This entry was posted on Monday, July 14th, 2008 at 8:26 pm and is filed under New to Homeschooling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Starting Homeschooling Step Three-Know Yourself
Before you embark on the incredibly rewarding homeschool journey, you need to examine yourself.
What kind of teaching role in the home do you want to take?
- Do you enjoy pulling out all the stops and making a mess while you dig into learning with projects and experiments?
OR
Do you prefer an orderly home with a set schedule where you can plan out any such experiments and ensure that you have just the right materials before you begin?Are you a creative individual who loves to find new ways to explore?
OR
Are you an individual who can take someone else’s creative ideas and tailor them to your kids?
Are you an individual who needs structure?
OR
Are you one who prefers to “wing it” and see where the day takes you?
These questions are important to explore before beginning your search for just the right curriculum.
Why? Because they help to define the kind of program you need.
If you are super creative, you might want to consider a program that allows room for that creative flair. However, if you are one who has trouble coming up with your own ideas, but can take an idea and make it better, you may need a program that is already laid out for you, providing time for enrichments of your own.
One big struggle among homeschoolers is the comparison game–”Look at what Sue is doing. Her kids are doing so well! I have to try that program!”
That Program might not fit you.
And if it doesn’t fit you, your enthusiasm can easily begin to dwindle and before you know it, both you and your kids are ready to throw in the towel.
Know your passions; know your abilities and be willing to accept your strengths and your weaknesses. That is where a successful program begins.
If you are one who has no idea where to begin or what you should include in your program, consider working with an academy like Bridgeway Academy, where expert homeschoolers and educators work with you every step of the way to help you find a program that will work for you.
Additional homeschooling posts:
Starting Homeschooling-Step Ten: Be Ready to Learn by Jessica Parnell
As a homeschool mom, you will learn so much more than you did when you yourself were in school.
New to Homeschooling-Step One: Make the Commitment by Jessica Parnell
Commit to Consistency
Be sure to commit to a full year-one year at a time.
Starting Homeschooling: Step Nine-Become Your Favorite Teacher by Jessica Parnell
I remember my favorite teacher.
Starting Homeschooling Step Four-Know Your Child by Jessica Parnell
Does your child love to get dirty and explore the world around him?
Is she a child who loves to sit down and listen as you read a story?
Is he an analytical thinker, who tends to question what is happening around him?
Is she one who can connect events and experiences to lessons in life?
Does he seem to thrive when able to create with his hands?
Does she naturally "get it" the first time she hears it?
These kinds of questions can help to define the best kind of learning approach for your child.
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