My Director emailed me recently to ask if I would be returning to campus in the fall. I knew the answer, but I waited to respond for many, many days. Homeschooling our 4th grader was supposed to be only temporary. The original plan was that I would take a one year leave of absence from my university to teach our child, while our district continued with remote learning. Then, our child would return to a formalized school setting the following year. But our best laid plan went awry.
We diligently began the private school / alternate school search in the fall of 2020. We hoped to “visit” a number of schools in the area (only virtual tours were allowed at that time) and then select a few to which we would apply. We even considered moving to another public school district. After much debate, we decided to stay put and apply to two schools. This decision was risky considering how area schools were receiving record numbers of applicants. Thankfully, a few months later, we heard that our child was accepted in to one of the schools. And by spring, we were finally able to take an on campus tour.
Having the chance to visit the school in-person was a wonderful opportunity, but none of us were super excited. Our lack enthusiasm seemed weird, almost wrong. Here was a good school offering our child a return to “normal.” But the in-person option at this school didn’t fit with our family goals anymore. And the additional tuition didn’t seem worth the added commute, the different school calendar, and our child’s hesitation. So what 5th grade option would fit with our family? The answer is another year of homeschooling.
This “accidental homeschooler” (a term coined by Time4Learning to describe those who come to homeschooling unexpectedly) has become a “deliberate homeschooler” (a term put forth by MilitarySpouse that I am fully embracing). I reflecting on what worked and what didn’t in 4th grade and reviewing potential new texts and curriculum for 5th grade. We are also reorganizing our homeschool space for better storage of books and supplies. I am incredibly nervous about being solely responsible for our child’s educational future, but I am very comfortable with another year of homeschool instruction. I will still say it’s just for one more year … but then again who knows.