So what’s it like with your kids home from school for a few weeks or longer? Are you enjoying the time off work or are you having difficulty relaxing with the cooped up energizer bunnies bouncing off the walls? Are you getting any learning accomplished or are you barricading yourself in your bedroom to get some peace of mind?
You can only hide for so long in your fortress of solitude before it comes under siege. You hear a noise outside the bedroom that gets louder and louder. The little ones (and big ones) are banging so loudly on your door with implements of various sorts that you’re afraid they’re using a battering ram.
How do people do it?! Don’t worry, there are parents who spend all day with their children, every day of the year. You may even know some. They’re called homeschoolers. They’re experienced and passionate about what they do. If you reach out to them, they may have some great ideas. I’ve been homeschooling my children for years and if you read on, I’ve got some practical tips and mindset shifts to make your improv homeschool fun, productive and educational.
Let’s start by discussing the aims of your improv homeschool. Don’t confuse homeschool with school. While the word schoolhouse may appear to be homeschool spelled backwards, the two are very different. A school is like an assembly line. Kids clock into kindergarten and move down the line to 12th grade. They are educated in certain subjects (hopefully the ones you want).
A homeschool is different. A homeschool what you make it. When you homeschool your children, you have the rare time and ability to focus on family, identity, values and connection. Of course, learning is important, but you have the opportunity to do so much more.
If you were making a long term commitment to homeschool your children, I would take this opportunity to dive right into curriculum with you. I’d discuss the importance of early reading (I start my children at three) and a well-stocked home library (1000+ books of different levels). We could talk for hours. But you’re in a different situation. You send your kids to school.
Since you’re only homeschooling temporarily, I’ve got different advice for you. Think about this. You’re children are getting their education at the school you chose or settled with. During the next few weeks you want to get the most home into your homeschool as possible. Consider leaving the rote stuff for the schoolhouse and infuse your homeschool with life and magic. Here are three tips:
- Give Your Full Attention – Schools often aim to model and mold your child. The schoolhouse requires obedience, following directions and conformity. Take this opportunity to help your child discover him or herself. Instead of focusing on teaching your child more stuff, focus on listening. Give your son or daughter the stage authentic self-expression. Ask them about their interests, hobbies and dreams. Ask them about the book they’re reading (or help them choose a book to read.). Tell your son that you’ve been out of school for so long that you’ve forgotten everything you know. Can he please teach you? Ask your daughter to put on a play for you. You’re having a tough time reading this particular story. Can she read it for you and act out what happens?
- Focus On Interaction– Before I began homeschooling, I was a teacher for many years. In an innovative teaching program, I was taught to avoid being the sage on the stage and to create curriculum and lessons plans that involved and engaged the students in the learning. But as we all know, most teachers lecture. Don’t try lecturing at home. You are not a teacher. Teachers have rules, procedures, discipline plans as well as principals (and parents) to back them up. If you try to make your rambunctious little ones sit still in your model classroom, your attempt will explode in your face. Instead, work with each student one on one. Do your learning together. Instead of being a leader, be a partner.
- Go Slow and Steady. Forget About The Race– A wise man said “you overestimate what you can do in a day and underestimate what you can do in a month”. This is so true in teaching. When you get a memo from your child’s teacher at the end of the week describing how much the class learned, keep in mind that the memo represents the highlights of over thirty hours of instruction time. It doesn’t show the failures and discipline challenges. It doesn’t show marks on the board, kids sent to the principal’s office or time wasted.
- So don’t get depressed if you don’t learn as much in an hour or a day as you had hoped for. Results are cumulative and will start piling up if you move in the right direction. When you learn with your kids, relax, enjoy and don’t rush. Not only will you and your children have a great time, but you will accomplish more than you realize.
Just as changing your mindset can change your life, changing your mindset can change your homeschool experience. On this staycation, leave the drudgery for the teachers and enjoy a wonderful time with your children.
