Science curriculum, Dr. Jay Wile.
Here is a highly educated, college professor, and scientist who saw first hand
through his college students the differences between traditional schooling
and home schooling. His observed such a huge and positive difference that
when he and his wife adopted their daughter he knew there was no other
option but to home school. There were a few really encouraging things he
said that I know I won't be able to quote exactly, but I wanted to at least try
to share the encouragement: Your home school experience is NOT going to
look like anyone else's, that's OK! Our kids are getting everything they need
from home schooling. Studies show that a home schooled child tests as well
or better than public or private schooled children no matter the highest
education level of the home schooled child's mother or the income level of
the household. Home schooled students seem to do better in college
because they are self-learners/teachers. We as home school "teachers" serve
three roles from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Grades K-5 we are the
teacher, 6th-8th grades we shift more responsibility to the student and
become more of a tutor, and 9th-12th grades we give almost total
responsibility to the student and become a fellow learner. That is how the
self-learning/teaching is created. If we learn something on our own it
becomes ingrained and we will have learned it for forever.
WOW!! What an encouraging thing to hear after the day some of us have
had, right!? The message from this CD is so encouraging and I urge you to
try and hunt one down if you are faced with any doubts at all about if you are
capable of doing this "home school thing". We ALL need a little
encouragement and reassurance from time to time~
Love,
Colleen
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