By Diana Dow
Synopsis: Frustration with public schools is no excuse to act precipitously. Preparation is key to a establishing a successful home school.
New home-schooling parents have many questions. Frequently it goes something like this: “I’ve just pulled my child out of public school. Now what?” Whoa! Back up! This is like putting the cart before the horse. Imagine someone sitting in a pilot’s seat just before take-off asking, “How do I fly this plane?” Or a doctor enters an operating room and just before picking up the scalpel relies upon a google search to perform the surgery. Each of these scenarios has one thing in common—the lack of preparation. Before pulling your child out of public school, do your homework. Preparation is key (Col. 3:23 Eccl. 9:10).
Spend time learning about home schooling. What makes it different from other forms of education? Will it fit into my family’s lifestyle? What is my philosophy of education? What is my teaching style? What is my child’s learning style?
When I started this journey in 1991, there were few resources available. I read them all. No, I devoured them all. Every book I read opened my eyes to a new way of looking at education. Over time, I developed my personal philosophy of education; I figured out my teaching style and my child’s learning style.
Today, books, articles, and videos are abundant. Getting information is not difficult. Sorting through the information and discovering the best sources is the challenge. Do your research before sitting in the pilot seat or entering the operating room. Seek advice from those who have been there. Think through how you want your child’s education to look (2 Tim. 2:15; Prov. 24:27).
During my preparation stage of home schooling, I asked an experienced friend for advice. The most important thing she said was, “Get your child under control.” On her first day of home schooling, she sat her five-year-old down and went from being mommy to teacher. It surprised her when her son did not take too kindly to the switch. He rebelled. He did not want to sit down and learn his letters. She realized she had work to do. Obedience and respect are traits that should be taught to every child from birth. When home schooling, it quickly becomes clear whether that teaching has been sufficient.
If your child has already experienced public or private school, he will probably expect his learning at home to mimic his learning at school. Talk to him about what will be different and what will be the same. Give him time to adjust, but do not allow him to control the situation. He will need to obey and respect you as his parent and as his teacher (Prov. 22:6; 23:13; 29:17 Deut. 6:4-9).
Home schooling is messy. Storage space for books, supplies and projects, as well as a study space for the student, is essential. Whether you have a separate schoolroom, gather in the living room, or congregate around the kitchen table, whatever works for your family is fine. However, the study area needs to be free from clutter, and the school supplies need to be put away at the end of the day. Organizing the home before beginning to home school will help everything run smoothly and allow for a calm atmosphere for the entire family (Prov. 31:27-31).
Home schooling is time-consuming. Attempting to squeeze home schooling in an already busy schedule causes stress for everyone. Learning doesn’t always happen within a prescribed time. If every second of every day is rigidly scheduled, there is no time for the relaxed learning that children thrive on. Clear the schedule. Make sure there is time, not only for the sit-down learning that needs to be done, but also for the creative learning, digging-deeper into a much-loved subject, and the real-life learning that will only happen if time is left open for it (Col. 4:5 Eph. 5:15-16).
It can be tempting to jump in and start home schooling without going through the preparation stage, but do yourself a favor: Prepare yourself, your child, and your home for this new phase of life. Spend much time in prayer—asking God for guidance, wisdom, patience, and self-control to do the best you can with the challenging task that lies before you (Luke 14:28-30).
