Some Thoughts On Homeschooling

(The following is my reply to a private message concerning homeschooling.)

Hello _______,

Here I am in 3rd period. I have only 2 students out of 7 here today, so they are just watching a movie. We missed Wed & Thurs and then came today and we are off Mon for Presidents Day. Not many showed up today.

I said all that to show that there are many, many days in the public school when the students do not get much education. I am convinced that more good gets done on a homeschooler’s ”off” day than the public school’s ”on” day. Even if the academics don’t all come together, that is not always the most important thing.

The important thing is that they are in a safe place where they are loved and will be able to learn lessons in life when the bookwork doesn’t go well.

Bookwork is important, but it’s just a small part of homeschooling, I think. For us, it has been a very rare thing for the children to go all the way through any text book from start to finish in one regular 170 day public school year. Lisa has come to the point where she picks and chooses what parts of the books to go through completely and carefully and what parts to just skim and not spend much time on, and what parts she can skip all together.

And then there are all the other life lessons that happen all the time without planning for them. We feel that those times more than makes up for anything lacking in the ”official classroom”.

For us, academics are not the most important motivation to homeschool, even though the academics are usually better in the long run. Helping to guide them into being the servants God wants them to be, knowing and loving His ways, is our main job.

Did you notice the post on skylarks blog a day or so ago. It is rather interesting especially considering how you are feeling right now. It is at

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/muddyboots/45476/Even+%22Real%22+Teachers+Have+Doubts%21.html

Here is a quote from a public school teacher from that post:
"And once again I become depressed, convinced that the other teachers are better than I am, that my kids aren’t really learning anything, that I’m not really doing my job, that all my plans and excitement never end up actually happening, that I am a failure and I am failing my kids."

I felt compelled to comment on the blog. If you did not see it, you ought to take a minute to check it out. It’s not very long.

Lisa has been doing better in her back, but she still has to sit down regularly when she would rather be up and about. I will show her your message when I get home. She may have some other words of wisdom to give you.

Keep your head up, and realize that you don’t have to stress about homeschooling. Put it in God’s hand and relax. I will be praying for you the rest of today and we will continue to pray for you. We are so happy that you are homeschooling!

Love,

Eric