Homeschooling
Standing firm in my decision to homeschool my children goes against a lot of family traditions and beliefs.
I believe education should be at our pace, personalized for our unique abilities, and in a safe space.
I believe in e-learning and virtual assistance.
This decision was difficult because of the ego and lifestyle changes I needed to make.
I have my BS in Elementary Education but sought against the career due to the conditions of the system.
The hinderance on my creative teaching style turned me off each time I thought about it.
Months have passed since this change so here are a few things I’d like to share for those considering or are at the beginning of the journey:
⁃ Know what you believe about education so when you make your decision you are secure. Everyone will have an opinion.
⁃ Prepare to lose sleep for a few days due to anxiety related to destructing the tradition of education. Your thoughts about your personal sacrifices will be loud.
⁃ Create schedules around your familial life and the comfort of your child’s learning style.
⁃ Educate yourself on state laws and regulations.
⁃ Ask your child how they would like to learn (on the laptop, with books, outside, etc)
⁃ Lean on your governmental and local resources if need be because they do exist!
⁃ Research free resources, join social media groups with other parents like yourself, and align with one person locally who can be your emotional support.
⁃ Take days off whenever you need. Learning is not all book work and it doesn’t have to be daily instruction.
⁃ Use every day tasks and experiences to educate your child on self sufficiency.
⁃ Include Spiritual routines and activities your children like to diversify your days.
⁃ Do not invest in school supplies you will not use!
⁃ Donate your old uniforms to the school (after washing) or an organization who can benefit from them.
⁃ Speak with your child about this decision and explain the benefits.
⁃ Self care routines prior to starting lessons can help cultivate more personal development.
⁃ A lot of mental health days in the beginning for you both!
⁃ Use local school calendars to honor rest days for yourself. Use these days to allow your children to be social, explore their city with you, and family trips!
⁃ Focus on what your child needs and not satisfying curriculum. Homeschool leaves a lot of time and attention to really develop the skills of your children. Don’t move too fast past a concept until your children can demonstrate they are secure.
⁃ Pop quizzes, test days, and short days exist!
⁃ Be the teacher your children need and not the one you want to be.
⁃ Nap time is an activity!
⁃ Journal or write after each day to help track the progression of your experience.
I hope these tips help you make the right decisions for yourself and your family!
Pictured is my oldest daughter, Iyana and myself.
Photographer: Steven LeFlore
To book a session with him, please follow the link below.
Orisha Sevyn
Moore Consciousness, Confidence, and Clarity For The Collective. 