Hello all! I have loved reading this board. it has given me such hope for the future! I like many others, never thought of homeschool as something I could do. I saw it as something better reserved for "supermoms" whatever that means LOL. I have 4 children my oldest (my only son) is an overachiever, he is in APS gifted programs and seems to be centered and thriving in public school and can't wait to start middle school this fall. Then there is my second child. My 10 year old daughter, of whom is a brilliant artist (in my opinion and a peacemaker but she has been increasingly "slipping through the cracks" each year at school. She has learned to manipulate the system and her teachers. She just decided this last year to not do any work at all in the last few months. Frustrated, we asked her teacher to email us with the weekly homework and tests so we could be more invloved. She did email us for 2 weeks then suddenly stopped and also stopped responding to our emails and we went in to talk to her and she pulled out some failed tests and told us again our daughter wasnt turning in homework. The teacher was in tears stating she was so stressed and just couldnt keep up with everything!

SO that is when I thought to myself, I am pretty sure I could handle my daughters education much better than this! I'm mostly nervous that I may not be a great teacher but I am willing to try seeing as I cannot in good faith, send her back to the APS school system. I hope as I get the hang of this, to educate my other children at home. My son isnt open to that idea now but I have 2 more younger daughters one is 6 and the other is 3 and my hope is that I can give them a great education at home! I hope to meet you all at the park day on Thursday! We live in the NE heights so it would have to be at the eastside location.
I want to thank you for creating this site and for all that add to it. It has been THE main resource for local information for me and THE source of inspiration that made me finally decide to homeschool! Thank you!!

Lizett

Welcome, Lizette!  I'm so glad  you introduced yourself.  

What a striking image of the over stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, weeping teacher.  It is so sad to me that the people who are charged with educating the adults of the future are so overlooked and have so much more to do than they should.  I really believe that that kind of environment isn't good for the kids or teachers.  It's a lose lose situation, and one that you can fix by schooling at home.  I celebrate your courage in seeing your current situation for what it is and making the decision to do better yourself.

I look forward to meeting you at the park on Thursday.

Hello Lizett, I look forward to meeting you at the park. I also live in NE Heights, and I know my "going-on-6" daughter would love to meet yours.

Lizett, what a pleasure to read your story!  

And before I forget, I wanted to thank you so much for your encouragement & compliments to all the site collaborators - that was incredibly upliftng and I don't want to forget to thank you for that.

And before I forget #2, let me assure you that YOU are ALREADY a so-called "Supermom" because you are CONSCIENCIOUS!!!       I think that's the common denominator we all do have in common is that we are in-touch with our intuitions and we prize our children!

Have you ever heard someone call themself an "accidental homeschooler" (meaning, it wasn't their initial intention to homeschool but they find themself homeschooling as a result of some catalyst that called for change)?    Truly, I think there is an equal number of accidental homeschoolers and from-the-get-go homeschoolers here in this group - this has always been such a welcoming aspect!   (the diversity of both, I mean)

I'm also wondering if you've heard of "deschooling"?   It's a process that naturally occurs to a kiddo who is transitioning from public school to homeschooling - there are a number of symptoms you might want to brace yourself for because there is a honest-to-goodness process of "peeling off the layers" that have been imposed upon a kid by the school system . . . some kids rebel, some kids can't stop napping, some kids can't stop reading (or watching TV or playing video games), some kids are elated . . . they all react differently and it can take a new homeschooling parent by surprise.   But, if you know to expect this temporary phase, it won't bother you as much and you'll be able to support her better instead of reprimanding the seemingly-negative behavior.   It does end.   They're just getting in-touch with themselves again . . . usually, they have a lot of tapes to process and you're giving them time to "heal", so to speak.   If this common phenomenon starts to play-out in your home, rest assured that it is common and it does pass and there's support for both of you as it is occuring . . . also, considering googling "deschooling" to learn more about how kids sometimes "unwind" for a while when they get their freedom back.   It might make all the difference for you - the first year of homeschooling is the shakiest until you find your groove . . . something about the passing of each season (spring, summer, fall, winter) will make the 2nd year feel more familiar - your confidence WILL solidify as you go even though you may question your decision 1000 times before then.   Your intuition will guide you . . .  

Happy trails!    

Thank you Dannie and Elizabeth I look forward to meeting you all tomorrow.

Thanks so much for that Carissa! Yes I have heard of "de-schooling" I would swear that my DD has been showing signs of that for a few years now! I have been un sure about what to do for that now that we have decided to homeschool her. I've started recognizing it lately. My husband has been printing up math sheets for her and making her write reports already this summer. I see her just doing what she always does- gets us to do the work for her by just "playing dumb", that's what I call it because I see she can do the work when I break it down for her on how to do it but she still just keeps working me for information until I find myself telling her exact answers and Im like "Hey! Knock it off! " its startling how she can work me so well. She is a master of this which makes it more frustrating.

  Her teachers for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade described the same thing, yet they all passed her through knowing she didnt do the work but felt that she was capable. My whole thing is- how is just passing her through going to help her in the long run? Her teacher this last year was overwhelemed and I felt bad for her since it was her first year teaching but to my horror in one of her mulitple choice social tests, my daughter didnt know who Martin Luther King Jr was, nor Christopher Columbus yet she was passing to the 5th grade. She failed more test than she passed (out of sheer laziness according to her teacher) and threw away most of her homework before she got home but yet she passed?? The basis (per her teacher) is that she is intelligent enough to do the work for 5th grade. Yet she didnt do it for 4th grade, so I just dont know how long this was going to go on before she would eventually find a teacher that would hold my daughter accountable. Or even worse, what if that teacher never came along?

  So I find myself becoming THAT teacher that will hold her accountable, I think in reality I need to de-school myself along with her! If that makes any sense.   I am beginning to think that letting go of my own ideas may be the thing to lead to a better education for my daughter, since the way I learned, in APS, isnt working for her. So I have my work cut out for me, I know, But reading posts here have really made me believe that we can do this! I have really found comfort knowing Im not alone in "accidental homeschooling"  

Lizett

Lizett
It was so nice to meet you today!  I hope to see you again soon.  Maybe at a park day that's a little warmer than today!  

Thank you Alexis! It was great to meet you too. We will be back next week!

Lizett

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I just dont know how long this was going to go on before she would eventually find a teacher that would hold my daughter accountable. Or even worse, what if that teacher never came along?

  So I find myself becoming THAT teacher that will hold her accountable, I think in reality I need to de-school myself along with her! If that makes any sense.   I am beginning to think that letting go of my own ideas may be the thing to lead to a better education for my daughter, since the way I learned, in APS, isnt working for her. So I have my work cut out for me, I know, But reading posts here have really made me believe that we can do this! I have really found comfort knowing Im not alone in "accidental homeschooling"  

I feel the exact same way. My older daughter would do her homework but then not turn it in. Yet there was no accountability. I talked to her teacher about it and she swore there would be consequences, but there never were. You just can't be that flakey in the real world. There are consequences in real life (ie, if you don't balence your checkbook, your checks will bounce). I think the teachers have too many students in their classrooms and they just CAN'T keep track of it all.