My Philosophy

When I first decided that I would make this leap into homeschooling, I started searching on line. One of my concerns for Wes is that he not feel isolated. I thought it would be good to find a local group of like minded people with whom to connect. All I really want is a couple of families that we could meet at the park on occasion. This should be a simple enough task and there are groups in my area. I'm a little farther away from my local groups being in the SE Valley of Phoenix, but that's not what stopped me. As I was reading the profiles of the different homeschool groups, I just didn't feel like any were a good fit. I'm already leaving public school, I don't want to jump into another organization unless it seems just right.

So what is my philosophy? The truth is, I think it's still forming. I'm not choosing to teach Wes independently because of religeous beliefs. If I had to define myself in that regard I would use words like liberal and free thinker. I don't associate with one religion in particular because I like to maintain a broader view. I love history and science and culture and I think this vast world has much to offer an open mind. My reasons may be a little political since government funding and programs have played a major roll in the way schools operate and address the education of their students. After all, I have an older son who sits around bored while teachers review for the standardized test; time in which he could be learning. I have a younger son who is forced to display his understanding only in the format given by the same test despite the fact that is doesn't speak to his dominant learning style. So yes, I guess politics have played a part in my decision making. But what is my philosophy and how will I teach my son?

Right now I plan to give our learning time some structure. I think that the two of us will work better together that way. I will also be sure to cover the same material as the general third grade curriculum although not only that material and in our own way. I guess I really am a planner because I have developed a loose weekly outline for covering all of the subjects. I don't want to have a rigid structure. If we are in the middle of a science experiment and I get a cool follow up idea, I may abandon the rest of my plan for that day. I want to embrace the flexibility that comes with the territoy.

I think curriculum and daily planning are the most overwhelming decisions you make when starting out. I looked around for independent blogs like what I'm starting here with Indie Teach. I wanted to see what other parents were doing. I found many blogs that shared resources and general ideas, but I guess I was looking more for the daily ins and outs of teaching. It would be even more satisfying to find other parents who share a similar focus. I'm still looking, but for now, "If you can't find it, create it!" That may just be my new philosophy!