We Did It! We Survived Our First Full Year of Schooling at Home!

I’ve been wanting to write this article since school got out and just didn’t make the time. We celebrated the fact that we finished our first year of home schooling, and my little man successful skipped 2nd grade and finished 3rd grade with an A average. There were times through out the year, I wondered if we had made the right choice. We encountered the drama and tears of Mama’s job changing from cheerleader to teacher. (Don’t get me wrong, I still cheer but I have to make sure it’s right and correct habits now that could make things harder in the future.) It has also been a wonderful blessing to be the one to get to watch the light bulb come on. It was the love of watching that happen that had me get my degree in education to begin with, and I must say it is a great joy to watch it happen with my own child. I’ve now learned (for the most part) how my little man thinks and maybe even more importantly he’s learned how I think.
If we had to judge who learned the most this year, I’d have to say it’s me. I’ve had to figure out how to get the best work out of my boy and do so in such a way that I don’t turn him off to learning but to turn him on. I love listening to him read his Bible and story books. I love listening to him reason out why something works the way it does…or even how he has a better plan for it. I love being able to snuggle in the mornings as we give ourselves the time to wake up and get moving. I love hearing him practice his music and how he’s gone from struggling to make the cords to playing songs. I didn’t enjoy the melt downs when he thought he had something right only to learn that it was wrong and had to be redone. I’ve learned that sometimes a quick trip out of the house can make a huge difference in how the rest of the day goes.
I also learned what I wanted to change for the next school year. So I’ve spent my summer praying and studying and comparing different curriculums and do they fit his learning style and my teaching style. Lord willing, we’ve found a combination that will lower the stress for both of us.
We are both looking forward to school starting a week from Monday, and I’m prayerful that not only will we meet the educational goals we’ve set but the spiritual ones as well. I had a good friend tell me that if I would hang in there for three years, things begin to get easier. I’m praying we see things get easier this year, and that like Christ, my boy will grow in knowledge and stature (Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.)