So so many of my friends have inquired this year about our homeschooling experience that I've decided it's time to have a blog about it for reference. In list form I would like to first address our greatest joys and determiners in our decision to use the cyber homeschool education as our family's school option.
-Greater influence in our children's shaping and development in all areas, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and academically.
-Family flexibility in academics, family time, and illness recovery.
-Germ introduction especially as younger children is more limited.
-Closely monitoring and being involved in academic achievement, social involvements and being a direct proponent of their academic success!
-Having daily opportunity afforded for our children to learn from one another. To mature and relate in family relationships which can be so rewarding to see them learning life skills, positive social interaction and ways of behaving from familial positive peer pressure.
-Academically being more able to search for ways to meet any individual needs or material that specifically fits the desires and interests of our students. For example, we wanted a school that provided elementary Spanish and this has been the most rewarding and exciting course for our student last year!
-Having flexible hours and days yet also with cyber education finding great joy in the structure and schedule provided for us as we desire to use it.
-Curriculum and course materials needed for the year mailed to our doorstep.
-Many support staff and easily accessible help for any support, questions or concerns I may have.
-More time in our evenings to do activities for student outlets for fun and leisure and also family enjoyment because "homework" is completed throughout the day!
-Money spent on school supplies and outfits is very minimal because our students are not needing as much as may be needed for traditional school.
I honestly cannot think of anything negative to say aside from this past years final couple Math units and feeling like the last one should have maybe been a previous lesson as it helped offer some more full explanations to our student.
I fully believe the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is top notch, along with their Phonics curriculum. We have had great success in all areas and anytime our student began struggling in an area the staff was on their game to offer support, guidance and extra help! They test often and throughout the units in each subject offering many opportunities to see growth or struggle. The online school portion is not overly time consuming and offered many fun interactive learning opportunities.
The school also affords opportunities to come together as a community in fun, learning and other activities.
We do not homeschool out of fear, but instead out of a belief that we are called by God to protect, provide and foster positive growth and development in our children. We personally believe for our family this is the wisest option for us. And it doesn't come without sacrifice. Financially we sacrifice. Some may say we sacrifice our time too. I lay down my desires for what i beleive is best for my children in that i do not do a lot of things for myself or get to do as many stay at home mom type activities because Im a very busy teacher and mom. But we truly believe with all the information we have learned and heard from friends and colleagues over the years that sadly school is not as it once was. There is more violence, earlier and earlier exposure to sex and sexuality (do you believe young boys are bringing pornographic material onto school grounds at the age if eight? Here's my plug to talk to your elementary student about sex!) and students are talking about so much more than that ( suicide, relationships, death etc) all often without an adult to help offer guided support or helpful language needed to properly explain or sift through these incredibly delicate issues with these equally delicate and shapeable hearts!
Please do not get me wrong, by no means am I saying its wrong to send a child to school. In fact I think it's a very difficult weighty decision that we openly discuss our thoughts, reasons and concerns for in all regards frequently to make sure we feel we are following Gods lead. As parents we pray often for Gods guidance and we ask those in aurhority over us and those we trust for thier experiences, opinions and thouhts and we listen for His leading. Open discussion and careful discernment are key to making the wisest decision for your student and for your family.
I will say that we don't believe it's a decision which should be left to a child to choose their most desired, favorite or best option. They are children, their view is limited. We are the adults with all the information, with the full perspective and with the God given responsibility to raise children who are being afforded the most opportunities for godly, positive and safe environment in all areas, academically, socially, mentally and emotionally. We do discuss the various options and allow the children to understand all that is involved in each schooling option, however, in the end we also explain our reasoning behind our decision.
I won't even get into our concerns for the school staff and the lack of sexual accountability and social standards of sexually acceptable words, choices, lifestyle and actions for adults who then become vital parts of the students mental, social and academic growth... They both monitor the students and role model for them.
One final concern we had was for our students safety. Safety in both student to student interaction and from outside violence which sadly has increased greatly in our country recently. We know as parents we cannot protect our children from everything, however, we also believe we want to provide a safe and secure environment, particularly in the elementary very formidable and shaping years. This is where their hearts and minds are so tender and ripe for growth and development cognitively and emotionally is really soaring. Bullying can cause such detriment and while some adversity and opportunities to socially, emotionally and cognitively develop coping mechanisms is also vital we seek to provide guided and less opportunities for it to become a negative.
I probably could go on, but these have been some of our greatest determining factors, thoughts, concerns, and beliefs in our decision.
Ultimately, we love the attitudes, decisions and hearts of our kids and who they are growing into so much. It gives us a great sense of joy to play this incredibly integral role in their academic, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development.
We love Cyber education with Agora!
