So You Think You Are Homeschooling During COVID-19
Whew! You did it! You completed the 19/20 school year from home! Pause for a moment to give yourself a little back-rub. Many of us schooled at home this Spring because of COVID-19. I am sure you have opinions about it. But before you make a decision about what to do with your children in the fall, I want to talk about some differences in education types as I think it will empower you.
I realize many of you parents have been working hard to teach your kids at home. But even though you’ve worked hard, it would be good to help you see there is still a difference between homeschooling and schooling at home (via distance learning and whatever crazy stuff public schools had students do in your house). I don’t mean to offend you, but it is worth pointing out.
Why? You’ve probably been missing the best things about homeschooling!
An Essential Business
When I began homeschooling it was essential. My daughter needed more support than the public schools were giving her. You also were schooling your children at home because it was essential, as someone had to watch them and educate them as COVID-19 shut things down. In fact, by now, hopefully you’ve experienced one of the other greatest benefits of homeschooling — lots of quality time with your kids, and with that, enough time to do things that interest them (from board games to nature walks and experiments). Also, hopefully you’ve had the time to help them frame their worldview, with morals and values you care about.
But maybe you didn’t have time to do that, because you were also working from home. Or maybe you didn’t know how. Those are both understandable.
Yet, as you can see, time to explore the world with your kids and teach them your values is one of the primary reasons homeschoolers homeschool. But schooling at home doesn’t require these elements, it simply requires you to do worksheets or show up in Google Classroom.
Parent-Directed Learning
In addition, for most of us during COVID-19, schooling at home and distance learning hasn’t also included co-ops, playdates, museums, days of structureless unschooling, adventuring and pretty much anything else parent-directed. Parent-directed is really the main reason homeschoolers homeschool. In fact, I’d venture to say the key to your family’s success (and joy) in homeschool is almost 100% based on your family’s choices (vs. school imposed choices) in everything. This includes the following:
- Where you do your teaching (At the beach? In your car? In your garden? At your friends? At your table?)
- It also includes who you choose to do it with (Co-ops? Private classes? With friends? Most homeschoolers rarely do it alone!)
- And lastly, but most obvious, what you teach your kids (What curriculum do you use? What topics do you cover? How will you cover them to meet your learning objectives?)
With traditional homeschooling (and some charters) you have control in almost all of this. With schooling at home, though, you might have none of this! Your time and energy might be given to your kids the same way, teaching and parenting. But even though the primary location is the same (your house) does not make homeschooling and schooling at home the same thing.
If your options are between distance learning and homeschooling, I feel like separating these in your mind will help you make a decision! This will set the context for helping you approach how to best make a difference in your home this coming fall.
If you think you might opt for homeschooling this fall instead of distance learning, check out the things I wish someone had told me before I started homeschooling at Average Advocate. In addition, the Kids Character Challenge is a great homeschool resource if you want to help your kids live justly and love others.
