Homeschool:(sort of) End of Year Wrap Up

While we technically still have another month of school to go...Ella has officially met all of our kindergarten goals for the year. And if we are going to be technical about it, Ella has done so much more than just met our goals...she has excelled in them! So now we get to have fun reviewing and...well, just have fun.

And in case anyone is wondering where I got those goals, I made up our list from the North Carolina Kindergarten standards. And this list too was most helpful.

When we first started the year I have to admit I was very overwhelmed with the whole idea of homeschooling. There was just soooo many options, so many opinions, and so many unknowns.

How in the world would I find the time in my seemingly already busy day?
How do I involve the boys? Or entertain them while I teach Ella?
How do I schedule my day?
How do I plan my weeks? Days? An entire school year?

And of course, the weight of being solely responsibly for the education of my child (I don't get to pass the buck to the school system) wasn't something that weighed lightly on my shoulders.

But as time went on we found our groove, readjusted our groove based on the normal daily interruptions, and really readjusted our groove based on the not so normal life interruptions (along comes baby #4). I've refined my philosophy of education. I learned that my teaching method isn't nearly as important as my attitude. I've come to love the holistic approach to teaching at home, making the most of every opportunity to learn and to be excited about learning. And I discovered so many pleasant surprises along the way. I could go on and on but here are just a few:

#1 - I actually really LIKE teaching my children.
#2 - It hasn't been near as hard as I expected.
#3 - It hasn't taken near as much time as I expected. (Our "normal" week includes 3 days of formal teaching, around an hour each day)
#4 - The boys have learned way more than I expected.
#5 - I have learned way more than I expected.

Now, lest I paint a perfect picture...we had our moments and we had our days! And I am realistic in realizing that this was kindergarten and Ella is a really eager learner. I don't expect every year to flow along the way this year has. But this year has given me confidence that we can do this. And that the benefits outweigh the sacrifices.

And, because no post is really considered complete in my mind without some pictures...here is a little collage of pictures from our first school year.

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