Our journey so far...

So it's been about 3 weeks since we pulled James from school.  I have to admit that the transition has been much easier than I expected.  My biggest concern wasn't his cooperation or interest but how I would balance the schedule with the addition of the new responsibilities.  Surprisingly enough, our schedule has created the perfect time frame for his lessons and such.  Cailin attends a daily preschool program that allows us to have a solid 2 hour block each day.  It's during that time that we focus on the daily tasks.  Right now that seems to be Math, Grammar/English, Spelling, and Reading Comprehension.  I think the last one falls under the Language Arts heading for the public school system right now.  Beyond those subjects we alternate Science and History throughout the week.  Right now our materials are varied.  We are working from a few text books but I have also found an amazing amount of resources, for free, on the internet.  Side note, I suggested a couple of them to a friend whose daughter is having trouble in Math, she shared them with the teacher who then poo-pooed them for not fitting with current standards.  My opinion on that is that it's a shame because I've seen the benefit they've had for James and if you can find something that helps, use it.  It seems like a contradiction in goals, Common Core focuses on teaching different methods so any child can learn but when you find a method outside of the Common Core, it's unaccepted.  Anyway...

It has been such a relief for us to see James returning to his personality of a few years ago.  The anxiety that was becoming such a forefront issue has diminished greatly and that has been the biggest blessing of all.  Of course, he's 11 and we still have the typical issues.  You can't be in front of an electronic device during every waking hour is at the top of that list.  Dirty clothes and clean clothes can not be stored in the same spot and the spot that either goes is most definitely not the foot of your bed is a close second.  He will be a pro at laundry in no time because the solution to that has been to assume everything is dirty and I refuse to be any more behind on the the laundry.

I figure I'll continue posting what we're doing as we go along, especially since Cailin has begun working with us in the afternoons on different things as well.  I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before Logan is at the table with us. 

Cue Tim Hawkins...

As of 12:45 this afternoon our family officially became a homeschooling family.  There were so many factors to consider as we made this decision.  I'm sure many of you are thinking to yourselves that I've said this before and for the last 3 years, James has still been in school so why is now different?  Now is different because not only have I turned in the paperwork, this is something that James wants too. 

James is an extremely bright kid but sadly he inherited the same quirks that plague his father and I.  Prior to having our kids, we talked about homeschooling and for whatever reason it never came to be.  James enjoyed preschool, he liked school in general.  It was when we saw the struggle it was for him to fit in with his peers behavior wise in Kindergarten, that we knew we were going to be faced with a fight.  Now, I'm going to be brutally honest here and state my opinion and that is simply this, a teacher is everything and that random choice of where your child is placed year to year sets the tone and pace.  If you are blessed with a teacher that can see beyond your child's behaviors to the personality, heart, and intelligence then you're in luck and the year will be golden.  Sadly, not all years are blessed and I have had days that it took every ounce of my being not to verbally shred a teacher for not doing their job.  Sadder still is that there will come a time that your child recognizes this too and when it happens your heart will break.  James is not a troubled child, he doesn't misbehave but he does fidget, hum, daydream, and get lost in his own mind. 

Now, please recognize that I'm not bashing the teaching profession and I admittedly walked away from that path.  I realize that our teachers are spread thin, underpaid, and overwhelmed.  It's not right but as a mother, it's also not right to watch my child suffer.  I have to do something and at this point, we feel we've exhausted our options.  James is excited, he's still learning what will be expected of him and I find it funny he is just amazed that there is no homework.  There is no staying up until 10 o'clock because you can't determine how many cookies were eaten on day 8 or you aren't sure what to do with the assignment because you were pulled from class to finish a state test.


I'm sure this will prove to be a challenge for us but I believe it will be for the best and not just for James and I but Cailin and Logan also.  Yes, I'm sure it will affect Brian.  Naturally he's in charge of the "Tech Ed" department here at what we are now referring to as the Page Institute of Higher Learning.