Blind Leading the Blind

This most recent life changing decision would never have entered my mind much less seriously considered had it not been for the Summerville church. I hadn't really known well any families that home schooled. I had never watched parents consider and agonize over the choice and over curriculum. I had never known parents so involved in what their children were taught and what they studied. Never considered the massive amount of junk thrown into a school day and how much of the public school curriculum I don't agree with. Public school to me was always just a fact of life. I knew I'd never be able to afford private school and home schooling was for parents who had some basis for teaching, like a degree or years upon years of practice through schools or churches. Who am I to teach? I've never even taught a Bible school class or taken a single class devoted to education. But a seed was planted by the wonderful Mrs. Courtney Steed....even before she had her first child. Then I watched her and a couple other young families take on that role as a home school family. They all made it sound so easy to do. The problems they encountered were tackled one day at a time and they just found ways to make it work. Problems weren't a major crisis, although I'm sure there was much gnashing of teeth by everyone, but another learning and growing experience. I've discovered that as a public school parent it is very easy to "leave the learning to the school" and become so detached that you don't even notice the daily opportunities to teach or grow your child. And this is a mom that was highly praised by several teachers as being one of the most involved parents they knew...ha! What does that say about the other parents...yikes? My go-to reason for not home schooling before, which I kinda felt God pushing me to do, was the social learning which Gabe, with his very non-social being, severely needed. And looking back, it seems, God was setting me up for the timing to start now and not back then. Gabe learned more social behaviors from his most wonderful shadow at school then I would have been able to teach him back then. She was a social butterfly and I've only recently gotten better about coming out of my shell. I would have done my son a disservice by not letting Ms. Miller work with him. But that was then and this is now. Gabe does not have Ms. Miller. Gabe does not have friends that have known him since 1st grade to help him in class. Gabe is now reaching the level where public school worries more about the kids mastering a standardized test than understanding the info that is age appropriate. Gabe has started showing marked academic regression at every school break, including holidays, and has become a better liar about what he knows and doesn't know or understands and doesn't understand (basically harder for the third party parent to do homework or to help bridge the gap). I am much more outgoing then I was. I have a greater understanding of teaching and more patience now that I have Hope. I have a better grasp of what is normal for home schooling and can therefore feel more confident to step out or pull back as needed. And we live in Texas now, where there is very little to no regulations over home schooling so that we can make an honest effort without worrying over attendance, testing, and someone looking over my shoulder. Basically we can get our feet wet without getting pushed in, grabbed from underneath, or even splashed with cold water. Beautiful. I'll post more tomorrow about our reasons to home school and will be able to post about our first full day. Tomorrow is our first day to homeschool!!!