Homeschooling with a high school student brings great joy. The subject matter is interesting and teenagers, developing their critical thinking skills and honing their own moral philosophies, have insights and opinions that make for engaging discussions.
Parents of homeschoolers do not need to be experts in every subject and you do not need a degree in education to guide your student. Teenagers are naturally curious, opinionated and passionate about the world around them. Our job as parents is to provide the means and encouragement so our children love to learn.
One myth about homeschool kids is that they spend a lot of time at home. The truth is that many homeschoolers are out and about all day doing sports, classes, tutoring, meeting friends, volunteering, working and keeping very busy.
So at this moment when suddenly all students are homeschool students, many are facing the same challenge: to use their unstructured time in a meaningful way.
The hardest part of homeschooling for many people is finding the self discipline to get work done without daily deadlines, feedback and grades. Even the most seasoned homeschooler can struggle to make use of their time when they have a whole day stretching before them and no one but themselves to be accountable to. This is one of the greatest gifts and challenges of homeschooling.
One of the best ways to get around this seemingly insurmountable obstacle is to align the work with the student’s interests. Rather than picking a fight with your teenager about checking every academic box, work with them to create a curriculum that they will feel enthusiastic about. Giving your student some freedom to design their school day provides them with an opportunity to learn on their own terms, and take responsibility for their education.
The first step in choosing what to study is to know your student’s goals.
If your student is planning to apply to a four-year college or university after high school, there are some well-defined guidelines they should follow in their course selection. Depending on their prospective major or area of study, there may be even more specific coursework required.
Some students may plan to attend a local community college after high school. They can even attend these schools during high school. At this moment of “Shelter in Place” due to COVID 19, this means online classes. If your student plans to attend community college, vocational school or follow another path after high school graduation, their course choices are much more broad. All they need to worry about is satisfying the high school graduation requirements , and there are many fun and unconventional ways to achieve that.
The internet provides literally endless ways to learn every subject under the sun (and beyond). There is no shortage of free resources for students. The bigger challenge is finding the right resources for each person, and organizing their time so that they are getting through the material. The next post in this series will offer some possible resources in your homeschool journey.
Meridith Cook is a freelance writer based in Santa Cruz, California. A homeschooling parent of three children, she delights in spending time with her family gardening, hiking, cooking, going to the beach and listening to audiobooks. She is also an avid knitter and crafter with delusions of grandeur. She has a bachelor of science degree in print journalism from Boston University and has lived in New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Thailand. Visit her website at https://melbacomms.com/ to see more of her writing.
