This Saturday our little town is having its first ever mini-homeschool conference. Booths will be set up displaying different types of curricula. There will be classes about each of the online programs available in the state, the “S” word (socialization), dual enrollment, early childhood learning, laws for homeschooling in Nevada, etc.
I get to do a presentation too! Originally I was asked to present about homeschooling many ages. Then another presenter backed out and I was asked to expand my half hour presentation to an hour and also talk about encouragement for the journey. When I told my kids one of the teenagers said, “Who would want to listen to you for an hour?”
So encouraging.
Did I mention I’m also the last presentation of the day? I’ll be presenting after people have already been there for five hours! No pressure, no pressure.
AAAaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
I’ve got a few ideas to liven things up but I also want to make sure I cover a lot of areas where people might have questions. This is where I need your help!
Do you have questions about homeschooling?
If you are thinking about homeschooling what is stopping you from starting?
If you are already homeschooling what questions do you have?
What areas do you find you need the most encouragement as a homeschool mom? Starting the day? Being steady? Burnout?
You get the idea.
Please help me out!
P.S. Do you spell Procrastination with a capital P?
What a great conference. I wish they had one in my area. My goal is to homeschool my children through middle school. I want my kids to establish their own identity, and not be so influenced by their peers, which seems to be especially hard in the middle school years. I’ve only got 1 year left before my oldest starts middle school. Here are my concerns:
Curriculum – This would be a new experience for both me and my oldest. How do I know I’m teaching the right things? How do I encourage her passion for science, but still make sure she keeps up on her least preferred class…math. My second child is 2 years behind my first, but struggles to stay focused. How do I know what will work for her and what will work for him – because it won’t be the same thing.
What if I don’t do a good job – this is a huge concern for me. I’m an accountant. What if I fail. Will I ruin her education by trying this?
Reintegrating back into high school – right now our plan is to put the kids back into high school. This may or may not happen depending on how things are going during the middle school years. If I put them back in, how will they adjust? If I don’t, how can we take advantage of public school things like college level classes or maybe Vocational training, or ACT prep? Is there a way to study at home, but still take be apart of the school system ie sports, band, student council, prom, graduation etc.?
College – if we don’t go back into a public high school, how do we provide a transcript for college applications? Is it more difficult to get into a university being homeschooled?
Schedule – How do you not let the business of life get in the way? I worry about finding a balance between school schedule and flexibility for other interests.
Best of luck to you. I really hope you tell us what you discuss. I would love to hear all about it. You have a wealth of knowledge that will help so many.
These are all really great questions Tamara! I’ll be sure to share my presentation and what was discussed. You’ve also given some great post ideas for the topics I don’t end up covering. Thanks for the encouragement!
Sounds like they asked the perfect person! I think it would be cool if you shared what a typical day looks like for you today, and compare that to what it looks like when you had all your kids, say, ages 10 and under. What things you have learned to really prioritize and what you have been able to let go over the years. You will do great.
Great suggestions about showing “a day in the life”! I had thought about showing what our day looks like now but I really like comparing it to what it was like when they were all under 10. Thanks!
The biggest worry for me isn’t so much about the academic portion but how to accomplish all the life requires in addition to schooling. How to keep a house tidy? How to manage the daily chores, i.e. laundry? Errands? Dr. Appointments? Do kids feel left out from their peers? Another huge one for me, is how to let it roll when those above things don’t happen to my standards.
Having expectations but also being happy and joyful in the journey.
Thanks and best of luck!
You were FABULOUS! Thank you so much for sharing at our conference. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day. God Bless you and your beautiful family!