Journey into Home Education: A Personal Story (PART 2)
For every Christian family, the decision about schooling is a challenging one. All parents want what is best for their children. In a world that is changing, our decisions change. Today we continue a journey with a CViE family that took to that path out of state schools and into home education.
Today: THE JOURNEY BEGINS – FOR REAL
Shiny new stationery poised, laptops fully charged, an air of excitement, tension, anticipation. We decided that as our children were used to the structure of school, it was best to work to a timetable to find that sense of achievement and manage our time. Devotional time at 9am to include reading, discussion and prayer. These have been really lovely opportunities to discuss matters on our minds and pray together about particular schooling issues.
The first lesson … Maths. Working through a study guide with a workbook. If we struggle with the concept of a particular thing, then google/youtube/twinkl/oak academy are all consulted to find extra back-up activities. We practise until we’ve grasped something, sometimes it takes one lesson, sometimes a week of lessons. The beauty of home education … to go at the child’s pace.
The rest of our morning is filled with History, Geography, Religious Education, Science and English. Sometimes these lessons roll into each other, a benefit we’ve really enjoyed and ‘disguising’ English inside another subject is a winner. Afternoons are about woodwork, cookery, art, exercise and sometimes helping out around the home. Our son cycles to a local art class once a week for an hour. He really loves this time of independence and to meet with other Home Ed children. He also does an online cookery course once a week and has cooked up a storm! Dinners, puddings, cakes and treats. These are really good opportunities for him to be taught by another adult.
We have had several opportunities for trips, too. A local outwards bounds centre runs home educator discounts on a number of outdoor teamwork-based activities. Our daughter has visited the Bayer labs for a day of Science and enjoyed performing experiments with her friends. Sometimes friends come for lunch and we cook together, or go out ice skating or trampolining. We hope to visit Westminster Abbey as part of our daughter’s English Literature IGCSE. In the cold snap we did our own photography competition on the most artistic photo. Just before Christmas, our house was bustling with sewing and woodwork projects. Our children had a stall at the local school Christmas Fayre, and worked hard to produce professional items for others to buy.
IGCSEs have been quite a challenge to get our head around, apparently this is normal of all home educators, new and old. There is a mine field of information out there and you feel so responsible for your child’s future. Our local college has been very accommodating and also a Christian school has offered our daughter an opportunity to sit an exam there. The Lord has wonderfully provided a teacher for English Literature, and our daughter enjoys weekly lessons on Zoom with other Christian teenagers. One afternoon a week our daughter goes into our local primary school to help out as a TA in Year One. This is a fantastic opportunity for her to go into a work place and gain some experience in the field of work she’s interested in.
Quite often, when you say you’re home educating, the question is asked ‘what about the social aspect?’ Strangely enough the social aspect has been more of a challenge to the teacher than the pupils! There isn’t anyone to tell you if you’re doing it right, there isn’t a ‘right’ way. We have lots of Christian home ed friends up and down the country, and we had hoped that we might find a local Christian family to make friends with, but the Lord hasn’t opened that door yet. Looking back on the past 5 months, the Lord has shown us how He is going before us, opening up the path for us, giving us encouragements here and there. Our children are so much happier now, more confident, have more self-esteem and more value for their schoolwork.
Every Christian home ed family has a different journey, we all have different circumstances and different children, but we look in one direction to one God, who giveth more grace.
