Improving One Year at a Time
By Alison Stoner
Now that we’re wrapping up the last few lessons of our workbooks (yes, I know it’s July), I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’d like to do differently next year in our homeschooling. If you didn’t know, this last year was my first year homeschooling my four children, ages 4-12. For years I had dreamed of homeschooling my kids, but the Lord had me wait a bit (seems to be a common theme in my relationship with the Big Man upstairs). In the waiting, I researched curriculum, talked with other homeschool moms, and dreamed up what our schooling schedule would look like. While I was grateful for all the planning I did before we started home learning, the real research happened once we cracked open books and I started to learn exactly what each one of my kids needs to be successful (all 4 needing different things which makes it extra fun!).
We have adjusted sails many times over the course of the last school year, but as we wrap up, I’m excited to begin preparing for a fresh start, now having first hand experience about what works well for my kids and what doesn’t.
I’m dropping some curriculum that I thought would be so great, and adding in lots of new resources that I’m hoping won’t end up being like the first curriculum I thought would be perfect. I’m ramping up some expectations for my kids (no more reading to my 5th grader, for example) and getting serious about schooling my youngest. But one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while homeschooling this year is that there are other things that are more important than curriculum.
Things like teaching from a calm, prayerful heart. Including the kids in things so that they feel ownership. Making learning fun and not simply checking lessons off the list. Reminding myself of my why.
As I plan for our second year, yes, I’m choosing curriculum and making lesson plans, but really, I’m dwelling on the more important things. I’m thinking about what my goals are as a teacher and a mom, and what changes need to be made so that I can ensure what we’re doing aligns with my core reasons of WHY we chose to homeschool.
My Aspirations for Year Two
Treat it Like it’s My Job. I once read an Instagram post from a fellow homeschool mom who said she’s careful to treat educating her children like the job that it is. This really convicted me because I most certainly wasn’t treating homeschooling like it was my job. I was showing up in my pajamas, haphazardly jumping from washing breakfast dishes to long division, and start time was always a big question mark. One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility that it brings to our family, but flexibility doesn’t mean sloppiness, and if I’m honest, I was a bit sloppy this year. This next year, I aspire to treat schooling my kids as if it were a paid job I was going to. Dressed, teeth brushed, prepared, no other tasks distracting me - this is how I showed up for my job outside the home, and my kids deserve the same respect I showed my boss and my coworkers.
Schedule a Prep Hour. I started last year out by carving out time at the end of each week to prepare for the coming week, but as life got crazy, that prep time fell to the wayside. I think that prep time was key to my sanity - it made the mornings flow much smoother and kept me better organized. I can see this prep time being especially necessary this year as I begin schooling my preschooler more intentionally. Those little minds thrive with lots of hands-on projects that I don’t need to be putting together each morning!
Holiday Parties with Friends. One of the fun things that we all are missing from our public school days is the holiday parties. I love any reason to celebrate, and I think it’s so fun to plan crafts and games around a theme! Our circumstances this last year didn’t allow me to put a lot of effort around holiday parties, but one of my goals for year two is to host holiday parties with our homeschool friends. If you’re local and you’d like to participate, please let me know. Finding a location large enough to fit a group of kids making messes is going to be key because my tiny little home is barely big enough for our own mess!
Incorporate Family Read Aloud Time. Long before we started homeschooling we were getting lost into the make-believe worlds of fiction novels. We loved Matilda, laughed our way through Wayside Stories, and processed big life events while reading A Wrinkle in Time. Reading to my children everyday and all of the conversations and growth that spurred as we read the words on the page was the one thing that really got me interested in homeschooling. This last year, though, our read aloud time was non-existent. I got so caught up in checking off the list and ensuring workbooks were complete that I let the special moments of reading together fall away. This coming year, I have a list of books ready to dive into and I’m excited for the chance to get lost in stories together again.
Start the Day in Prayer. Discipleship is a huge part of my homeschooling goals and is another area that I feel I could have been more intentional with last year. While we had thick discussion around our bible study lessons, I would like to model to my children that everything should be approached in prayer. By starting our school days together in prayer, I hope to set the tone for them for the rest of their lives as to what a successful start to the day looks like.
I know that I will not be perfect in walking each of these five things out. There will be weeks that I miss my planning time, and days may pass before I pick up our current family read aloud, but having these goals in mind (and down on paper now) will act as a map to guide me back to what is important. This last year has taught me that to homeschool well you have to be focused, intentional, and driven. Just like with most things in life, if you don’t have goals you’re aiming for, the intentionality won’t be there. With each year, I hope to grow and improve more as a teacher and a mom, and that’s exactly why I’ve sat in prayer and quiet to think about what needed to change for our second year!