Back in March when my babes started their spring break, we had no idea what to expect. We didn’t know that they wouldn’t actually attend school again in class this year. The teachers and administrators struggled to throw something together to get these babes to continue learning. We struggled, a lot.
One of my children is a self-starter and had no issues logging in every day, completing assignments and keeping track of Zoom classes for his Spanish class and math lessons. One of my children has ADHD and had the most difficult time keeping track of things. It didn’t help that each class had their own way of submitting work or validating their attendance. The littles? They were highly unmotivated by online learning and hated clicking boxes and listening to lessons. So I’m just as surprised as you are that we are going from crisis school to home school-a complete 180º.
My decision to homeschool my littles didn’t come easily or quickly.
I thought long and hard and consulted many friends and teacher friends to help make my decision. This is Owen’s last year of elementary school before attending middle school and I know that he has a big ol’ brain that’s not being utilized to its full potential. We have decided to have a private tutor who will help facilitate their learning and be on call if I have any questions or concerns on this unfounded journey.
I didn’t want to be thrown into another crisis school scenario. I wanted to choose this and be in control from the get go.
The big boys, man. High school was a pretty difficult time. I also graduated 18 years ago. I am definitely not equipped to teach high school. My husband and I made the decision to send the bigger boys to school. I feel confident that their schools, already smaller in class size, and mature and capable of online learning, will do everything that they can to keep them safe. If we have to crisis school again, at least we know that my oldest will be able to handle it, and with the flexibility of homeschooling the littles plus the help of my teacher friend, I will have the time and mental energy to help my son with ADHD thrive.
I don’t know what the school year has in store. I just know what our family can and can’t endure. The decision wasn’t easy, but I definitely feel like it was the best one.
So here goes nothing, we are going from crisis school to home school-a complete 180º.
