Homeschooling doesn't mean just "winging it"
with a bunch of half hearted hopes. Improving as you go along
is part of the normal growth of your family's homeschool experience
- children and adults. It takes some planning on your part, not
trying to squeeze someone else's plan into your family. It takes
planning even to transition much of the planning over to your
children as they mature. Let them also try this exercise. Include
your spouse and other concerned relatives and friends in your
homeschool journey.
There are three factors that will help you succeed in keeping
to your plan:
- Have a strong belief that you CAN succeed;
- Having or acquiring the skills to make the changes;
- and Feeling ready to make the changes.
Often it seems easier to just cruise along, not rock the boat,
to think "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," even if
it does need improvements. You have been guiding your kids' education
in a certain way for years, but you are thinking that they just
aren't thriving, or enjoying their educational experience like
they could.
Embrace the idea of change, rather than fearing it. See it
as the opening of a new door to a new adventure, to a new opportunity.
I'll try to help you find the key to making some realistic New
Year's Resolutions and to keep them for at least 6 months. Here's
the Game Plan:
#1 What do you fear about changing
your educational approach?
Changing your educational approach is scary. You may fear
that you will fail, and that your children will wind up stupid
and friendless, and reproach you all their days.
By clinging to the negative, you set yourself up for failure.
By addressing your fears, and challenging yourself, you are more
likely to achieve your goals. You may need to make several of
these lists.
My Fears
Describe each change you want to make.
What do you fear might happen if you make this change?
What does this fear really mean?
What are the odds of these fears being realized?
You may have many of these lists. Choose those with the least
likelihood of being realistic, or too far in the future to predict.
#2 Select Three Resolutions
Yet work on them one at a time. It may be overwhelming to
focus on all three at once, and failing to succeed in one may
make you give up on the other two. Write them in as they occur
to you, based on what you learned from the Fears exercise.
Three Changes I Want to Tackle First
#___ I resolve to...
#___ I resolve to...
#___ I resolve to...
Now, put the numbers 1, 2, and 3 next to the resolutions in
the order you want to tackle them. Select the easiest first.
Nothing succeeds like success, and achieving that first resolution
will make it more likely you'll succeed in keeping the next two.
#3 Balance Sheet for Change
You may want to make a spreadsheet for this one.
You will be thinking that a change would be so hard, and have
several excellent excuses why you should continue along the way
you are going. But you wouldn't even be trying this exercise
if you didn't have a whole lot of "Yes, buts" to add
to each excuse.
It may be hard to instruct your child in something you were
never good at as a child, but that might also inspire to make
it fun and exciting, and to learn the subject matter again, in
a way you would have liked it, along with your child.
Resolution Balance Sheet
Resolution #___
| Pros |
Cons |
Resources, Ideas |
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
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#4 Connect Each Resolution to One of
Your Core Values
Putting these down together in writing will help you understand
your own higher purpose for instigating the change. First you
must establish that you really intend to achieve these goals.
Ask yourself...
- How does this resolution relate to what I value?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do I really want to achieve
this goal?
- Is it possible? If not now maybe another year.
- Can I do it?
- Will I do it?
Are you willing to be realistic and patient? Life isn't a
fairy tale. Just wishing a goal to be doesn't make it happen.
Are you prepared to take the time and work to make each resolution
happen?
Linking Values to Resolutions
Resolution #___
What value of mine does this promote?
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is high) how much do I want to achieve
it?
Is it possible to achieve this goal in a reasonable amount
of time?
Can I and will I do it?
What are two small steps I can do to make a start toward this
goal?
- Books To Help You Begin to Homeschool
-- from Amazon.com
-
- Homeschooling at the Speed of Life: Balancing
Home, School, And Family in the Real World
- by Marilyn Rockett
- What should I do next; grade the math test or tackle the
laundry? Homeschooling at the Speed of Life gives busy homeschooling
mothers a thoughtfully thorough resource for bringing order back
to their home.
-
- Home Learning Year by Year : How to Design
a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
- by Rebecca Rupp
- Rebecca Rupp presents a structured plan to ensure that your
children will learn what they need to know when they need to
know it, from preschool through high school.
-
- The Complete Home Learning Source Book : The
Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators
Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology
- by Rebecca Rupp
- This ambitious reference guide lives up to its name. Practically
three inches thick--and we're not talking large print here--it's
packed with titles, ordering information, and Web site addresses.
-
- Homeschooling: The Early Years: Your Complete
Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child
by Linda Dobson
The formative years are the most critical to a child's education.
They lay the foundation for developing learning skills that last
a lifetime.
-
First Year of Homeschooling Your Child
Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start
by Linda Dobson
With the constant concern about the safety and quality of our
nation's schools, many of today's families are opting to teach
their children at home. The first hurdle these families face
is getting started.
-
- The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas:
500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12
by Linda Dobson
- As a homeschooling parent, you're always looking for new
and creative ways to teach your child the basics. Look no longer!
Inside this innovative helper, you'll find kid-tested and parent-approved
techniques for learning math, science, writing, history, manners,
and more that you can easily adapt to your family's homeschooling
needs.
-
Homeschooling : The Teen Years
Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- To
18-Year Old
by Cafi Cohen
This book reveals the adventure and rewards as well as the special
challenges of working with this age group.
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