How To - - -

7 Homeschool Lies I Want to Tell My Younger Self

October 11, 2016 | 9 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Seven homeschoool lies I want to tell my younger self remind me of how homeschooling is not always easy.

Homeschool Lies

Having the courage to chase away secret homeschool fears is not easy to do when you’re a new homeschooler.

You’re worried about doing everything right; I was no different when I was new to homeschooling.

Fear was one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming homeschooling. If I could turn back time, I would share these 7 homeschool lies to my younger self.

When the Biggest Obstacle to Overcoming Homeschooling is YOU

ONE/ “Tina, don’t fall for it a bit. Your three year old won’t be behind by the time you get to high school.”

Focusing less on what if my children are going to get behind instead of delighting where they were at would have helped me to teach and savor the here and now moment.

TWO/ “Tina, girl, you know you love Star Wars, so remember what Yoda said. There is no try. Do or do not.”

Even coming from a family where my mom homeschooled my youngest sister, I wished my thinking was less of I’m going to try it for a year and more of what an important life changing decision my family had made.

If I had viewed beginning to homeschool like my commitment to having a child, being a new mom, having a new marriage or making big move to a place where you can’t go back, I would have stressed less.

Realizing more time should have been spent on making homeschool a lifestyle change would have been a better use of my time.

THREE/ “Tina, why didn’t you let the boys watch TV more even when school was finished?”

Instead of focusing on extreme rules for our house like not having a tv and no video games, I should have worked more on finding a balance instead of creating extreme schedules for my little kids.

Realizing that some homeschoolers don’t have a tv in their home by choice is good for their family but not ours.

My family likes tv, video games, and techie play things. A balance would have been so much better for us.

FOUR/ “Why didn’t you go out during school hours, Tina? What were you afraid of?

I wished I would have changed my school schedule earlier than I did instead of thinking that during the day I couldn’t go out because it was school hours.

Little did I know that even though I lived in Bodunk, U.S.A., homeschoolers are oozing by the thousands.

Most people have heard of it before. I was the new one, not homeschooling.

FIVE/ “Girl, you’re stressing way too much by prepping Mr. Senior 2013 for visits by grandma. Why do you feel the need to prove to others that you are exactly what your sons need when it comes to teaching them?”

I wished I would have worried less about proving my homeschool success to my in-laws, outlaws, and any other family relationship that I may not have wanted to claim kinship to and focused more on the how-tos of teaching.

SIX/ “Leave the house Tina. It’s okay. Learning is not just taking place within the four walls of your school room. You can actually skip lessons plans. Throw them away if you need to.”

Understanding that field trips, homeschool conventions and open houses are not always in my back yard or even my side of the county, I would have attended more conventions, open houses and gatherings for homeschoolers.

SEVEN/ “Don’t worry about all that homeschool curriculum you’re buying. You’ll be an expert before you know it and if you need it while you’re learning how to teach, then use it. Don’t worry when other people tell you that you won’t use all that curriculum.”

I wished I would have found this quote about the piles of curriculum I had bought and may not get to in a lifetime by Sally Clarkson out of her book Educating the WholeHearted Child, “It is nearly a rite of passage for new homeschooling families to buy curricula that ends up gathering dust on the shelf. Usually, it turns out to require more preparation and involvement than they are willing to invest, or it doesn’t fit their lifestyle. It becomes an investment in experience.What we all learn, though, is that any curriculum is only a tool — it doesn’t really “teach” anything. The attitude and commitment of the teacher is far more important than the tool. So if it doesn’t work, don’t worry. Put your unused used curriculum on the table with everyone else’s and buy real books next time. You’re experienced now.“

Beginning to homeschool doesn’t mean you have to give up the educational tools you learned in public school.

Through the years Tina, I’ve learned that changing my expectations opens the way for a whole new way to learn and that is powerful! THAT is how you grow.

Homeschool fearlessly Tina and rock on!

(Psst, from my struggle I wrote a book for YOU)

Also, Tina look over these posts and gently remind yourself today:

Hugs and love ya,

Public School is NOT Free! (but neither is homeschool)

October 4, 2016 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Every summer when the boys were little, we packed up and headed to sunny Florida to tour those free tours of new condos to buy. All we had to do was go through a tour and listen to the sales pitch. They were sort of like those time sharing condos, but you really owned the condos instead of paying a fee to share it. The condos were super nice with granite counter tops, huge swimming pools, great on-site cafes and the best part is they were just a few miles from Disney World.

After touring several free tours for the summer, we walked away with a 20 year loan for purchasing a new condo.

The truth of it is that nothing is free. It costs somehow. When I hear homeschoolers say that public school is free I think that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Get the Homeschool Facts!

Sure, it doesn’t cost dollars when you don’t have to buy curriculum, but then again you are giving up the right to have input into your child’s education.

Homeschooling is not free either. It can be free of the cost of curriculum as you can read in my article, Is Homeschooling Expensive, but it costs.

While I adamantly believe that homeschooling is the best choice for every family, it’s important to get the facts first before you homeschool.

Look at these 3 ways that homeschool costs.

ONE/ Homeschool costs your time.

Don’t underestimate the time that it will take to homeschool your children well. You’ll want to use online classes and enrichment activities available to you, but homeschooling is tutoring and tutoring is one-on-one. It’s personal.

There is no getting around it, there is no substitute for personal attention. Whatever changes and amenities like online classes are offered, your children still need your guidance and oversight.

Your time has a price.

Even if you use all free curriculum, it takes time to print material and it costs to print. Through the 17+ or so years I have been homeschooling I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours preparing my own lesson plans and unit studies.

I have soaked up every minute of doing it and I have no regrets. However, I have paid the price.

TWO/ Homeschool costs your energy.

Homeschool moms are true entrepreneurs and do-it-yourself folks in every sense of the word, which requires a tremendous amount of energy and fortitude day in, day out, and year after year.

Just ask any homeschool mom and a common topic is about being exhausted.

Some homeschool mom may even be polite and say they are tired, but who’re you kidding? We’re exhausted many days.

Homeschooling requires not only physical stamina to keep the kids moving forward on their lesson plans, but it calls for constant bridled thought when switching between many subjects for the day.

It’s stressful when you have to stay in a constant mode of teaching.

It’s like not having off a day from work. How many jobs do you know that require 7 days a week of 12 or more hours of constant supervising?

Of course, unlike many careers today, homeschooling has a huge reward or pay off but there are some days and years when that is hard to remember.

THREE/ Homeschool experience costs too.

Not only does homeschool costs time, but success for a first-time job like homeschooling doesn’t just happen. Success comes with experience and there is a price for it.

Whether you read numerous homeschool blogs, consult homeschool books or talk with a homeschool veteran, experience costs.

Fast forward 20 years, we love our condo in Florida and have had many family vacations there, but who was I kidding when I thought a tour was free?

Is Your Educational Choice the Cheapest but yet Costliest?

Even if you are overwhelmed at this point with the choice you made to homeschool, taking time to reaffirm your decision to homeschool will give you a fresh start.

Look at my tips here too:

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 3

September 25, 2016 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Rockin’ on in this series, I’m sharing 10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be) Day 3 – Promoting Independent Learners.

Many parents would agree with me when I say that we normally teach children that independence is earned and not something kids are instantly entitled to.

However, promoting independent learners and wanting to be independent of parental authority are not the same.

The difference between a homeschooling family and one that doesn’t is that homeschoolers teach their children to be independent learners, not passive recipients.

I’m not saying that public school children don’t learn this, but I am saying that the whole homeschool environment feeds independent learning.

Is Being an Independent Learner Overrated?

Why does it even matter? It’s important to teach our children that learning is their responsibility. Each child is unique and deserves more than a cookie cutter education.

When a child is an active partner in his education and not a passive standbyer, his whole attitude changes because he realizes he has a huge say and sway in what and how he learns.

Too, here is another fine difference between a homeschooling and non-homeschooling family. A non-homeschooling family can nurture an independent learner, but a homeschooling family not only nurtures, but promotes it.

When a child is not in a class of 30 kids, he learns that he needs to be the one asking questions about what he is learning. His creative thoughts are mustered up from the curriculum or material that he is learning and not from a kid that is his own age.

He realizes that he needs to learn to effectively manage his time. When a child learns for intrinsic value and not because of a grade or for a test or to perform for peers, he is motivated.

The learning environment at home should not mimic the environment at school. They are two completely different environments.

Taking this one step further, think about the environment in college or in a workplace. Both of these environments call for a self-motivated individual and our children are adults in training.

It doesn’t mean that we have to step back and let kids teach themselves because it’s our job to guide them.

However, guiding and force feeding them following a set of standards based for the majority of people are two completely different concepts.

Homeschooling is about appreciating the unique differences of each child and being willing to part with what we have whether it’s curriculum or our view to advance the way each child learns.

Being comfortable in what we are teaching our kids is not always a good thing.

We don’t want to do what is comfortable for us or familiar to us if it’s not working for our child.

Promoting independence starts with home, which is our environment and then it creeps forward to allowing our children to learn in the way that best fits them. Whether that manner is normal to the majority of people is not something we seek acceptance for.

Teaching kids to ask questions, think about what they’re learning, manage their time and to move ahead in their studies gives them a skill set that even adults struggle to have.

How do you teach your kids to be independent learners?

Also, look at my other tips in 10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 1 Patience Is not Instantly Bestowed and 10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 2 Confidence.

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Save

Homeschool Co-op: The 5 BIG Questions You Need to Ask (before you join)

September 24, 2016 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When you find a match for a homeschool co-op that seems like a perfect match, the years fly back quickly and you never want the time spent with other homeschoolers to stop. Believe me, looking back now, our homeschool co-ops are some of our most cherished moments.

However, if you make a decision to join a homeschool co-op with pausing to ask these five questions, you can go from cherished to anguished.

And because there is no on set of rules in how any co-op is suppose to function, confusion can exist.

When Homeschool Co-ops Go from Delight to Drudgery

I encourage homeschoolers to ask these top 5 questions before they commit to a co-op or set one up because they are vital to keeping a homeschool co-op that is, a delight and not drudgery, to attend.

1. What is the purpose of the co-op?

Just because a group of families homeschool, that doesn’t mean they are like-minded when it comes to the reason why you meet together.

And unless you are absolutely clear as to your purpose for a co-op, you may actually bring more stress than satisfaction on your family.

2. What are the types of classes and who teaches? Are they for enrichment, socialization focused, field trip oriented or academic?

I very much honed my vision for our field trip and because my vision was clear,the activities I did to lead it were in line with the purpose. When leaders have knee-jerk reactions and change the direction of an established co-op, it can be disastrous.

You too should be able to articulate with detail as to what you want from it. I knew we were a field trip and socialization co-op and that took front and center.

In other words, for example, we didn’t attract people wanting us to teach their kids Latin. I felt like academic should be taught at home by the parents and our co-op’s focused stayed that way.

Oh sure, we did academics in our co-ops, but the emphasis was on learning with a group.

3. What is the age range and are siblings allowed?

There are many more co-ops doing things for young children like going to the zoo than they are opportunities for middle and high school.

However, they are groups that exist for middle and high school though you may have to drive a bit farther.

Stay flexible and especially if a co-op meets once a week or every other week, the added enrichment to your family can be a great resource.

4. What is the cost?

This is an even bigger question now then it was when I started because “co-ops” have popped up where they are looking to make money off of homeschoolers.

I am all for entrepreneurship, but co-ops have been about support systems instead of a money making system.

Recently, when I was a speaker at the homeschool workshop in Atlanta, GA, I had 4 families walk out on me before I started my workshop about co-ops. They were there to only learn about how to make money.

I was glad and sad at the same time to see them go.

Glad because I will not bend when it comes to explaining how co-ops can add much enrichment to your homeschool journey, but I was sad too because many homeschoolers feel that co-ops are mini private schools and outsiders have ascended as if vultures to rack up on our money.

So when asking about the cost, ask specifically questions like where does my money go and who gets paid.

5. Is the group inclusive?

Just because a group is inclusive doesn’t mean you want to attend.

You need to understand what a group means by inclusive. You may want to be part of a group that limits its members to a certain faith, view or not.

You decide, but it’s good to know before you jump in and find the group doesn’t meet your expectations.

Look at these other tips to help you. Homeschool Co-ops Turned Private Schools, Homeschool Co-ops, Support Groups and Regional Groups. How Does It All Fit and Rules for Homeschool Co-ops. Essential or Excessive.

What questions do you ask before you join a homeschool co-op?

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Save

10 Early American History Events that Happened in Fall for Homeschool Middle or High School

September 22, 2016 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Do you know which event in Early American history was a milestone for freedom of press or who received the first American patent for salt-making? Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Studying Early American homeschool history should also include learning about culture, science, art and even sports. All of it embodies who Americans are today.

And when the temperature changes to a bit cooler outside, it’s a great time to focus on Early American history events that happened in fall.

10-early-american-history-events-that-happened-in-fall-for-homeschool-middle-or-high-school-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus

Grouping events by season is another way to have your middle or high school student remember things.

Look at these 10 Early American history events that happened in fall, which homeschool middle or high School kids can learn about.

10 Early American History Events that Happened in Fall

1565

ONE/ September 8, 1565. Spanish naval officer Pedro Menendez de Aviles founds St. Augustine, in northern Florida, the first permanent European colony in America.

1620

TWO/ November 21, 1620. The Mayflower Compact was signed aboard ship on November 11, 1620 by the Pilgrims.

They used the Julian calendar, also known as Old Style dates, which, at that time, was ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Signing the covenant were 41 of the ship’s 101 passengers while the Mayflower was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor within the hook at the northern tip of Cape Cod.

1630

THREE/ September 30, 1630. John Billington, a Pilgrim, is hanged for murder. He is the first criminal to suffer capital punishment in the American colonies.

1636

FOUR/ October 28, 1636. Harvard College, the first college in America, is founded in a single frame house and college yard at Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the purpose of educating young men for the Puritan clergy.

1637

FIVE/ November 7, 1637. Anne Hutchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for preaching her belief that faith, not strict adherence to any body of orthodox theology, is sufficient for salvation.

1641

SIX/ October, 1641. The first American patent is issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony to Samuel Winslow for a salt-making process.

Look at a few of these hands-on projects from Home School in the Woods which I love and make great additions to these topics.

American History Homeschool

1734

SEVEN/ October, 1734. John Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal is arrested for seditious libel when he prints criticism of Governor William Cosby.

Andrew Hamilton defends him at trial in 1735 and secures his acquittal on the grounds that the truth can never be deemed libelous. The decision is a milestone in the principal of freedom of the press.

1763

EIGHT/ October, 1763. King George III issues a proclamation setting the Appalachian Mountains as the western limit of English settlement hoping to end a war between English colonists and Native Americans by stopping white invasion onto Native American lands.

This proclamation of 1763 brings temporary peace among some Native Americans but frontier settlers are outrages. Many historians see this defiance as the seed of the American Revolution.

1776

NINE/ September 9, 1776. The name “United States of America” is officially created by the Continental Congress.

1783

TEN/ September 3, 1783. British and American negotiators (including Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, John Adams and Henry Laurens) conclude the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution and securing American Independence.

Don’t make the study of fun facts boring. Read about them, cover them and research if your student wants to or simply read them and move on.

Each event though makes for a great unit study and the best part is that they are easy to remember because they all happened in the fall.

Look at these other fall posts:

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Save

How To - - -

7 Homeschool Lies I Want to Tell My Younger Self

Homeschool Lies

When the Biggest Obstacle to Overcoming Homeschooling is YOU

ONE/ “Tina, don’t fall for it a bit. Your three year old won’t be behind by the time you get to high school.”

TWO/ “Tina, girl, you know you love Star Wars, so remember what Yoda said. There is no try. Do or do not.”

THREE/ “Tina, why didn’t you let the boys watch TV more even when school was finished?”

FOUR/ “Why didn’t you go out during school hours, Tina? What were you afraid of?

FIVE/ “Girl, you’re stressing way too much by prepping Mr. Senior 2013 for visits by grandma. Why do you feel the need to prove to others that you are exactly what your sons need when it comes to teaching them?”

SIX/ “Leave the house Tina. It’s okay. Learning is not just taking place within the four walls of your school room. You can actually skip lessons plans. Throw them away if you need to.”

SEVEN/ “Don’t worry about all that homeschool curriculum you’re buying. You’ll be an expert before you know it and if you need it while you’re learning how to teach, then use it. Don’t worry when other people tell you that you won’t use all that curriculum.”

Public School is NOT Free! (but neither is homeschool)

Get the Homeschool Facts!

Is Your Educational Choice the Cheapest but yet Costliest?

10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 3

Is Being an Independent Learner Overrated?

Homeschool Co-op: The 5 BIG Questions You Need to Ask (before you join)