Like everything else this year, my teaching has changed. For the past five years, I have been teaching at a mid-size public university. My students ranged from the 18 year old just out of high school to the 65 year old coming back to school after many, many years. I loved my students. They were funny and bright and brought an amazing mix of ideas and experiences to every course. However, I love my new student even more, which is why I moved from the college classroom to the kitchen table.
Spring’s “emergency remote teaching” (I use this term purposefully. See Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust and Bond for a more detailed explanation) did not work for our family. My oldest missed being around peers and battled with new technologies . Attempting any sort of pleasantries and trying to stay organized was not likely. My youngest enjoyed being home and mastered most online tasks. However, these successes came at a steep price – deteriorating eye sight. Headaches and eye strain were daily complaints. And for me, teaching my classes while assisting my kids was pure overload. I was never fully “on” for any of them. Plus, I am a curriculum junky that is obsessed with K-16 alignment. Watching the younger generation fall behind (i.e., not meet their grade level standards), was keeping me up at night.
So when my university and our district announced that the new school years would be virtual, I decided to homeschool our youngest. The kitchen table was dedicated as the new classroom, supplies were ordered, and curriculum planning was started. I took a slightly different approach to curriculum than other homeschool parents. I did not purchase any “pre-packaged” curriculum. Rather, I am going a la carte, picking from here and there while using another district’s curriculum as a guide. Other parents have told me that I am making things more complicated for myself. Maybe. But I am trying to ensure that what we are doing at home aligns to state standards. Homeschool cannot last forever. I want to get back on campus. In the meantime, I need to go prepare today’s science experiment.