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CHOIS Connection is published quarterly by Christian Homeschoolers Of Idaho State.
This article appeared in a previous issue.
CHOIS Connection
CHOIS Tidbits
by Linda Patchin
"Am I Homeschooling Responsibly?"
Summer 2008
As an Idaho home educator I have been blessed with a tremendous amount of freedom. My freedom is the result of the trust that my lawmakers have placed in me. They trust that I do not need to be monitored, measured and maintained. They are trusting that I will be self-regulating and responsible. The title of this article is a question. It is a serious question, and one that can be very intimidating to evaluate. While it would not be advisable to attempt to answer this question every day, it is not a question that I can afford to dismiss forever without consideration. I suggest that each of us set aside some time every year to evaluate ourselves honestly.
The very word "responsibly" rightly carries with it the idea of being accountable to someone or something. It is tempting to believe that I do not have to be accountable to anyone. While it is true that unlike homeschoolers in the majority of other states, I am not required to register, or meet with education evaluators to have my curriculum approved and progress monitored, or submit to mandatory standardized tests… I am still answerable for my actions. Perhaps the first goal of my inventory should be determining to whom I am accountable. (Ideas: God, spouse, children, society, self…)
I have heard some homeschoolers say in jest that no matter how badly they perform in homeschooling, it couldn't possibly be worse than the job the public schools are doing This simply isn't true! This kind of thinking, and especially speaking, even in jest, is just plain wrong. Not only is it prideful, but it is also inaccurate. There are still plenty of public school graduates attending Ivy League colleges on full-ride scholarships. Comparing our own homeschool educational progress with mediocre to low public school averages is not intellectually honest. We should not satisfy ourselves with good or better, when the best is within our grasp! Compare down, and we will settle for mediocrity. Compare upward, and we will excel and grow.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that every homeschooled child should be winning the spelling bee and earning National Merit Scholarships. What I am saying is that our goal as home educators should always be to provide the best education possible for each and every one of our children. We should never be content to accept a lower standard, even if that standard is good enough for millions of other parents. Otherwise, where does it stop? How low is too low?
Setting high standards is a laudable endeavor. The challenge comes in achieving them. What are some of the obstacles that get in the way of meeting our goals? What does it really mean to homeschool responsibly?
Am I setting measurable goals? First of all, the goals we set should be achievable. We should be students of our children. Take an honest assessment of their capabilities, and set our goals accordingly. What are the typical expectations for that grade level or age? If uncertain, look at the scope and sequence charts for the curriculum developed by any traditional textbook company. I have also found helpful the book series for each grade, What Your First Grader (2nd,3rd, 4th…)Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First (Second, Third…) Grade Education by E. D. Hirsch. We must keep our expectations attainable, and their progress measurable. Keep an alert eye open toward our final goals; the must-haves of why we are homeschooling in the first place. This vision is what sustains us through the difficult days.
Do I know what my child's learning style is, and am I taking advantage of this knowledge? Every child is different, and there is not a single curriculum or teaching method that works perfectly for every child. This one size fits all mentality is what we sought to escape when we "just said no" to traditional schools. Accept the challenge of discovering how each child learns, and adapt to accommodate it. I highly recommend the books, The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias, and Learning Styles: Reaching Everyone God Gave You to Teach by Marlene LaFever
Am I allowing myself sufficient time to plan? Each of us is given exactly twenty-four hours in a day, not one minute more or less. If we want to get to the end of each day with some feeling of accomplishment, then we have to have a plan. Prioritize! If we fail to plan, we must be planning to fail! What are the things that simply must be done each day? Let's write them into our plan using a permanent marker. What should get done? Write it on the plan in ink. What would it be nice to accomplish? Write it in pencil. Write, write, write, and when we finish a task, we will gain the additional satisfaction of crossing it off of our list. All of our planners will look different, but as a home educator who takes her responsibility seriously, daily getting school work finished should be written in permanent marker on all of our lists. Without a plan it is too easy to get to the end of the year without having met very many of our educational goals...which may not be homeschooling responsibly!
Am I keeping records? OK, this is a difficult one for Idahoan's who are not used to having to "show their work." Why should we keep formal, detailed records? Because while we currently have the best homeschooling law in the nation, we just never know when things might change. If I were hauled into a court of law, would there be sufficient evidence to convict me of providing a quality education for my child? Leave a good paper trail. Purchase an inexpensive filing cabinet. Keep at least one file for each child, and if nothing else, stuff papers into the appropriate file. This will make life so much easier when it comes time to write out high school transcripts and applications for employment, scholarships, and colleges.
What kinds of records should we keep? Some minimal suggestions would include: any written communication between yourself and a public school concerning this child, annual IOWA Tests scores, immunization and medical records, awards, certificates, report cards, a current photo, attendance records, reference letters, sport's records, and a copy of their birth certificate.
Super record-keepers may wish to include samples of compositions and portfolios of work, tests, first and last pages of completed workbooks, artwork, essays, and photos of interesting projects. These suggestions came from the most organized person that I know. She has consistently kept these records for her children, and she now has wonderful memento files of her children's hard work. Her children can look back through her files and see their own progress. What a confidence builder for both her children and herself, not to mention, a marvelous display of achievement to place in the hands of skeptical relatives.
Am I investing enough time in teacher training and professional development? It is not uncommon for professionals to attend annual development seminars and conventions. Employers view them as an investment in their businesses. Many attend them with the hope of learning even one small thing that could make their daily work more efficient. Should we, as parents be any less committed to furthering our knowledge and ability to effectively home educate? Shouldn't we get excited to see new curriculum (tools), meet other homeschoolers (network), and hear inspiring speakers (motivation and development)? If one little book were found, or a single bit of advice given that eased our homeschool burden, our time would be well spent. And yet, a convention can provide so much more!
Every year CHOIS gets back at least one evaluation like this one. "The CHOIS Convention has been life changing for me in many ways. At the end of this year I was going to quit. But the convention has truly blessed me. The Lord answered my prayer for directions and help."
Why do so many wait until they are at the breaking point before they reach out for assistance? Be smart. Find refreshment early. Take every opportunity to learn and grow.
Am I investing wisely? Imagine trying to build a house from the ground up with nothing but a stick, a rock, and an old steak knife for your only tools. It could probably be done, but it wouldn't be pretty, and the process would be needlessly difficult. And yet how often when the expense is related to homeschooling do we low-ball our way through life? In an effort to be frugal, it is tempting to under-invest in our homeschool resources, causing needless frustration and delay.
If I were beginning all over again, one thing that I would do differently is that I would invest more money in my educational resources, and I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about doing so. I'd be more apt to purchase books that could last through all of my children, for example, hard-bound classics. I'd keep an eye on the shelf-life of editions. I'd purchase more teacher's aides, manipulatives, maps, microscopes and games. Perhaps one day, these items could even be passed along to enrich my grandchildren's homeschool classrooms.
Think of your classroom purchases as investments. Remember it is a privilege to educate your children, and that the investment that you make today will provide rich dividends in the future.
Am I submitting to a private independent review periodically? Even though it is not legally required, annual nationally standardized testing does provide us with an independent record of academic progress, compared with national student averages. These scores are confidential and useful for tailoring curriculum to individual strengths and weaknesses. They can be helpful when dealing with friends and family members who question our ability to teach, or our children's ability to learn from us. Taking annual standardized tests prepares our students for the high-stakes exams that they will be required to take for college admission or for future employment. Our composite test scores are effective lobbying tools used to defend our homeschool freedom. And should our homeschool be challenged legally, those scores will be evidence in our favor. Finally, it's just plain fun to get together with other homeschoolers for a few days each year to take these tests. For more information about how to register with Idaho Coalition of Home Educators (ICHE) for the Iowa Tests at locations throughout the state, please visit www.iche-idaho.org. Registration for March 2009 testing is open May 1st through August 1st. Current members receive registration packets by May 1st.
Am I strengthening the homeschool community of Idaho? Homeschooling is what we make it. We cannot withdraw more from the experience than we have deposited in it. We don't enjoy the luxury of having a well-heeled union to look out for all us little guys. We don't have a Department of Home Education taking up an entire block of expensive Washington D.C. real estate, and employing thousands of workers. We don't receive taxpayer funding, but isn't it amazing how much can be accomplished with so little? Homeschooling provides our families with so many advantages, even without the perks that other forms of education enjoy. But it doesn't come easily, and the more people who are involved in the process, the stronger our community will be.
Recognizing that I cannot do everything is humbling. I need other people to do their part as well. One will organize fieldtrips; another will lead a support group. A mother helps by watching another mother's preschoolers so that the older kids can enjoy a special event. Some may volunteer at the convention or at testing. Each makes an important and necessary contribution to the greater good. Everyone would feel the loss if the task went unfulfilled.
Both of Idaho's state organizations are operated entirely by volunteers. You hold in your hands right now a magazine that came to you free of charge, and yet absolutely nothing about it is really free. Somebody invested the time to write the articles, find and choose the national articles, find advertisers, bill advertisers, check ads, and send them to our graphic design team. Somebody designed this magazine, proof-read it, made corrections, sent it to the printer, sent addresses to the mailing house, and wrote large checks to both. In other words, this magazine required a team of volunteers to create. Each issue costs CHOIS more money to produce and mail than advertising revenues generate.
Why do we do it? To strengthen the homeschool foundation. You see, we know that if the foundation crumbles, the whole structure will be threatened. We want to not only strengthen the foundation, but we want to build something amazing on top. But we can't do it alone. We need your help. We need more people who will stand with us, and offer their helping hand. If you'd like to offer your hands, please email us at info@chois.org.
Those of us who are almost finished with homeschooling can fondly reminisce about the many adventures that we have had, and enjoy the many friendships that have come our way simply because we homeschooled. We have built a community for ourselves and our children, and it has been good! You can do it too. Invest. You'll be glad you did.
Bear in mind that our freedom could very well rest in the hands of the most irresponsible home educator in Idaho. Should that person ever be featured in newscasts and on newspaper covers, all bets are off. We will no longer have the task of determining for ourselves if we are homeschooling responsibly. That job will be done for us by someone who probably will not be as generous in their assessment. We are only as strong as our weakest link. How I would hate to be that link!
Linda and her husband, Paul, have been homeschooling their four children for nearly two decades. They serve on the board of directors of CHOIS. They strive to educate their children responsibly and to forge strong links. They pray that together, we can all build a strong chain.
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