Homeschooling, where parents actively choose to educate their children instead of sending them to public or private school, is done for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is for religious reasons, sometimes because of dissatisfaction with the educational options available, or educational philosophies, and sometimes it is because the children, for whatever reason, are not progressing within the traditional school structure. Whatever your reason to homeschool, it might help you to know that home based school is like.... a home based buisness.
Like a home buisness, your home school is your buisness. It is yours to manage and create. Homeschooling is how you, as a parent, run your home school and educate your own children and it is as individual as your family which is why someone else can seldom tell you "How to homeschool." Just as a business begins with an idea, homeschooling begins when you assess where you are and where you want to go... you might say, when you catch the vision of what your homeschool could be like.Just as in a home based buisness, no one tells the buisness owner when to start work or how to do the work that needs to be done the homeschool parent is in charge with what takes place at home school. The homeschooling parent is a little like the proverbial ant, who, with no guide, overseer, or ruler, "provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."
In home based buisness, the owner creates a workspace that is enjoyable to them, and sets a pace that works for them and their clientele. In a home school, you create your learning environments for your own kids and workspace all one your own. You start and stop school according to your own schedule. You select and pyuurchase your own materials, you set your goals, you shoot for high outcomes, you then cover the materials that you know you need to cover because you are a responsible mananger of your home school. A business owner works hard to see a good outcome in their undertakings, and homeschoolers do too.
Just as in a home based buisness, as a homeschooler it is wise to create a strong team of people helping you. Your team consists of the support and assistance of your spouse as well as other homeschoolers who can leand advice from time to tiem. Your support comes also from choosing good curriculum, utilizing books and other rescourse, and of course, finding a method and rythm of "school" that works best for your children and you. You will hand select lessons, activities and even possibly appoint and hire tutors or join in classes taught by others to support your homeschooling efforts. Just as in a home based buisness, it is important to make certain that members of your team are working with you, not against you in your efforts... the same is true with homeschool.
A home buisness entreprenuer might have a home office, but they often meet with clients or might also choose to sometimes work outside of the home. Likewise, homeschoolers do not have to do all their learning at home in a school room. A lot of learning that takes place in homeschooling tends to come from experiences in the outside world. There are visits to the grocery store, bakery or post office. There are libraries, museums, parks, friends houses and... yes, the occasional coffeeshop to which students can cart their books and study or discuss reading content over hot cocoa with mom or dad. Some homeschoolers even read books or practice for quizzes while traveling in the car, much like home based entreprenuers do. Home based buisnesses like home based schools are based in the home, but not all they do is necessarily done "at home."
But there are some diffeences....
The rewards in home education is not monetary like in a home based business. In fact, in WA, parents are required by law to finance their own home-based education, so, like a home-based buisnessses, you do well to keep your costs to a minumum. Homeschoolers can keep costs low by smart shopping at stores, on the internet and at homeschool conventions and used corriculum sales, even by havoing friends eho share their books or microscopes. Homeschooling doesn't bring in the dollars, but it certainly makes sense!
Homeschooling has regulations to follow, (At least in WAshington, which is one of the strictest taates in which to homeschool. Buisnesses have regulaions too. In WA, parents must meet certain legal criteria to homeschool, and then they have obligations of educating their children too. They must either have a college degree or take a homeschool qualifying course. They must file yearly intent forms to declare they are homeschooling. They are required to cover 11 specific school related subject areas and required do yearly testing, of their own selection from a list of state approved tests, (and note, these records are kept by the parent, not the school.) Essentially, parents are the keepers and managers of what they do. How one home-schools, what they do to fulfill the requirements is up to the manangers of the homeschool.
The most important thing to remember is that homeschooling, does not have look anything like traditional "school" anymore than a home based buisness is required to look like a Walmart store. Homeschooling is your family's personal endeavor. It is required by state law that your children are educated, and as a parent, you need to see to it that they are. If they are not enrolled in some type of school by the age of eight, you are subject to penalties of law. It is up to you as the individual parent to comply with compulsory education laws.
Many people associate the notion of homeschooling with being religious or even "Christian," but don't be fooled. Homeschooling is not just a Christian concept. It's universal in scope, an extention of what a parent has already been doing since the time their child was born. Kids who homeschool, come from all walks of life and home based education exists because it is the right of a parent to take their child out of school and help them and direct and plan their learning in ways the parents think best.
Home based school is a lot like running your own home based buisness, only it's cooler because you get to do it with and for your kids.
inspiring!
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