about me

Practically imperfect in every way. Start with a lot of silliness. Mix in some insecurities and a handful of awkwardness. Add a pound of naivety, innocence, and child-like wonderings. Blend well. Half-bake and top off with a sprinkle of imagination and dollop of dreams. It’s the recipe for me!

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quote of the day

  • "Moral of the story: Do not look at the gap. The gap is the mind-killer. Remember how Wile E. Coyote never fell down until he saw the chasm? It’s just like that." --Taylor "Tei" Lindstrom, Rogue Ink

dumbass quote

  • "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And I believe that our education like, such as South Africa, and, the Iraq, everywhere like such as. And I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children." --Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen 2007

kids say...

  • Jacob: "I need to operate on my frog, but first he needs some amnesia."

copyright

Copyright © 2004-2006 Kerrie Lee. All rights reserved.

Back to School. Or Not.

November 26, 2006

The boys had a week off from school for Thanksgiving break. Tomorrow, their friends will be returning to school, but Brendan and Jacob will not. We made the decision in late October to try homeschooling after the break.

This decision didn’t come as abruptly as it might appear. I considered homeschooling before the boys started Kindergarten, but decided to send them to a regular school for the early years. When our school district was unable to provide them with the education I felt was entitled to them, I once again considered homeschooling, but instead found a charter school that seemed to fit our needs.

We love our charter school. This year, both Rob and I joined the Parent Council as classroom representatives so we could be more involved in the school. I also took a part time job at the school and volunteered there many hours each week. I built relationships with teachers and staff and parents. Ironically, it was my involvement in the school that led me to choose homeschooling.

Building relationships with the kids at school (many of whom have special needs) taught me that I am more capable of teaching kids than I knew. Brendan’s teachers reminded me that it is my responsibility to teach my own kids now, just as it was before they started school. And, I realized that doing my part at home is just not possible when a large part of our day is spent at school.

The more I research, the more reasons I find. And I’ll get around to talking about them eventually. But that’s where it all started—my ability, my responsibility, and my lack of time.

CATEGORY: Homeschool, Twin Tigers

5 Responses to “Back to School. Or Not.”

  1. Oz Says:
    November 27th, 2006 at 9:56 am

    Wow, what a big decision. I thought you really liked that charter school. I hope you write more about what brought you to this decision. As you know, I’m very interested because I’m not quite sure what to do with my girls when it becomes time for school. Honestly, at this point I can’t imagine home schooling straight through because I WILL NEED A BREAK. They MUST go to a year or two of preschool/kindergarten or I will go insane. But I do think that I’ll end up doing some home schooling at some point during their educations. So write more about this, please!

  2. Whimsy Chick Says:
    November 27th, 2006 at 1:00 pm

    I really do like the charter school, and if the boys ever go back to a public school, I would definitely consider sending them there again. At this point, we are trying homeschooling. But I think you know me well enough to know I could change my mind at any time. :)

  3. Janet Says:
    November 29th, 2006 at 6:59 pm

    I’m not surprised that you chose homeschooling at all. If you have the option, a lot more people are going that route. The only thing I worry about is the socialization that is hard to replace. Some kids are fine with that though. I also am a bit surprised you decided to try it mid year instead of in September.

  4. mike Says:
    November 30th, 2006 at 3:25 am

    This was so funny - on the 25th, while I was at work, I checked out your blog - it occurred to me I hadn’t seen you post in a while and I thought maybe your feed was down. That had just happened with ‘Early Edition’ for a few weeks.

    And then the next morning I wake up and see in my aggregator that you had a new post. Crazy.

    Good luck with home-schooling! I think it’s great.

  5. Whimsy Chick Says:
    November 30th, 2006 at 8:42 am

    Janet, though I had considered homeschooling before, it wasn’t on my mind when school started this year. It was our experience during September and October that prompted me to reconsider homeschooling, and I just wasn’t willing to wait a full year to begin.

    Mike, I sent telepathic messages to everyone that I had a post saved to draft just so they’d all start checking back here again. I see you got the message. :)

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about this blog

It’s the spark of an idea that hits me unexpectedly. It’s the silly wonderings I have after a whirlwind of thoughts. It’s about creativity, inspiration, and imagination. But sometimes, it’s just about eating noodles.

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