I'm seeing several parents on Facebook (Ask Bozeman, Bozeman Parents, Secret Bozeman) inquiring about homeschooling their kids. I'm all for homeschooling (we did it with our girls up through fifth grade and then blended homeschooling with onsite schooling until our oldest completed her 10th grade year), and think it can be a good option for parents who want to be more involved in educating their kids.
However, if you're just starting to think about the possibility for this fall, you're already behind the eight ball (again, there's much more to it than most people imagine). To give you someplace to start, here are five questions to help as you evaluate your options:
1) Do I understand that "distance learning" is not homeschooling? This was the misnomer of the spring, when just because kids were home, they were said to be "homeschooled". But anybody can sit a kid in front of a laptop to watch lessons (live or prepped) from a teacher; what we're talking about in terms of homeschooling involves an actual plan that goes beyond a quarter or a semester (or even a school year). In other words, there have to be goals and an endgame in mind. What are those?
2) Who else may have similarly aligned goals and endgame with whom I can partner? No mom is an island here (or shouldn't have to be), provided you're willing to learn and reach out to others further down the homeschooling road than you are. Unlike 30 years ago (or even 15, when we started), there are plenty of different homeschooling groups with whom to link up, so long as you know what you're wanting to accomplish.
3) Are my kids really ready and prepared for what I'm planning and have I talked about how we're going to handle the switch together? Obviously, homeschooling is a whole lot easier if you start from the beginning; if you're transitioning from a different model of education (even if your kids were only part of that different model for a year or two), there will be bumps. As the adult, you get to determine how to lead and model for your kids how you'll work through them together.
4) Is my spouse or partner committed to the decision? Megan is actually the one who led us along the homeschool path in those early days, and even though she did the majority of the planning and preparation with our girls, she (and the girls) knew I was with her in the decision because of my support and participation as well. Dads/men, homeschooling can't be "her thing," lest the kids discover the discrepancy and pit parent against parent when things get challenging.
5) Are we at a stage in life where we can reasonably sustain homeschooling? Some parents think homeschooling is a good option for when things are up in the air with their families (job transition, pandemic, etc.). Yes, a family can homeschool during challenging times, but my observation is that the homeschooling suffers in deference to outside pressures and the tyranny of the urgent unless you're willing to draw and hold very tight lines. Too many parents make homeschooling too flexible; when what's flexible bends and bends, it eventually breaks.
I hope these questions are helpful and am glad to share more ignorance as requested (the good news: I have lots of it). Chew the meat, spit out the bones, and if you decide not to homeschool, then send your kids to Petra Academy and be an invested parent there (just don't wait until the week or day before school starts to let them know).