There has been a lot of hate for public schools right now. It’s a very prominent topic in political circles especially. As someone who sends my kids to public school I actually agree with a lot of the concerns from parents. I see so much wrong with the school system today and I’m not super enthusiastic about where it’s headed. However, as with any stereotype, there are usually exceptions. There are a lot of statements about democrats, white people, Russians, or Christians that are simply not true for the countless number of people that fall into those categories. So when I talk about loving MY school district, it’s just how I feel about OUR district. I’m not defending public schools as a whole. In fact, this time last year we were finishing up homeschooling. We homeschooled during the 2020/21 school year because I wasn’t happy with the school’s protocols for the pandemic.

Now that we are at the end of this school year I am feeling even more secure in that decision. In their final newsletters many teachers have said things like “This was such a great school year! I am so glad it’s been a fun and more normal year than last year” reminding me that I dodged last year all together. All the events we enjoyed like the school carnival, the art show, the MANY field trips, father daughter dance etc. were all canceled last year but were back again this year thank goodness.

I was hesitant to reenroll the kids in 2021 once talk of masks was brought up, but then I saw a rainbow the night of that important school board meeting and as cheesy as it sounds I knew the Lord was reminding me that he keeps his promises. I was at peace with our decision to send the kids back to school and it’s been a blessing to watch each one of them flourish.

While I love seeing test scores that reveal just how well my kids are doing I know it isn’t a true measure of success or understanding. What I really love seeing is their creativity, their interest in books and history and science. Even though Elle is struggling with reading she had a specialist that works with her and I have no doubt that she will blossom in her own time. No one is pressuring either of us.

All of their teachers are hands-on and make learning fun. I would pay good money for them to have these experiences (I am glad it’s free though, let’s be honest). I could go on and on about all that the teachers do to help these kids feel comfortable, inspired, and challenged every day. Here is a photo of SJ bringing a dozen eggs to school because her teacher asked if she could buy some and then insisted on paying her.

Then I found this math assignment that allowed SJ to use hens and hen houses as a way to understand the multiplication.

When they post photos and videos of the students they brag on them like a proud parent. For example this photo was shared with a caption about how the students spontaneously organized a class soccer game for those interested and she said “Great Kiddos!!!”  I’ve even received hand written notes in the mail about how well my kids are doing. I understand what a gift this is and I don’t take it for granted. 

As far as what kind of indoctrination is happing outside of the home I can’t possibly know everything that they are being exposed to. I know that we are putting great emphasis on faith in our home and they have Jesus in their hearts. Our pastor’s kids are at the same public school our kids are and I think the youth group and children that they spend their time with are a great influence and accountability for them.

All that to say I am so glad we put the kids back in school this year. I am always taking it one day and one child at a time and will continue to do so. For all the teachers I know that are out there doing a great job despite the obstacles you are facing I am so grateful for you. You all are heroes in my book! And for the families homeschooling and putting your kids in private schools the sacrifices you make are worth it. You are heroes too! I am envious of all the homeschool and private school perks. I just know it’s not the best fit for us right now.

So there you have it. I love our public school and I’m looking forward to 1st, 4th, 6th, and 9th grade!

Originally written October 5, 2020

I now have 10 weeks of homeschooling under my belt. Now that public schools are all back in business it feels so much more real. For example, when my kids were in public school they would get out at 3:15 and we’d often hit up the library which was right next to another elementary school that got out at 3:45. I used to make sure we hurried so that we could grab some materials and get out before the school traffic hit. So the other day I told the kids we had to watch out for that traffic. Then I realized it was 1:00 in the afternoon! Hooray for homeschool perks.

Another time was when my co-op group rented a gym during the day and let all of our kiddos run around and play dodge ball and nerf war. That was definitely a homeschool perk.

On Ezie’s birthday last week we got to visit an apple orchard and a pizza and icecream place that you would typically have to wait an hour or more to get into. We went during the day on a week day and there was NO line at all.

Even though I have shared about all of the plusses and fun times, I want to be honest that there is still plenty of head butting and push back when it comes to really putting in 100% and doing the hard work.

All in all I would call our first 10 weeks of homeschool a success. Here are some more highlights from the past month.

We finished reading the book “Charlie & Frog” by Karen Kane. It had a lot of sign language included in the story. Part of our family homeschool lessons is ASL, so that was really neat.

We also did video book reviews for what each of the kids read individually. I posted the videos on Instagram stories. If you have an account and would like to follow me I’m @messymom.

We learned about Patriot Day, as shown on the chalkboard. That was a tough lesson, but an important one. We also did science lessons like the power of air molecules shown through the balloon and a toy car.

One of my FAVORITE lessons was a study on the Constitution which we celebrated on September 17th (Constitution Day). We camped out on this topic for a week, reading books and watching a video about the Constitution and even making our own quill pens using our very own chicken feathers. 

One week we focused on handwriting using a curriculum borrowed from a friend in our co-op.

Going to the park in the middle of the day with your grandparents is another homeschool perk!

All that and playing outside with the chickens and lots of leaves made for a wonderful September. We are looking forward to even more fall weather and fall fun! 

We officially have one month of homeschooling under our belt. One of our recent lessons was about cause and effect. I loved this sincere answer my daughter gave on one of her worksheets.

It’s the truth.

I feel like it isn’t real yet because we started school a month earlier than our public school district did. Now that they are starting it seems more official and I actually am even more nervous than I was before! I realize that this probably shows just how much of a product of the system I am. Maybe that will eventually wear off. August went really well though! I looked back through the photos to remind myself what I wanted to highlight and it was tricky because there are a lot of things that weren’t necessarily “homeschool” but were very educational. For example when the kids went to the Creation Museum with my parents,

or when we observed wildlife in the back yard

or made Amish Friendship Bread from a starter bag that my sister in law gave us.

That’s the cool thing about homeschooling is that you don’t turn it on and off. It’s perpetually educating your children and fostering a love of learning in them. Granted this is what I have always done with my kids, even when they were not homeschooled. I guess it’s just around the clock now.

Anyway, one of my absolute favorite homeschool moments was a field trip we took on the first week to a park called Heritage Village.

There just so happened to be a free event at a place that teaches about life in Ohio in the 1800s and it was phenomenal.

Another hands down favorite lesson in my opinion was when the kids made chocolate chip cookies.

We were reading a book about a boy who didn’t have parents around and he tried to make cookies and they didn’t turn out. I told the kids I wanted them to make chocolate chip cookies without my help. They immediately started considering the ingredients and utensils in the kitchen. I told them it doesn’t start there. First, you had to find a recipe (I directed them to the Messy Mom Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe which they printed out). From there they had to see if we even had all of the ingredients (which we did not). So I told them I would help them get to the grocery store and I would pay for the groceries, other than that it was all up to them.

Z printed out the recipe, while SJ made a list of instructions, and Ez wrote down the grocery list and then we headed to the store. 

I sat back and watched them learn that there is so much more to cooking than just the final results in the kitchen! There is money, planning, preparation, and a lot of time that is involved in the whole process start to finish.

When they actually made the cookies they kicked me out of the kitchen. I tried to resist because I wanted to take pictures. So they took my phone and took their own pictures.

I had forgotten all about it until I found this selfie later. It was so cute! The cookies turned out great and the experience was even greater.

Another fun homeschool day was when we had a big field trip P.E. outing to swim with their cousins who live in Kentucky. We only swam one other time this year because of COVID, so getting them in the water again before the weather turned cold was a big priority for me. It was the perfect day for it.

We have also been going through each country of the world a day at a time. The goal is to learn about all 195! It has been so cool.

I personally am learning A LOT right alongside them and each day we pray over the countries we talk about. The kids love to use the Intelliglobe. We were so blessed to have found this gem at a yard sale several years ago and boy has it come in handy.

Every day at the end of our school day I have the kids write in a journal. One day I read these precious words and it made my heart melt.

Today we talked about the world. We learned the [ASL] signs and verses of the world. Like John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son.”… We also learned about Algeria and that America isn’t the only country that matters to God. I also prayed for Algeria…

Of course reading something like that makes it all worth it!

Oh and one more favorite memory from this month is doing schoolwork outside.

I love that the kids can get sun and fresh air while learning casually in the treehouse or on the patio. I feel like when weather permits it’s so much healthier than being cooped up indoors.

Often times we have had other children join in on our school time.

I’m sure that won’t happen as much now that public school is back in session but it’s been a fun twist to spontaneously include other kids in our “classroom”.

Today I was doing our read aloud and I looked around and each of the kids were holding a chicken.

I had to question if this was my real life, but actually I loved it! I wanted to have someone walk up and take a picture. Since that didn’t happen I snapped this pic myself at the end of our reading time.

Now onto the ugly parts of homeschooling so far. This is an actual photo one of the kids captured of me teaching one morning.

We have a lot of fun but there are times that I have them work individually on math and language arts so that it is grade specific. This includes daily worksheets, reading, and writing. For my two middle children this can be like pulling teeth! I know they never acted this belligerent with their teachers. It can become a battle and one child in particular has been digging their heels into the ground. I’m hoping as they come to the realization that we ARE doing this every day and there is no way to opt out, then maybe they will start co-operating more easily. Some days are better than others and I have already seen progress in the area of writing. I want to ensure I am keeping it real on Messy Mom because I could say “It’s going great” and if someone peeked in to see the arguing, whining, meltdowns, and disrespect that goes down on the daily then you might call me out on my optimism.

So there you have it. Month one done. I am sure I’ll be writing a lot more on the subject of homeschooling. We have an entire school year ahead of us.

I’ve been considering homeschooling since we started distance learning last March. I had a terrible experience with distance learning. To be clear. distance learning (or NTI, or online/virtual learning, or whatever you want to call it) are not the same as homeschool. Distance learning is when your child is enrolled in a public school and is doing all of the assignments remotely. Homeschooling is when you are the teacher and responsible for all aspects of your child’s education. One of the reasons distance learning doesn’t work for us is because I have four kids and a husband working at home. So imagine me trying to keep everything quiet while half the family is on a video call. It is a nightmare. I wrote about back when I was in the middle of all that.

I also already wrote about why I don’t want to do in-person learning. This is NOT to shame anyone who wants their kids in school and has no issues with social distancing, but it isn’t the best choice for us.

In the past, I have felt like our school had many benefits over what I could give them at home. I hear a lot of criticism towards public school because it is a rigid and outdated style of learning. I know some brick and mortar schools might be full of rows of desks with a teacher writing on a board and students memorizing and reciting information like robots. At our public school though, it is the total opposite of that and I have told our teachers how much I appreciate their approach to learning.

I would receive photos on the school app of my children daily and they were always either on their feet, outside, or sprawled out on the ground learning.

They were never in desks and never bored and disenchanted. This school is all about the tactile, kinesthetic, collaboration, imagination, nature, motion, friends-problem-solving, creating, building, hands-on, having fun while discovering!!! I wanted to share a hundred photos from this past year, but I narrowed it down. Their lessons are always super creative.  Is that awesome or what!? However, with the guidelines that are in place so much of that is going to change.

When I think of my kids being in an environment where their face is covered all day, as well as everyone around them it breaks my heart. No doubt this amazing group of teachers and staff will find creative ways to still ignite kids’ enthusiasm for learning but there are some ways their hands are tied. Day in and day out the children will be constantly encouraged to sanitize and discouraged from coming together which goes against our family’s philosophy on health and growth. In the pandemic public school, they can’t get into small groups, or play games together, or see smiles, or share crayons or a microscope. So that’s why I feel like I could serve them better at home for now.

Originally I wasn’t going to homeschool all of them. I was taking it one kid at a time.

First off Ezie, he’ll be in 2nd grade. I feel like he thrives in a school environment. He loves people. He works well with a teacher and not so much with me (when we did distance learning). He also is EXTREMELY physical. He notoriously hugs EVERYBODY. I’ve talked about this before. He has been called “Huggy Bear” since he was two years old. He had to make an “all-about-me” post for school last year and here are some of his answers-

I am special because- he wrote “I give hugs”

I help others by- “Making them feel better by hugging them”

For Favorite Book, he put “The Hug Machine”

He will tap your shoulder when he wants your attention. He wrestles and does secret handshakes with his friends. He stops during a school assignment to announce a “hug break”. Ironically this is the same reason I used to feel like homeschool wouldn’t be a good fit for him! We have friends and family that we are quarantining with, along with just having 5 other people in our home that I think he can meet his physical contact quota at home much more than in public school right now.

Then there is SJ.

Because she spent the first three years of her life without cochlear implants her little rapidly developing brain is hard-wired to read lips and facial expressions. Because of this, I am certainly worried that she would fall behind with facial coverings. There are some exemptions for teachers to wear shields when a child has special needs, but even then, that leaves the rest of the school with covered faces. I have hearing loss too and I know how hard it is to hear when the voice is muffled by a mask and then tack on being 6 feet away! It’s nearly impossible. I have had to tell many employees at stores when I’ve been out and about- I’m sorry I have hearing loss and I just don’t understand. So for SJ, I think she’ll have a better 4th grade year absorbing a lot more information at home. We are working on a scholarship that would still allow her to receive the services that she would have gotten from her IEP and I am really excited about that opportunity.

Lastly, there is Z.

We had fully planned on him starting his first year at Junior High in the school building. Then things started escalating with COVID and J and I thought, well at least he’ll have the online option and he can work from home. We really wanted him in school because he is starting accredited High School math and the grade is on his High School transcripts. However, when we found out that online learning would be sitting at a computer the entire school day and you are expected to be there joining in virtually the whole time. There was no flexibility and I understand why, but he wasn’t interested in that and neither were we. So we said no thank you.

This was not an easy choice at all. I love our school, teachers, and principal.  I almost cried yesterday when I filled out the decision form and had to check “my child will not be attending”. It’s a grieving process. I’m not mad at the school for doing what they feel has to be done or what is mandatory. I think they’ve done a phenomenal job navigating all of this! That’s part of what makes it harder for me. I feel like I’m betraying our beloved school that has served my children so well. It’s almost like a break up with someone you really care about, but you agree to take a break.

So that is a lot of words about all the heavy stuff that is on my heart. Maybe you’ve seen this graphic floating around.

That’s how I feel. Everyone has to make this very personal decision for themselves. This whole crazy unprecedented time is wearing on all of us. It’s not hopeless though. Next time I will write about why I am looking forward to this next season.