Homeschooling adventure

It's been a while since I have reflected upon our homeschooling adventure.  To summarize the profound influence education has on our life let me recap where we all stand.  I am a full-time lecturer at Arizona State University (I graduated with my doctorate in 2017).  Husband is pursuing a second bachelors degree (one he started many years ago) in software engineering.  Brother is in fifth grade and Sister started Kindergarten this year.  Husband and I are lifelong learners - I can't imagine feeling like I have nothing else to learn.  We are trying to promote that way of thinking with the kids and we have made choices (such as being full-time RV'ers) that have allowed us to structure our lives so that we are more available to our kids. 

Clearly there is a most important member of this RV family (we only have one cat, but he is the most drawn animal ever!)

We've been through a number of iterations of homeschooling but we have a rather happy equilibrium right now thanks to the local (Mesa) public school system which offers a homeschool enrichment program that Brother started halfway through last year.  Sister goes one day a week and they offer some traditional activities around learning to read as well as PE, computers, music, and art.  Brother goes two days a week.  On Mondays he gets to choose his classes and has enjoyed all of his classes including notable ones such as Lego robotics, sewing, PE, science, and handbells.  The Monday classes are a mix of grade levels from 5-8th.  Wednesday he is with a cohort of 5th graders and they stay together and move between classes.  The rest of the week the kids are home with one or both of us.  Husband and I go into work on opposite days and are usually both home on Fridays.  Husband is home on TTH when both kids are here and I am gone.  He has done a stellar job of moving them through a new curriculum IXL This curriculum is aligned with AZ state standards.  Thanks to the enrichment program Brother took the AZ standardized test for 4th graders at the end of last year.  It was a good feeling to receive his high marks and know that we have been "on grade" with our efforts. We like IXL for the flexibility and seeming unending practice questions, but we noticed that it is weak on literature for Brother.  Last year we used Moving Beyond the Page and really liked the literature lesson.  We decided to purchased a single literature unit to incorporate into Brother's curriculum in order to round it out.  I think mixing and matching is the way to go. 

Sister turned 5 over the summer.  We were working on pre-school activities with her last year and she was very frustrated with reading.  However, since she started Kindergarten she has really grown into her role as a student.  She is trying, succeeding, and taking it very seriously.  We are really proud of both of them.

The kids are each unique and at very different places in their education.  It is nice to be an active part of their educational journey and to be a part of their successes (and failures).  I have so much respect for teachers, but I also realize that kids learn more than reading, writing and arithmetic from often dysfunctional school environments.  I recently heard a story from a friend about how their daughter was facing bullying and a whole lot of drama at school.  The nice thing about sending the kids one or two days a week is that they can make a few friends and participate in activities we would not do at home, but they are not institutionalized.  We have our own negative experiences with the institutions - most people do.  It is extraordinary when kids are not treated like a number or member of a herd.   It is interesting to be part of the homeschool community- the kids are not used to sitting in classrooms.  The enrichment program teachers joke with the kids that there is a "blurting" problem in the school since at home the kids don't have to raise their hands!

It is all sunshine, kittens and flowers?  No, certainly not.  As parents we are harsh and unlike teachers in that we do not censor our disappointment or tone very well.  As kids the students give us a hard time when they aren't in the mood or they don't like certain lessons.  Sometimes they cry or whine and try to get out of it when they would never dream of acting that way in a classroom.  We try to avoid the inevitable power struggles, but we fall into them despite our efforts.  We end up spending a lot of time talking about what we could all do better and/or differently.  Some evenings are entirely devoted to getting past the drama of the day.  In doing so we grow together as a family.  Our Mesa Ridge is a much larger rig than the Hideout and we are thankful for the extra bunkhouse room, but we have not used the space as we thought we would.  School seems to still take place at the kitchen table and recreation/toys/games (mess) dominates the kids' room.  On the days Husband or I work from home we have meetings and obligations that punctuate lessons and our work - it can become hectic depending on how much guidance the kids need.  Sister pretty much needs us to sit with her throughout the lessons, but often times Brother is independent only requiring brief guidance and/or answers to questions.  I often put off my work/grading/course building until the evening (when college students do their work), but Husband cannot so he has to find a balance when everyone needs to work at the same time. 

There is a larger conversation that can be had about our willingness as a society to allow institutions to raise our kids.  When we were living the "traditional" life we had to rely on before/after school programs and LONG days of day care in order to make it work.  It was depressing to leave the kids each day and it was frustrating to be home for such a short time together in the evening doing homework, making a rushed dinner and then ensuring everyone is clean and in bed to be ready for the next marathon day.  I am so thankful that we have such flexible schedules and are able to be with our kids.  Brother will turn 10 next month and I am reminded that I have more time parenting him behind me than I have in front of me.  These moments are precious and I want to hold them near to me now because one day they will fly from this tiny nest to their next adventure.