After I got married, I stopped teaching in the city and moved to a beautiful part of the state. Living in a more country-like setting, everything was suddenly new and different. I began teaching in the same community that I lived in. The school was only a few minutes from my home. Throughout that year, I continued taking courses to keep my teaching license current. It was then, about ten years ago, that I took a course about homeschooling. It was the first time in my life that I considered homeschooling preschool as an option for our family.
Why I considered homeschooling
When I became pregnant with my first child I knew I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. I knew that I wanted a different education for my children than the one that was in our neighborhood. Nine months after having my first child, we moved to be closer to family. I was happy with our new town, the great school system, and the community. Homeschooling was not on my radar at all after our move. So, I began visiting local preschools. At that time, most preschools had a two-year waiting list.
Then I became pregnant with my second child, and right after my second child was born, we met COVID-19, and everything changed. Instead of going to an excellent private preschool a few minutes down the road, I decided homeschooling was the first step in my children’s educational journey.
When we started homeschooling
That’s when I started to prepare a curriculum and a space in my home and ordered some materials. When I taught in the city, I had some amazing opportunities. I was on a report card committee and helped re-vamp and design a new report card in the district where I taught. I used this experience to help me design a standards-based report card that aligns with MA standards. I am proud of the work that I did in creating my own report cards for preschool for my first child and then for toddlers for my second child.
With a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Creative Arts in Learning, I have analyzed different types of curriculum over the years. Using my knowledge, I researched six different preschool curriculums and ruled out the ones that did not align with my report card and vision for what homeschooling would look like for our family. The curriculum that I selected was designed by another primary school teacher. We used that curriculum and supplemented it with other great resources on Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT).
Then we emptied all my teaching crates out of a room in our home to create a homeschool classroom. I was extremely excited about the opportunity to teach my children, and I remembered the same excitement setting up our classroom just like when I set up my classrooms to teach other people’s children!
My favorite part about homeschooling
I remember explaining to my children about being a teacher and how I was going to be their teacher. My favorite part of teaching is teaching children how to read. I love it! Throughout my nineteen years of teaching, I have helped many children on their reading journey. I hope that they continue to love books and reading.
I have instilled a love of books and reading in my children from birth. If you have been to my home, you know that books are important. I feel happy and proud of my children and their love of books. Teaching both children how to read has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling. My first child now participates in regular book clubs in local libraries and has a blast discussing books with others who are also excited about reading. My second child is also excited to join book clubs in a few more years!
If you are considering homeschooling your children, congratulations. If you are going to send your children to a preschool, congratulations. If your children are babies, you have plenty of time to decide. Whatever you choose, have it work for you and your family. In my teaching career, my favorite years have been those with my two children. Giving them a solid foundation to build upon has been important as they continue to grow and learn about the world. Thank you for taking the time to learn about my homeschooling journey!
