Life before Home Schooling
Dana over at Principled Discovery is hosting Home Education Week. Today’s topic is Looking Back.
Share your personal history…before you were a home educator. What was life like? Think about things you miss and things you and your family have gained.
What was it like? I forget. Okay maybe I don’t but as we decided to home school when we realized I was pregnant it has been nearly 11 years.
I hated, hated, hated school. Elementary school and high school were a misery. I spent most of my time struggling to figure out what was going on and being retaught everything when I got home from school. I was different from everyone else and knew it. I thought there was something wrong with me. I loved art and writing research papers and reading and dance and that was it. I valued my alone time at home and spent much time on my computer or reading and even more avoiding all things school.
College was an amazing thing for me. Here was something I could handle. By mistake I ended up in the wrong section in orientation–I planned to do elementary with early childhood but ended up in the room with special ed and elementary ed–I never looked back.
It was in my special ed classes that I learned that there was nothing wrong with me–that I had a legitimate reason for struggling the way I did in school. My parents knew I had a learning disability but were both teachers and didn’t want me labeled and sent to the special school in the district so I had never been tested. In college I was tested and suddenly everything made sense and my grades went from C’s to A’s. I still struggled with math but when the teacher let me write a paper for extra credit I got an A. I was still different but here I could be myself. I spent my free time hanging out in the classical literature stacks in the library reading all the books I had longed to read. I also had a great many opinions about the way things should be done–most of which I know were wrong now. In my third year I took up art as a minor which afforded me the opportunity to study art for 3 months in Poland. I also spent several of my college years working as a nanny for a family with 5 children, did lots of volunteer work in my parents’ classrooms, worked in a used record store, among other things. I did my student teaching in two different classrooms. I spent the summer working for UCP dealing with their most severely disabled members. It was all good experience but I learned that just because others dealt with kids or were accredited teachers didn’t make them good at their jobs or mean they actually cared about the kids.
One month after I graduated I married the guy I started dating my senior year in high school. I started teaching and then had my first classroom all my own. At that time my mother-in-law was home schooling my bil due to issues with his teacher. After some horrible experiences in the teachers lounge I decided I didn’t want those people anywhere near my children. I liked them, well most of them, but the way they handled my special ed students and the way they talked about all their students changed my mind about the benefits of public school (also, some of them had been my own teachers). Three months after I graduated I was pregnant and I only went back to teaching once, and then God called me completely home and I never went back. I would share but that is a different story.
The best part of home schooling is the freedom to learn and help my children learn the way we actually learn instead of the way someone else things we should. The freedom to read and talk, to play and gain understanding, to research those things that interest us both individually and as a family. It is a joy to be free in Christ and to be free to be ourselves regardless of what others think or say.
* The pictures in this post were taken today at my dad’s property. This is where I grew up and this is where my real learning took place.
There’s not a doubt in my mind that I would homeschool if I were a Mom. Looks like God trained you specifically to teach your own children! Have you thought about what you will do once they’ve graduated? My sister has an Autistic 8 year old (he has a twin in regualr public school). Now that they’ve finally found him a really great placement, my sister is thinking of doing back to work after being a SAHM for 20 years. What I find ironic is that for years she’s been talking about getting back out in to the workplace doing something outside the realm of children, but now that it may become a reality, she’s thinking of working with Special Needs kids. God has a way of directing our feet onto His path.
Awesome photos and as you know…your story has provided me with much encouragement 😉
You said: “I decided I didn’t want those people anywhere near my children.” I very definitely decided that when I was doing certification. Most of my fellow students were only getting an ed degree because they couldn’t think of anything else to do–NOT because they had a passion for teaching. I’ve had that affirmed many times in the past 20 years.
What a wonderful story! Thanks for stopping by so I could find you to read it!
It’s interesting that you were retaught everything at home. My sister realized that she was having to reteach everything to her son, after he came home from school. At only 10, he could tell you anything about the military or war history, but he was failing school. She finally brought him home to learn permanently and he’s thriving.
Wow, I don’t want to think about how those teachers talk about the special needs kids behind their backs!!
Now I’m thinking about it.
The photos are absolutely beautiful.
Beautiful pictures and a wonderful post! We also love the freedom that comes with homeschooling. In a traditional school, my kinesthetic son felt like a prisoner, but at home he feels free to be himself. Thanks for sharing.
I couldn’t believe the way the special ed teacher talked about my students…oh did she get to me!
Beautiful pictures!
What a great story! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
[didn’t want me labeled] My dad said the same thing when I had my daughter diagnosed. I told him she was already labeled. I had heard lazy, defiant… the nicer teacher called her challenging.
Anyway, instead of a label, I prefer to think of my daughter’s diagnosis as “Care Instructions.”
beautiful heather…
i have home schooling on my heart as well. we’re still praying about it and deciding but i think the benifits of that time spent with my children would be priceless. thanks for sharing…
I loved college, too, for different reasons. It really challenged my faith, but, providentially, our Christian group started studying logic and apologetics.
I liked college so much because it didn’t matter who your parents were, what kind of car you drove, or what clothes you wore. Most students were actually there to study, not have popularity contests. I met people that discussed ideas.
I loved hearing about your journey to where you are now. I enjoyed reading how the Lord called you home– and it is evident by this post that you have a tender heart for all children.
Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
My daughter had a rough three years in school because of a sensory disorder! After battlig with the school for years I pulled her out in third grade and have not looked back!
You’ve got me teary eyed over here. A really beautiful story — and beautiful photographs.
Excellent post! So much to think about, and I so appreciate your experience within the school system as a teacher…thanks! Great photos, too!
Thanks for sharing!!