I've been writing online for over a decade. When C was a little guy, I was searching for a "Motherhood" necklace and instead wound up finding DaMomma's blog. I'm sure it helped that I'd stumbled onto the page of a really gifted writer, but in that one instant, I was hooked. Far away from the village of women I'd grown up with, I felt like I'd found a community that I didn't have in real life.
Back in those dark ages of social media, the custom was to comment regularly on the blogs you enjoyed, preferably with a link back to your own web home. It gave us a sense of getting to know each other - kind of like sharing diaries back in elementary school. Feeling like I needed a calling card of my own, I started a blog describing my own experience as a working mom and Martha Stewart wannabe.
That blog (currently private, so no link) saw me through quite a few pivotal life moments. There was the struggle of navigating childcare and surviving working mom guilt. I wrote about the helplessness of living 600 miles away when my dad had a heart attack. I blogged and cried my way through my son's Autism diagnosis, how the school system mistreated him and our decision to teach him at home, and found my way to Autism pride and advocacy through the screen of my laptop.
I set privacy parameters in place from the outset. I used a pen name, and blog names for Chico and my husband, Q. I never gave details about C's struggles or named his teachers or schools. I sometimes wished I could, because reading those things had been helpful to me, but I just never arrived at a point where I felt like that was okay for my family.
Which brings me to today. I started Every Day a Rainbow because after more than a year away from blogging, I missed it. I wanted to share our experience with homeschooling a child with special needs to encourage other families. I wanted to be the one voice that assures a parent who's wondering "Could we?..." by showing that we are. I want to make people aware that restraint and seclusion are being used in classrooms every day, and it's unacceptable. Mostly, I wanted to share that this life we have, one that includes Autism, is a joyful one. We have challenges, but there is joy in every day that we have with our remarkable young man.
That the story is mostly his is not lost on me. If I share only part of what's happening in our world, it's because his part of the story is not mine to tell. It wasn't when he was two (the year I started blogging), and it becomes less so every year. More than my desire to encourage others is my obligation to protect my son. I hope that he'd find nothing in my online pages to protest, but if he does I'd remove it in an instant. For now I write with care, always truthful, but never obliged to include what is not mine to share.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
Tips for Tranisitioning to Homeschool
Summer is winding down, and it seems that the whole USA is in a back to school frame of mind. Seeing friends and family sharing about first days of school has me thinking of our first year of home education, what things helped with the transition, and what I wish I'd done differently.
Whether you're starting homeschool for the first time, or transitioning home from a community-based school, I hope these tips will help you thorough the adjustment period.
° Recognize that a period of adjustment will be needed.
The best way to begin is to acknowledge that an adjustment period will be needed. Even though home is a place of learning from the time our children are born, they will still need a bit of time to sort out what that means in an academic sense. It might take a little while to reconcile the idea of home as a place for structured learning vs. relaxation and leisure.
° Create a schedule - or two!
I'm always more productive when I have an agenda for the day. Just like I did for all the years I worked in an office, I take some time each evening to prepare a prioritized task list for the next day. C has two visual schedules - one on his bedroom door to help guide his morning time, and one that shows him each school day and what subjects will be covered.
° Put the "home" in Homeschool.
If your child's coming home from a challenging school situation, there may be some negative feelings associated with school. That was certainly true in C's case, and one of my regrets is that I tried to recreate school at home in the beginning. Making our home look like school with charts, rug time, etc., was simply recreating an environment that was causing him anxiety.
If school has been a stressful place for your child, take full advantage of being at home by creating the anti-school. Abandon the desk for a pile of cushions on the floor. Go outside and study as weather permits.Work simple lessons in with an enjoyable activity. A few that Chico enjoyed were sand and water play, ball games in the back yard, and even learning while floating in the pool!
° Let your child lead.
In the rush and excitement of teaching, don't forget to let your child teach you. Especially with an Autistic child, there can be a habit of trying to lead him from activity to activity. Take some time to sit near as he plays. Join in if he allows it, but follow his lead. If he stacks blocks, stack your own. If he sifts sand though his fingers, grab a pile and sift away. Don't coerce, or try to change what he's doing. Be present, and enjoy taking time to try and see the world through your child's eyes. This is one of the greatest gifts of homeschooling.
Are you in a period of school transition? What are some things you've found to make it easier?
Whether you're starting homeschool for the first time, or transitioning home from a community-based school, I hope these tips will help you thorough the adjustment period.
° Recognize that a period of adjustment will be needed.
The best way to begin is to acknowledge that an adjustment period will be needed. Even though home is a place of learning from the time our children are born, they will still need a bit of time to sort out what that means in an academic sense. It might take a little while to reconcile the idea of home as a place for structured learning vs. relaxation and leisure.
° Create a schedule - or two!
I'm always more productive when I have an agenda for the day. Just like I did for all the years I worked in an office, I take some time each evening to prepare a prioritized task list for the next day. C has two visual schedules - one on his bedroom door to help guide his morning time, and one that shows him each school day and what subjects will be covered.
° Put the "home" in Homeschool.
If your child's coming home from a challenging school situation, there may be some negative feelings associated with school. That was certainly true in C's case, and one of my regrets is that I tried to recreate school at home in the beginning. Making our home look like school with charts, rug time, etc., was simply recreating an environment that was causing him anxiety.
If school has been a stressful place for your child, take full advantage of being at home by creating the anti-school. Abandon the desk for a pile of cushions on the floor. Go outside and study as weather permits.Work simple lessons in with an enjoyable activity. A few that Chico enjoyed were sand and water play, ball games in the back yard, and even learning while floating in the pool!
° Let your child lead.
In the rush and excitement of teaching, don't forget to let your child teach you. Especially with an Autistic child, there can be a habit of trying to lead him from activity to activity. Take some time to sit near as he plays. Join in if he allows it, but follow his lead. If he stacks blocks, stack your own. If he sifts sand though his fingers, grab a pile and sift away. Don't coerce, or try to change what he's doing. Be present, and enjoy taking time to try and see the world through your child's eyes. This is one of the greatest gifts of homeschooling.
Are you in a period of school transition? What are some things you've found to make it easier?
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Homeschooling When You Feel Stuck
I'm a planner by nature. When I have a project to do, my first instinct is to grab a blank notebook and pen and settle in for some serious research. I compare materials, methods, cost effectiveness, and chart out various designs and scenarios before proceeding. Most of the time, planning serves me well.
Sometimes though, planning can lead to a self-perpetuating circle of debate without ever going anywhere. Homeschool planning can be this way, and for good reason. It's a high stakes venture that impacts our children. The planning stage cannot be taken lightly, but what about when it is so fraught that it impedes our ability to begin schooling?
Most parents are nervous about this road less traveled, and we are all worried about doing the wrong things for our kids. We want to thoroughly compare curriculum so that we don't waste money. We want to thoroughly research ideologies so we can confidently identify our approach. In between all of this we may be fielding questions and challenges from family and friends who don't support homeschooling. There's just so much to take in that we end up spinning our wheels and never feeling confident enough to start.
By all means, you can and should do some research and prep work before embarking on a path of home education. Keep in mind though that a plan does not obligate you to continue with a method or curriculum that doesn't work for your child or family culture.
Begin with locating a scope and sequence for your child's grade level. Use this to help you with curriculum purchases, locating free online resources, or developing your own lesson plans. Begin with implementing the 3 R's plus some enrichment like music and art. Starting this way lets you begin while getting your bearings.
If I can give you some encouragement today, it's this: You're allowed to make missteps, and you're allowed to change your mind. The beauty of home education is that you can reevaluate, modify curriculum, and make changes in response to what works (or doesn't) for your child. Dive in, and learn what works, together.
Tell me in the comments:
Have you ever been overwhelmed with homeschooling choices? How did you break through indecision and get started?
Sometimes though, planning can lead to a self-perpetuating circle of debate without ever going anywhere. Homeschool planning can be this way, and for good reason. It's a high stakes venture that impacts our children. The planning stage cannot be taken lightly, but what about when it is so fraught that it impedes our ability to begin schooling?
Most parents are nervous about this road less traveled, and we are all worried about doing the wrong things for our kids. We want to thoroughly compare curriculum so that we don't waste money. We want to thoroughly research ideologies so we can confidently identify our approach. In between all of this we may be fielding questions and challenges from family and friends who don't support homeschooling. There's just so much to take in that we end up spinning our wheels and never feeling confident enough to start.
By all means, you can and should do some research and prep work before embarking on a path of home education. Keep in mind though that a plan does not obligate you to continue with a method or curriculum that doesn't work for your child or family culture.
Begin with locating a scope and sequence for your child's grade level. Use this to help you with curriculum purchases, locating free online resources, or developing your own lesson plans. Begin with implementing the 3 R's plus some enrichment like music and art. Starting this way lets you begin while getting your bearings.
If I can give you some encouragement today, it's this: You're allowed to make missteps, and you're allowed to change your mind. The beauty of home education is that you can reevaluate, modify curriculum, and make changes in response to what works (or doesn't) for your child. Dive in, and learn what works, together.
Tell me in the comments:
Have you ever been overwhelmed with homeschooling choices? How did you break through indecision and get started?
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Four Keys to Homeschooling Success
One of the toughest parts of educating at home is deciding where to start. I think every parent has a moment when they are just overwhelmed and freeze at the idea of having to make so many decisions. Overwhelm can also keep parents who really want to homeschool from ever even trying.
If this is where you are, then I offer the four tools that have helped us in our homeschool journey. These tools not only helped when we were just getting started, but have been the backbone of our success with home education.
Manifesto
When we decided to pull C from public school, his dad and I knew very well what we didn't want. To effectively educate him at home, we had to decide what it was that we did want. Putting long term, specific goals in writing has helped me shape our learning environment, from the curriculum we use to how and where we implement our day. Having a document to reflect on also helps during times of challenge, to remind us all of where we're going, and that we're in this together.
Planning
My experience has been that a planned day is always more productive than an unplanned day. A daily plan for each subject helps me to schedule our time effectively and make sure that C's overall education is balanced. Chico's engagement is improved when he has a plan. I don't know if is a conscious thing on his part, but he seems better able to allocate his mental and energy resources if he knows what to expect from the day as a whole.
Flexibility
Having stated the importance of planning, I must now say this: You must be flexible. Sometimes a lesson will be harder to grasp than anticipated. Put in a little extra patience and effort, and realign the rest of the day or week as needed. I only write out lesson plans for a week at a time, so when the need for flexibility arises, I can roll with it. This flexibility is one of the blessings of homeschooling; if you can learn to embrace it, you and your kids will benefit.
Trust
Theology aside, homeschooling has been an act of faith. Before we could truly reap the benefits of educating at home, we had to build a solid foundation of trust. I had to learn to trust in my ability to teach (a fellow homeschooling mom helpfully pointed out that I'd been teaching C since he was born). I had to learn to trust in my own instincts for our school, especially when those instincts conflicted with the traditional classroom model and the ableist mindset towards Autism. I had to trust that Chico would put in his best effort and also to learn to trust him when he said he'd had enough for the day.
As you homeschool, you will find that it's an ever evolving process. With the amount of curriculum available, the number of methodologies to ponder, and opinions coming at you from every direction, it's easy to get locked into a constant questioning spiral. If you have the key elements I've described in place, it's easier to make decisions and just get started.
After eight years of learning at home,C has achieved an amazing amount of progress. It's such a privilege to work alongside him, and to be a firsthand witness to how he sees the world. He's young yet, and still has much to learn, and I'm so excited to see where the next few years will lead.
What are your tried and true keys to learning success? Do you use any of the tools I've mentioned, or have some to share? Share your thoughts in the comments!
If this is where you are, then I offer the four tools that have helped us in our homeschool journey. These tools not only helped when we were just getting started, but have been the backbone of our success with home education.
Manifesto
When we decided to pull C from public school, his dad and I knew very well what we didn't want. To effectively educate him at home, we had to decide what it was that we did want. Putting long term, specific goals in writing has helped me shape our learning environment, from the curriculum we use to how and where we implement our day. Having a document to reflect on also helps during times of challenge, to remind us all of where we're going, and that we're in this together.
Planning
My experience has been that a planned day is always more productive than an unplanned day. A daily plan for each subject helps me to schedule our time effectively and make sure that C's overall education is balanced. Chico's engagement is improved when he has a plan. I don't know if is a conscious thing on his part, but he seems better able to allocate his mental and energy resources if he knows what to expect from the day as a whole.
Flexibility
Having stated the importance of planning, I must now say this: You must be flexible. Sometimes a lesson will be harder to grasp than anticipated. Put in a little extra patience and effort, and realign the rest of the day or week as needed. I only write out lesson plans for a week at a time, so when the need for flexibility arises, I can roll with it. This flexibility is one of the blessings of homeschooling; if you can learn to embrace it, you and your kids will benefit.
Trust
Theology aside, homeschooling has been an act of faith. Before we could truly reap the benefits of educating at home, we had to build a solid foundation of trust. I had to learn to trust in my ability to teach (a fellow homeschooling mom helpfully pointed out that I'd been teaching C since he was born). I had to learn to trust in my own instincts for our school, especially when those instincts conflicted with the traditional classroom model and the ableist mindset towards Autism. I had to trust that Chico would put in his best effort and also to learn to trust him when he said he'd had enough for the day.
As you homeschool, you will find that it's an ever evolving process. With the amount of curriculum available, the number of methodologies to ponder, and opinions coming at you from every direction, it's easy to get locked into a constant questioning spiral. If you have the key elements I've described in place, it's easier to make decisions and just get started.
After eight years of learning at home,C has achieved an amazing amount of progress. It's such a privilege to work alongside him, and to be a firsthand witness to how he sees the world. He's young yet, and still has much to learn, and I'm so excited to see where the next few years will lead.
What are your tried and true keys to learning success? Do you use any of the tools I've mentioned, or have some to share? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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