Chicago Homeschooling Expo

The Chicago Homeschooling Expo ran August 5-7, and I managed to snag enough childcare options to attend on Thursday and Friday . I dressed in suit attire on both days, which resulting in some double-takes; green hair + suit = what? *grins*

Thursday was a day "set aside" for newbies, either parents like me who have young kids or parents who are pulling their kids out of The System for whatever reason. Friday was workshops and the exhibit hall. There are so many things I could talk about, but I'm just going to highlight a few.

*What is my REAL goal?
I want to raise responsible, helpful, well-rounded adults who enjoy learning. To that end, I need to demonstrate responsibility, helpfulness, and a variety of interests myself. A quote that was offered was "Better to build a child right than to rebuild an adult." Interesting thought...not exactly perfect since i think adults need to continue to be flexible and learn and relearn, but for the BASICS? Yeah, I totally agree!

*What is homeschooling REALLY about?
It isn't about the academics. The academics is just one of the many tools to use in life. The important thing is to learn to be an independent thinker. I have long been frustrated by how many people don't live deliberately - they just drift through the least amount of resistance. The school institution doesn't teach you how to think; they teach you what to think!

Example: If a standardized test asks "Who discovered America?" most of us automatically think of Christopher Columbus. That is what we were taught in school. But he DIDN'T discover America. Firstly, there were the Native Americans, the Chinese, and the Vikings. Secondly, Columbus explored the areas of the Bahamas, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, among others. We all know that, too...but it is secondary. It's a "oh, yeah...that too..." thought. That is just the point.

*Get discipline in order.
You cannot teach when the kids pitch a fit when they don't get their own way. But another issue is obedience postponed is still DIS-obedience. With Boy, we have seen him learn that as long as he does what we ask by "THREE", it's okay. And we have let him get away with that. Our bad, and our disservice to him. Something Beloved and I need to work on as parents.

*Stay flexible.
What works one day may not work the next, and vice versa. Kids get bored with the same toys, activities, etc. Sometimes, you need to switch it up. I'm wonderfully guilty of having tight schedules, too. I don't like spending much time at home because I don't know how to utilize it well, but being on the run to squeeze five trips into a single day isn't necessary.

*When paying money for online programs, download them to a thumb drive.
On the off chance that something happens to the computer, or you want to save the program for the next child, or whatever, you want to have backups of the things you've paid for. Otherwise, you might end up shelling out more than once. Keep a list of any running subscriptions and check every month to make sure you are using them. You can easily forget that you signed up for ABC, but they will continue to charge you the $9.95/month until the end of time if you don't cancel. Also, consider getting a credit card with a minimal credit line ($500) to use for online subscriptions. That way, if the information gets hijacked, you don't have a huge risk.



Some questions that came to mind...

Why aren't more people homeschooling? Why are religious people in particular drawn to homeschooling? I mean, I get the whole argument about religion not being supported in public schools, but why is that the group of families most often found in homeschooling groups? Can I find a group that isn't going to be horrified that I'm not interested in biblical teaching?

Me, personally, it's about the quality of education. I'm concerned about the BEGINNING...basic reading skills is my numeral uno phobia. I don't want to mess that up. But once the kids are reading? Oh my goodness, there is sooooo much out there! So many better approaches, so many opportunities! I really do think that the 7-hour, 5-day week is a disservice to our kids, especially when we are afraid to pull them out of school to give them a different learning opportunity.

What are the record-keeping systems? I heard from a couple of out-of-state homeschoolers that said Illinois is blessed with "no homeschool law" in that our law doesn't require reporting. However, there are needs for record-keeping, in case we decide later on to enter the system, at whatever point (grade school, high school, college). I don't have a good grasp of what is important or how to prove we covered the material...especially since I was so frustrated at the university level not accepting credits from other institutions!

Where on earth do you get the organization and discipline to DO this? It was interesting to hear the adamant stance that homeschooling is a LIFESTYLE, not an education style. I can understand that better, but I'm drifting through the house and trying not to feel overwhelmed. I suppose part of the answer is right in that statement: Don't drift - focus; Par down on the clutter. I worked with Boy to clean up the bedroom, did a few minor organizational changes. I think I have some ideas for how to move forward. It's not going to happen over one day, or even one week, but I think making more purpose in my parring and cleaning will help.


*wry smile* Is that enough to think about? I have PAGES more of notes, thoughts, ideas from the conference, not to mention a pile of papers to sort through and glean tidbits from. It was a good experience, and although I'm definitely a bit overwhelmed, I'm also heartened by the direction.