Homeschoolers are Rarely at Home.
There is a common misconception out their that homeschoolers spend their days sitting in their homes with one of their parents doing workbooks and literally schooling at home. I’m sure that they are out there those who subscribe to this extreme version of homeschooling and bring the classroom home but have yet to meet anyone doing this. The majority of homeschoolers/unschoolers that I know, including myself, are rarely at home with their children. In our case we take our kids to museums,classes, resource centers and generally interact on an ad hoc basis with other homeschoolers.
As homeschooling grows museums and other institutions are picking up on this opportunity and hosting special “homeschooling classes” mid day during the school year. A quick search for “homeschooling classes museum” brings up tons of museums with homeschooling programs. These programs are usually made better by the fact that the classes are small. My children take homeschooling classes at a local Art Museum once a month and visit a resource center twice a week. We visit interesting sites like cider mills, farms and factories. They also participate in other activities such as fencing, acting class and circus school (my favorite) “after school” and on weekends.
Do you bring the classroom home or are you out and about most of the time?
It changes with the season for us. In the winter, we do more inside (at home) stuff, and the kids are content to be with each other. But as the weather warms, we spend most of our time out and about, doing activities at museums and in classes, but also just walking in nature and exploring. That isn’t to say that the dead of winter doesn’t include classes … December is our busiest month with plays and ballet … but we tend to be more home-focused and introspective in these darker, colder months, enjoying our time by the fire and each other.
I think I would have benefited from something like this. I was homeschooled for a year and my shyness turned into social anxiety. I got used to being alone, I suppose. Good to see it’s evolving into something greater.
NOT surprised that homeschoolers are rarely at home. Makes perfect sense. It’s brilliant, really. Another one of the many advantages of homeschooling, right! Really lends itself to kids making podcasts, movies, or other digital archives of their learning experiences. Which we’d love to help you learn how to do! (Shameless self promotion!!! Couldn’t resist!) Visit our site for more info!