My Experience with Teaching Kids at Home

I know a ton of parents have decided to home school their children in the past several years.   As I have talked to people about this choice, they each have their own reasons.  Some decide that they don’t want their kids exposed to drugs in our school systems, or kids having sex, etc.  Yes , as shocking as that is, in our Middle Schools and High Schools, that is what our  children / grandchildren are living with and dealing with on a daily basis, as we send them to school to get an education.   I don’t know about you, but that is NOT the education that I want my 11 yr old granddaughter getting!!  When she started 5th grade (school goes from 5th to 8th) she came home within a month and was telling me their were 7th and 8th graders having sex in the bathroom.   I was stunned!!!    It was at that point, I started praying and looking into other educational options for her and her 10 yr old sister.

I looked into traditional homeschooling vs public school online at home.   I chose for our family the public school online at home and we are using the K12 program.  I chose this option because at my age, it was the best option.  I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to teach the girls and keep them up to their grade levels with traditional home school, in addition to the cost.  Sadly, it just wasn’t a feasible answer to our problem..  I have since learned, all parents have similar concerns when they pull their children from traditional brick and mortar schools, no matter the parents age!!   Since I am the grandmother, raising these granddaughters, again, our situation is a little unique.  

We are in Tennessee , so our school is actually TNVA.  When you put your child into K12, they are then put into whatever the school is for your state.  It is as if K12 is the umbrella school.      We are in our 2nd semester, and I won’t tell you that life has been easy, because Lord knows it has been a challenge switching to this type of education for the girls this year.  I have one that is in 6th grade and one that is in 4th grade.

We have battled with learning the systems that the girls have to use, they each are on a different platform, so that has been a real challenge!!   With K12, they are on a computer in a live classroom with a teacher and other students.   They have to follow the state’s requirements for how many hours a day they are doing school work, and in addition to the live classroom settings, each teacher assigns off line work that they are required to do.   Currently, my girls have 55 minute classes Monday – Thursday.  They may also have a small group thrown in a couple times a week for subjects they need additional help with.   Fridays are used for additional small group sessions, and any make up work from the week.  We also generally have end of the week testing on Fridays for whatever they learned that week.   The classes are set up so that  a parent can sit in on it with them, if the child needs additional help.   

Since we have started, we have had days where I felt like throwing in the towel, and sending them back to regular school.  ( I promise you at some point, all parents that teach their children from home have these days!!   They are fibbing to you if they say they have never had that kind of day!) I have also had days where I felt it was an insane amount of work that they girls have had to do, in addition to the live classroom settings.   However, we have also had days, where I asked myself, “ Is that really all they have today?”.    I wish I could tell you that our 1st semester was a roaring success, but it was FAR from that!!  Honestly, the 4th grader ended up with horrible grades!!    It wasn’t until the 1st week back after our Fall Break, why her grades were so awful the 1st semester….we were missing assignments that should have been turned in.   I was upset simply because that should have been part of the training they give you PRIOR to your child actually starting school.   I have since learned both systems and where to find the assignments that are given to each child, so I am able to track what they should be doing and what they haven’t completed.   

I do love that I am able to be the girls primary influence, and I use our “off time” to do a daily devotional with them.  So we are not only getting a traditional education, but I am able to give them a faith based learning environment!!   They get out of the house several times a week, to go to church.  We also try to make it a point to get out and do other things.  One of the lessons I have learned this past semester is that it is easy to fall into a routine of never leaving the house,   I am working on that this semester, and we will be trying to join in with either other home schoolers for activities or just simply getting out by ourselves!!

We have started back this semester with a brand new attitude and are hoping that the girls have adjusted to the home environment better , and since we now understand the systems and what is expected….I hope and pray to see improvements in their grades!!   

I will update y’all again later in the semester!!  

I hope that this post has helped you to understand what it is like using teaching your children from home, at least through my eyes.   So now it is your turn……have you ever considered home schooling?   Or are you happy with your child’s current education at brick and mortar?   Do you do traditional home schooling?  I would love to hear from ALL my followers  and your input on this subject!!

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