Retracing my steps...

Classical, CM, unschooling, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, literature based curriculum, Latin based curriculum, block scheduling, loop scheduling.... The choices and vocabulary related to homeschooling seem to increase annually. As a young parent interested in exploring the idea of homeschooling back in 2002-2003, I remember struggling to understand the terminology, being overwhelmed by the amount of available information, and reeling from the seemingly infinite number choices available in every facet of homeschooling from philosophies to presentation to curriculum. Where to start? How would I know I was making the right choice? Would my children's education suffer because I chose the wrong path? Could I really do this? I must have had at least a thousand questions. Questions common among a multitude of homeschooling parents.

My personal goals are to retrace my homeschooling steps from then until now to reflect upon the choices made, to better clarify the reasons and methods behind our school, to enable myself to more clearly define our goals, to evaluate how effectively we are implementing our strategy, and to assess how well we are able to meet our goals. I'm not looking to completely reorganize or redirect our homeschool, but simply to regain a sense of what our overall homeschooling vision is. In truth, I've been so immersed in the day to day details for so long, I feel as if I can't see the forest for all the trees. I know it still there, it's just gotten a little fuzzy and out-of-focus. Since the next year of homeschooling will see not only the start of my first logic stage student but also the addition of my third official homeschooling student, it seems to be a prudent time to do some prayerful soul-searching.

In the process I hope that the information will be helpful to new homeschoolers standing where I started several years ago at a place of infinite potential and limitless choices. I realize now that there is no one perfect homeschooling path. Every child and every family has varying strengths and weaknesses, differences in personality, and personal beliefs that shape their own individual homeschool journeys. What works for my family will not work for another and vice versa. However, although the final answers may be different, many of the questions remain the same. I hope that anyone who takes the time to read my ramblings will find the information useful in answering their own questions. My intention is to blog along this topic on Mondays as often as I am able for the next several months. If you have comments or suggestions of other resources that I should check out as I go along, I would love to hear from you. If nothing else, then I hope that others who are struggling with questions or doubts will understand that you are not alone.