School This Year... It's Going to Take A Lot of Grace!

 This is Rose in February 2012, about 3 months after we began homeschooling and right about the time we realized this was going to be more than a 1-year-commitment.

There are so many schooling options for the year to come at the moment. With that is coming a lot of emotions: fear, frustration, confusion... I want to let you know that those are all feelings I understand completely. I often refer to myself as an accidental homeschooler. We began with Rose's educational journey in the traditional classroom. In 2011, when she was in 1st grade, we chose to begin homeschooling at the end of October fully intending to return to the traditional setting the following year. After a few months we realized this was a beautiful fit for our family and never looked back.

I am praying for my many friends who are single parents or both parents are essential workers. Praise God for you! We need men and women who are willing to keep doing what needs to be done! I'm praying for my many friends who find themselves out of work because of their state or local community polices. I feel for you and am praying that communities will begin to open soon. 

On the flip side of this, know that if you are doing a virtual school option either by choice or not, it is very different from traditional homeschooling. Every homeschooler I know is happy to help and be supportive no matter what you are doing, but this is quite different from how most of us educate.

There are a lot of blog posts, videos, and meet-ups happening all over the country in response to all of this. My thoughts are not geared towards what to choose or how to begin, but here they are.

1. If you are virtual schooling with a classroom setup, give your teachers grace! They will be trying their best many times with their own children's school to consider as well as learning how to remotely teach.

2. If you are virtual schooling without a classroom setup, give yourself and your child grace! There will be a learning curve for you both!

3. If you are traditional schooling with or without restrictions and limits, give your kids and teachers tons of grace! Things are most likely going to feel different in some regard and that brings a lot of emotions into the package. 

4. If you are opting to homeschool for the first time, give yourself and your child grace! This is a new and sometimes overwhelming journey. Reach out and ask for help. We have all be where you are at some point.

5. If you are opting to homeschool as you already have been, reach out, be supportive, and encourage a mom around you who is feeling stressed!

Above all else...

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Colossians 4:6

Here are our homeschooling plans for the year: 

Everyone

Foreign Language: Talkbox French and Spanish (Click this link to read my full review of this amazing language curriculum!)

Bible: AWANA

Weekly Shakespeare Study: Usborne Shakespeare and Heart of Dakota notebooking pages

Grace - age 11, 5th Grade

History: Hearts for Him Through Time - Creation to Christ (Heart of Dakota)
Math: Math Mammoth Grade 5
Science: Weekly class (meeting virtually until local regulations are lifted)
Spelling: All About Spelling
Grammar: Rod and Staff
Writing: Writing Strands

Literature: Classics and Abridged Classics

Beth - age 13, 8th Grade

History: Hearts for Him Through Time - Revival to Revolution (Heart of Dakota)
Math: Algebra 1 (Math Essentials)
Science: Weekly class (meeting virtually until local regulations are lifted)
Spelling: All About Spelling
Grammar: Caught Ya'!
Writing: Writing Strands

Literature: Classics and Abridged Classics

Rose - age 14, 10th Grade

History: Economics and Government (Schoolhouse Teachers)
Math: Geometry (Mr. D Math) and Algebra 2 (Teaching Textbooks)
Science: Chemistry (Master Books) and Mel Science Experiments
Spelling: All About Spelling
Grammar: Caught Ya! and Jensen's Grammar
Writing: Writing Strands

Literature: American Literature (Schoolhouse Teachers)

What are your plans for this school year? If you need a place to start, check out SchoolhouseTeachers!

 

I would love to hear about your own plans for the year whether it is homeschooling, virtual school, traditional classroom, or some combination. Leave a comment below!