Be Prepared to Un-Learn, Reevaluate and Think Outside the Box

Just because you have always ‘done school’ in a particular way does not mean it should stay that way forever. Be careful of falling into a homeschooling rut simply because you refuse to un-learn old habits. Being open to change can help you to avoid burnout. Year-round homeschooling worked well for my family for several years, and then suddenly it was a struggle. Instead of fighting it, we chose to adjust our school calendar and are much happier and productive as a result. Just as a tasty new curry recipe adds fresh life to your menu rotation, a new way of doing school may add fresh life to your homeschool program.

As your family grows and changes, it is important to revisit your goals, strategies and curriculum to make sure you are meeting the needs of your children in the best way possible. Sometimes a particular curriculum works well for younger children, but loses its effectiveness with older learners. We parents may have strong opinions about the materials our children are using, but have we asked our children to share their thoughtful evaluations? If its not broken, there’s no need to fix it, but at the same time there is no harm in re-evaluating what you do to find new ways to learn. It may be helpful to include an evaluation time in your calendar at regular intervals to specifically discuss with your family how to make your homeschool the best it can be.

The best learning opportunities don’t always come in a textbook. Look for ways to learn

something new away from home. Botany can be studied by joining a gardening club. Sign up for a plein-air watercolor class as a way of learning nature journaling. Why not take a chance and move outside of your comfort zone? Try something new. You might discover birdwatching or stargazing or geo-cacheing to be not only educational, but truly enjoyable. Perhaps you never thought you would do a literature-based unit study or try a computer-based curriculum. Give it a try, you might like it! Check with your family members, friends or fellow church members who might jump at the chance to teach your family something new. Don’t make changes solely to keep up with the homeschooling Joneses, but to move yourself and your children to new heights.

Did you miss the first key to homeschooling success? Check out our blog’s recent posts.