Category: Homeschooling

“I gave your lesson time to someone who needed it,” the boys’ music teacher told me. “You can come any time.”

“What?” I was shocked.

Homeschoolers like flexibility. I wish I had known that the more I told others we homeschooled, the more my flexibility was transferred from me to them.

Our original lessons were right after my sons’ afternoon phys ed class. Even better, the phys ed class was one third of the way to the music lessons.  All went smoothly until the music teacher decided that because we were homeschoolers and therefore “flexible,” we would come Tuesday mornings when her other students were “in school.” This gave her flexibility.

We did our best to accommodate by listening to Spanish lessons or books on tape while I drove, but our school day was interrupted the remainder of the year. I could not reverse her decision, but I could be more savvy.

Not out of fear—but out of respect for my schedule—I became more circumspect about telling others we homeschooled. I wish I had known to do that sooner.

What are you reclaiming these days?

I carefully budgeted for my sons’ education: textbooks, supplies, online and local classes.  I thought the cost of my teacher education was research—innumerable hours attending conferences, talking with veteran home-educators, collecting teaching resources, and reading books now considered homeschool classics.

Along the way, someone said, “Mistakes are the real tuition paid by a homeschool teacher.” (Sorry I don’t remember your name, Someone.) What a relief that observation was to me. Tuition doesn’t judge.

The bad news? Tuition is expensive. I made expensive mistakes. Tuition is not refunded if you keep the class. My homeschool mistakes were not erased. What did I do? Like any class, I accepted the bill.

The good news? Tuition didn’t reflect my intelligence or worth as a parent-teacher. I could reduce tuition. I sold expensive curriculum mistakes. As a bonus, guilt left with the item.  Someone else’s curriculum mistakes met my needs. I reduced their tuition.

More importantly, I became vulnerable and shared my failures along with my successes. I asked my peers about their failures. Together, we reduced our future tuition.

What is your tuition for this season of life?

Years ago, a teacher in a traditional school did not participate in a Saturday church event. “I teach all week,” she told me on Sunday.

Saturday is my only opportunity for errands and chores.”

Her explanation was my wake-up call to think like a professional. My sons deserved the respect she gave her students. However, I had shortchanged their education to please others. Midweek chores and errands had squeezed out homeschooling lessons in order to attend the time-consuming Saturday event my friend eschewed.

I thought how I would respond if my sons attended a traditional school and math was not taught Thursdays. The teacher had a weekly commitment that hour. Math would continue all summer to compensate.

What if the history teacher had received a phone call from a friend in a crisis? The make-up class was at seven o’clock after dinner. Worse, what if this happened regularly? Art was cancelled because a neighbor needed a ride.

Homeschooling gave me the privilege of being flexible but not to the neglect of my calling.

How are you thinking like a professional?

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

Colossians 3:23 ESV