Becks is fully aware of our intent to homeschool in the fall.  I’m not sure either of us know what is in store, but that’s kind of the beauty of it.  Living life with abandon; going for it.  The proverbial Nike slogan: Just do it.

He recently asked me, “So, mom, can I, like, where socks to school?”

Dude, I will likely be in some sort of stretchy pant attire, topped off with a Old Navy extra long tank with a baby on my hip and a cup of coffee in my hand.  So, yes, socks, gorilla slippers, bare feet.  All completely acceptable.  Come as you are.

His question, though, spurred many other thoughts for me about what school will look like in our home.  What curricula will we follow?  Will we join a co-op?  Will school start promptly at 8:26am each day?  Will we start the same date as the public schools in our county?  How will we incorporate the arts?  How will we intentionally invite Jesus into our school?  

I’ve really only just begun to sort through the whats and the hows and the wills, reflecting upon them only briefly.  It is summer after all.  

Here are my thoughts at the present time, on June 10th at 7:37am, to questions asked above and a few others…

Will we follow a particular homeschool curriculum?

No.  For me, this is part of the beauty of homeschool – freedom of choice.  Instead, we will likely follow along a timeline with a scope and sequence similar to what public schools offer to first graders.  However, there will be a whole awful lot of wiggle room, with the expectation that we will tailor our studies to personal interests, thematic explorations, and life lessons.  We will hit all major content areas, with a strong emphasis on creativity and independent thinking.  Likely, I will be using lots of my own resources (and lots of yours!) to accomplish this.  

Will you align your instruction to the Common Core?

I’m sure a lot of what we will do will align with the Common Core, but I will not intentionally seek out the standards to guide our time together.  That’s not to say I won’t glance at them occasionally, but they will not be our driving force.

Will you join a co-op?

I hear lots of good things about them, but haven’t taken the time to explore them more.

Will you start when public schools start?  Take time off when public schools have time off?  Etc.?

We will definitely start school around 8am, and will likely operate on the public school schedule for days off, breaks, and such.  

How will you incorporate the arts?

Ooooooh, I’m really excited about this.  I LOVE THE ARTS.  Not just art projects (I do really love those), but music, dance, theater, etc.  We’re fortunate to live extremely close to Cincinnati, where there are museums, theaters, architecture and the like, all about the city.  I really want to get a better appreciation for all the city has to offer and expose Becks and Faith to the local artistic delicacies.  

How will you intentionally invite Jesus into your classroom?

Good question.  This is probably one, if not the, most beneficial aspect of homeschooling for our family.  The Principal (Brandon) and I know that we want Jesus – not religion – to be our guiding force.  We want to love Him and love others like Him.  We value character education, Biblical principals, and raising our children up in Him.  So, honestly, it is to be determined how exactly we will facilitate Bible study and scripture memorization…but we know that we really want to act on behalf of Him in our daily lives inside and outside our home.  

Will you do laundry during school hours?

Ha.  Of course not.  If I were in the public school, I wouldn’t be doing laundry 😉

Happy Tuesday!

{PS.  Do you homeschool?  Do you have other questions?  Suggestions?  Think I’ve gone crazy-out-of-my-mind?  Let me know in the comments!}