I’m pretty sure that I am not the only parent of school-aged children that is already thinking about the upcoming school year. The start of the 2019-2020 school year is rapidly approaching. When did this happen? Last thing I remember is feeling ecstatic about another school year coming to an end. Time flies when you’re having fun!
For those of you I’m just getting to know, the Gonzalez gang is a homeschool family. We’ve been schooling this way for the entirety of our kiddos’ education. There are were three students enrolled in the Gonzalez Family Academy. With our first graduate in 2018, we are now down to two. I’m still trying to adjust and get used to that reality, but it’s been a great transition so far.
Every classroom and every school is different.
That includes every home school. Each homeschool family is doing so for different reasons, and employ a myriad of options, curriculum, and schooling methodologies to accomplish their objectives. What I do to start my school year off right, set up our classroom, and establish a school schedule will be completely different from another homeschool family.
Every school year looks different.
This year is no exception for us. We have stepped away from the homeschool group that we’ve been a part of for the past nine years and changing up certain things that have kept me on auto-pilot in certain areas that I needed to be more engaged and purposeful in. Add to that the fact that our school room is currently under reconstruction due to some water leak issues, and we’ve got the makings of a radically different first day of school. The more I think about it, I suppose every school year starts as a bit of a reconstruction project, whether you’re literally remodeling a room or not.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Schooling with high schoolers is a whole new world for me, both as a mom and as their teacher. Gone are the days when my children were all sitting on or around me for storytime; the days when craft activities and field trips took up such a huge part of our school days. Some things still remain the same for us, regardless of how old they get or what grade they’re in. I imagine that in the same way, there are similarities and differences between starting your school year off well versus starting your homeschool year off well.
Starting off right.
Here are a few ways our family tries to start the school year right. I hope they will encourage you no matter what season of schooling you find yourself in:
- Ask tough questions. Is what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it still a good idea? My husband and I sit down with each of our kids and talk through the past school year while it’s fresh on our minds. What worked? What didn’t work? The answers to those questions help establish the framework for moving forward into the next school year, along with any changes that need to be made.
- Make sure to plan for fun. Academics are important, but we also need to make sure we’re planning for fun throughout the school year. We can get so caught up in the destination that we forget to have some fun along the way. The time to think that through and come up with a preliminary plan for when we’re squeezing the fun in is during the previous summer.
- Remember your “why.” When the going gets tough, remembering why you’re doing what you’re doing keeps your focus where it needs to be. Make sure that your schooling choices – whether it’s education model or extra-curricular activities – are based on personal conviction, and not just because it’s what’s easiest, or what everyone else is doing. That advice isn’t only valuable for our kids and their struggles with peer pressure.
I’d love to hear from you: what are some ways you try to get the school year started right? If you’ve got any questions about homeschooling in Miami, I’d love to hear from you too!
