Er- what?
So yeah. It seems that in some circles we aren't considered homeschoolers simply because the kiddo participates in a homeschool program that is funded by our local public school district.
Oh Lord.
To be clear, a homeschooler is someone who is the primary educator of their child. Simple as that. It doesn't matter if you homeschool at home, if you do it in the car, if you use programs and co-ops, if you hire a teacher to help you teach a subject, if you follow a specific curriculum or have none at all. It doesn't matter. If you are the primary teacher and you are the one who facilitates your child's education- then you are a homeschooler.
Got it?
Good.
Real homeschooling is where the parents make the decision on what is being taught and has ultimate control over their child's education. I have this. Yes, my child is taught a few classes each year by teachers who report to the state. However, I am given a very long and very clear description of what they are being taught and notified whenever there may be testing.
Just last week in fact, a handout was sent out home with the kiddo from his multiplication and division class. In the handout, the teacher stated that she would be doing quick math drills to strengthen the basic multiplication facts. Since this was not in the original class description, she wanted all the parents to be aware and then gave them the option to opt out.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with this and I'm pretty sure that traditional public school teachers don't go to such lengths to keep their student's parents informed. At least they never did while I was in public school...
So yes, the kiddo attends a homeschool program that is part of our local public school. To be clear- he does NOT attend a traditional public school. This works for us. And yes, we are still homeschoolers.
This public school program helps us stay legal with our state. The kiddo gets to experience some of the positives that come with a school environment like playing on the playground with friends and working together in groups in Lego lab. I get help in teaching the subjects that I have NO desire to teach- math anyone? And we have access to workshop classes like pottery, art, martial arts and more. And it's free. Tell me-who wouldn't love that? Simply because it's attached to a public school district? Geez....
The kiddo is here at this program for just a few hours each week. We homeschool at home for the remainder- well, sometimes it happens in the car on the way to activities. But the fact remains the same, I am the one making the decisions for what my son is learning. I am given the choice to opt him out of classroom activities, I sign him up for classes and workshops, I teach him at home, I drive his behind to all his sports and activities, I taught him to read, I do science experiments with him, I help him craft, I facilitate quiet reading time, I , I , I.......
So if that doesn't make me a homeschooler- then I don't know what does.
The face of homeschooling is evolving. It no longer looks like the Mom in her long denim skirt, hair in a bun and 10 kids trailing behind her as she reads from her Bible and quotes the scriptures. Sure, this is one facet of it- but we as homeschoolers are evolving. Our generation is smart enough to use all the tools at our disposable to educate our children. We pick and choose the best of everything available and create a custom learning experience for our children. This is homeschooling.
So to those of you who think we aren't really homeschoolers, I have this to say...perhaps you need to take another look around you, get outside your bubble and realize that homeschooling is changing. There is no one thing that defines us and no one type of person or family that homeschools. We are growing, we are progressing past the stereotypes and we are changing the way outsiders view us- and that's a pretty amazing thing.
So yes- we are homeschoolers. And if what we are doing makes me an outsider in the homeschooling community, I guess I really don't care. I'll start my own club and I just might invite you, maybe...
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