Never let your schooling interrupt your education.

5 homeschool reminders from a former classroom teacher

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5 homeschool reminders from a former classroom teacher ~
Written by Shawna Wingert of Not the Former Things

I was chatting with a friend last week about all the things she felt bad about not accomplishing, six weeks into the new school year. Like me, she homeschools. Like me, she struggles to feel a sense of progress and success.

My kids are still not in a routine.

I haven’t lesson planned on Saturdays like I thought I would.

I haven’t graded their math work for two weeks.

As she spoke, it occurred to me that she was beating herself up for things that, when I was teaching in a classroom, we all accepted was just a part of teaching.

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When I shared this with her, she was stunned. Having never wanted to teach prior to homeschooling her children, she had no idea that other moms, much less other teachers, might struggle with the same thing.

5 Homeschool Reminders From A Former Classroom Teacher

Sometimes, we can be a little too focused on what happens in a traditional classroom.

For example, when my family first started homeschooling, I made the mistake of trying to replicate the very same school experience that was not working for my boys, because it was what I knew. (Ya’ll, I even rang a little bell when it was time to start or break for recess.)

While it’s important for us to lean into what is more flexible and different about homeschooling, I believe there are also some things we can learn from teachers who somehow manage a classroom of thirty smelly, sweet little ones without losing their minds.

5 Homeschool Reminders From A Former Classroom Teacher

Thinking back on my time in the classroom, and knowing how hard we are on ourselves as homeschool moms, here are five things I think can help as we consider our progress this school year.

A classroom teacher will tell you, these are just a part of the job:

1. It takes weeks to establish any real learning routine.

I read an entire book as part of my education program about this one. Cait and Kara also talked about this on a recent episode of The Homeschool Sisters Podcast. Cait said based on her experience in schools, it takes about six weeks for everyone to settle in and actually begin real learning.

Moreover, much of the initial learning is review of last year’s concepts anyway. If you are beating yourself up and already feeling behind because your September got off to a rocky start, please know, not only is this normal, but you are likely still ahead of most traditional classrooms.

5 Homeschool Reminders From A Former Classroom Teacher Shawna Wingert Simple Homeschool

2. Not every day is an academic one.

When my son was experiencing extreme school refusal his last year in public school, I distinctly remember a school day of his at the end of May.

After what felt like trauma just getting him to school, complete with meltdowns and tears on both our parts, I learned when I picked him up that they ended up watching The Lion King for most of the day because the teacher wanted to reward the kids after standardized testing.

The Lion King.

Not every day in school is an academic one. Not every day in homeschool needs to be either.

3. The holidays are nuts.

Every year, from Halloween to Winter Break, classroom teachers do what they can to keep their classrooms functional with the influx of sugar highs, family travel, returning from Thanksgiving Break and the overall sense that everyone (teacher and student alike) is just crossing off the days until Christmas.

It’s okay for your homeschool to get a little nuts as the holidays approach.

In fact, I think this is one of the sweetest parts of homeschooling our children. The holidays can become a month-long celebration of family, coziness and fun.

4. A six hour school day is not six hours of learning.

I know you have probably heard this by now, but please allow me to say it again. Just because the classroom school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 2:00 PM, does not mean that learning is happening for six hours each day.

It doesn’t even mean that learning is happening for four hours. Most teachers agree, actual learning time is somewhere around 2.5 hours per day. (This teacher breaks down where all the time actually goes very well.)

If you are beating yourself up for not getting in as much time learning each day as you believe you “should,” please know, that standard is not based on what the majority of students experience on a daily basis.

5. One on one time is almost impossible.

While the learning time in a classroom is approximately 2.5 hours, the amount of time spent in one on one learning is virtually nonexistent. (Incidentally, this is what caused me to leave the classroom. I could see all the needs and wanted to spend time with each child to really help, but found it impossible.)

As homeschoolers, we have the luxury of individualizing our approach. Even if you have a large family and are worried that you cannot spend enough time one on one with each of your children, you are spending much more focused, valuable and individualized time by the sheer fact that they are home with you.

The benefits of this cannot be overstated. Children learn faster and in a much more child-centric manner when they are not lost in the shuffle of a large classroom of kids.

5 Homeschool Reminders From A Former Classroom Teacher Shawna Wingert Simple Homeschool

Please know, in sharing these reminders, I am not suggesting that the traditional school model should  necessarily be our reference for establishing goals in our homeschools.

The truth is, many of us homeschool because we want better for our children and wouldn’t want a classroom to be our standard anyway.

But the truth is, we are hard on ourselves, and for good reason. We want the very best for our kiddos and take seriously the responsibility of being their teacher.

It is my hope that on the days when it feels like you are behind or not doing this well, you will take heart – it may not be perfect, but your homeschool is making a significant difference for your child.

Do these homeschool reminders from a former classroom teacher make you feel a little bit more confident?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

About Shawna Wingert

Shawna Wingert is a special education teacher turned writer, speaker and consultant. She is also a homeschooling mom of two brilliant boys with differences and special needs.
Shawna has written four books for parents of special needs – Everyday Autism, Special Education at Home, Parenting Chaos and her latest, Homeschooling Your Child With Special Needs. She has also been featured in special needs discussions on Today.com, The Mighty, The Huffington Post and with Autism Speaks. You can find her online at DifferentByDesignLearning.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen @ Bookish Family

    Great reminders! Every so often I look at our homeschool and think “Is this enough?” But then I think along similar lines and remember that 2+ hours plus living in a rich learning environment IS ENOUGH!!!!!! I do still feel bad sometimes about the 1 on 1 time, so it is helpful to remind myself that their education is more individualized and they get to spend a lot more time with me being homeschooled. Thanks for the reminders! I’ll reread this one when I need a pep talk.
    Jen @ Bookish Family’s latest post: 20+ Best Poems for October and November

    Reply

  4. May

    Thank you so much for this information! I am in tears, this is me every day of my life. I pray that being home and giving our best, pays off. At times it seems it doesn’t go as well and at times it does! This has my spirits up greatly! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  6. Anne

    I’m so sick I can barely get up to feed the kids. We’re having “documentary school” today–meaning I lie on the couch while we watch science documentaries on Netflix. This post is an astonishing blessing today!

    Thank you!

    Reply

  7. Kay

    Brilliant Shawna! Thank you. I am a former teacher too and know that what I offer at home is better than what I was able to offer in the classroom with all the constraints, expectations, interruptions, etc…

    Reply

  8. Lanesha Hart

    First, I’d like to acknowledge how awesome and right-on-time this article is! This is my second year homeschooling with the 1st year being kindergarten😬… BUT WE MADE IT! NO LITERALLY WE MADE EVERYTHING! Lots and lots of arts and crafts.

    I needed this post as I felt I wasn’t doing enough. I’m not organized (yet) as a “real teacher” usually is.😔 I don’t have a teaching style. Will I measure up? How do I get acquainted with my local homeschool community? You know those ole chestnuts……

    My son Seth is 6 yrs old and he’s advanced academically. Reading level 4-5 books, writes in script (self-taught)—thanks YOUTUBE! He is great in math and science and geography.
    This kid knows the whole NYC MTA system… Literally. (Light bulb)

    I started asking myself are we doing enough or are we spending adequate time on studies…🙄 the answers are yes! And then some!

    This article helps because it’s relatable, and realisitc. I know I will be a great educator and as a current grad-student I know what the challenge is and I have a strategic plan for this challenge.

    Thank you again for the article. The homeschool heavens opened and blessed us.

    Best regards,
    Homeschool Hart

    Reply

  9. Kim

    I needed to read this today. We have always cyber schooled or home schooled our daughter, who is now a sophomore in High School. I beat myself up most days wondering if we are getting enough done. Am I doing the right things to prepare her for college? Is she “missing out” on the social aspect of school? I usually feel that nagging doubt, but more so these past 2 years.
    Thank you for the encouragement. ♥️

    Reply

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