Edify Education

Let me start by saying I was raised in the public school system.
My Mother was a teacher she has a Master’s in Education.
We have personally loved every teacher our Children have ever had.
Our Kiddos have attended both Public Schools and Private Schools.

School

The government could be better at allocating funds equally to all school systems.
One should not be put above the rest. Teachers should be paid more and have more resources available to them. How is it that teachers have Amazon Wish Lists and parents spend (depending on the household) up to $500 on back-to-school supplies, in addition to their wish lists? Teachers should be able to get what they need to start a school year. Their budget should be big enough that they don’t have to create lists or send home needs.

Teachers’ work days do not begin and end with the school day. They put hours into their classrooms, planning, grading, and general care of the children. They are at school events, productions, and sports, not because they’re paid but because they genuinely care for the kids. They’re a massive support system for the youth, with little support from the world.

People in the world say yea but “teachers get summers off” There is no such thing. They’re always looking, thinking, and planning for what’s next. They have a classroom of young minds to tend to. Minds that have increasingly become more anxious and easily distracted. This year I was given the opportunity to teach music. I’ve learned so much just by watching the teachers I’m surrounded by daily. The grace which they hold as they teach kids not only education but etiquette. If school was just based on Teachers and their love and patience, our kids would be in school.

Tricky Transitions

It’s in the small stuff, the transitions between learning and playing, eating lunch, and walking the halls. The times when teachers are out of earshot. When “kids will be kids” what they say and do, leaves an impact on your kid. Today there is too much out there in the world for our kids to get their hands on. Kids in grade school have cell phones. Some may be able to watch whatever or search the internet without limits. These kids also go to school and talk to their friends about what they’ve been up to. We are now living in a world far different from 10-15 years ago even. The world is now available to you at the click of one button.

We’ve always encouraged our kids to talk to us about what they’re hearing. Run things by us if they think what they’ve heard is good or bad. That we’d be able to help them navigate that. Some of the conversations we’ve had over the years lead us to believe that for us and our family, we’d like to homeschool until at least high school. Our brains are not fully formed until we are in our 20s. Kids tend to make impulsive decisions, Impulsive decisions, and the ability to put anything before their eyes, that’s a dangerous combo.

Homeschooling

For our family, the choice to homeschool is not about the educational system. It’s about all of the tricky transitions, the small moments in the days that all add up, that slowly change our hearts and minds. Our kids are not sheltered because they are homeschooled. They have friends, get recess, and go on field trips. By homeschooling, the only thing we are doing is cutting out that background noise, chatter, recess, and hallway talk. There is no right or wrong answer. Do what you’re feeling called to do.

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. There are days when it’s overwhelming and exhausting and you question if you’re educating your kid the best that you can be. If you’ll mess them up by teaching them without a teacher’s education. I’m not equipt for this. But you are, look at the way education began. If you trace it all the way back, it began in the home. Educate yourself so that you can educate your kids.

If you want to homeschool, be sure to put in the work. Check your state’s rules and regulations for homeschooling. Be sure you’re following them. Get a curriculum that works for you. One that you feel confident teaching. Also, pay attention to how your kids are responding. Check and Adjust to things that they don’t seem to respond well to. The best thing I found that helped to grow my confidence in Homeschooling was the GHC. All of the things I just listed in this paragraph, you can find in a fully packed 2.5-day convention, including curriculum. If you’re thinking about homeschooling find the nearest one to you and spend the money on it! Personally, you can take your children, loads of people do. I’d use it selfishly, taking just yourself so that you can pay full attention to all the great things the speakers have to offer!

Edify Education

There is no this is right, or that is wrong. Our family fully supports the Educational System. Everything we do in this life stems from the education we receive, with that in mind the world should pour more funding into education. There is room for growth. We’ve got to stop shaming both avenues and come together. We’ve got to Edify Education. There are more options available now depending on where you live. Pod Schools or Micro Schools are starting to surface. Homeschools have co-ops, where kids can come together under one roof to learn a certain subject or do their extracurriculars. So, do what works for your house!

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