by Nathan Manley
I just pulled my kids from our brick and mortar school. Now what?
Stop
Excuse me? Seriously. You all need a vacation from school. You don’t have to book a cruise, but you need to stop, take a deep breath and just de-school for a couple weeks. Perhaps you have come to this decision over a summer break or a holiday break and the de-schooling is built in, but every transition deserves a respite. If your kids are in traditional school on a Friday and learning in your living room the following Monday, you’ll all have whiplash. Your kids are not going to fall behind or forget everything they learned. Relax and breathe while you consider your next steps.
Collaborate
So many people have joined you in this homeschooling adventure and many more have beaten the path already. There are countless online resources, support groups, local meetings, books and more. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. You want to give your kids the best the education world has to offer through your perspective. Find a mentor. Find a homeschooling group. Find a writer or curriculum developer who really resonates with you, so you have someone to lean on.
Listen
Sit down with your kids and just listen. You’ll need to ask some questions and maybe even ask for some clarity, but just let them talk about this process: how they feel about what just happened, what they want, likes and dislikes and what their vision of homeschooling is. You don’t need to hand over the keys to the school to your kids. You are still in charge. You also don’t need to be a trained counselor to listen and hear what is going on from your kids’ perspective. You’ll learn a lot about how to start setting up school and what the timing should be.
You have made a brave decision out of love for your children. You are going to be great because you are the most motivated teacher your children will ever have. But first, stop and just breathe. You don’t need to have your own mini Harvard set up in the next 48 hours. Think it through. Ease in. You and your kids will all benefit.
Resources
Since 2004, Global Student Network has been a leader in providing innovative online curriculum to homeschooling families and partnering schools throughout the world. GSN offers a wide range of online curriculum options. We have over 2000 course offerings including Honors, AP®, World Languages, and Career and Technical Education courses. Our program has been used by homeschool families as well as public, private, and charter schools, both nationally and internationally.
For some great homeschool resources visit: www.GlobalStudentNetwork.com and be sure to check back here for more encouragement, insight and fun ideas.