I remember being a young person, having to hurry up and wait for the next stage of development, the next milestone that moved me further into a more independent existence. There was such excitement in becoming a teen, starting high school, learning to drive, getting the license, registering to vote, graduating from high school, starting college, turning 21 and finally being an "adult." The future is full of such potential.
At the end of each summer, I find that I relive some of that excitement. Baseball season has come to an end and I can slow down a little and consider the road that lies ahead for our children. This summer I am even more excited, as we have another child who is officially high school age: our third teen. Her world is opening up to so many possibilities and it's a joy to work with her to decide how she wants to map out the high school years.
In a household of relaxed natural learners, high school is a time of transition to a slightly more structured approach to learning. Since our state doesn't regulate graduation requirements for home educated students, we are left on our own to figure out how to navigate an education that will nurture the spirit as well as prepare one for a more independent life and fulfill college entrance requirements. I wrote about this a couple of months ago in "How to Develop a High School Course of Study."
Additionally, my role as facilitator expands to that of guidance counselor (if you will). In working with my teenage children, I help them discover where their God-given talents and individual interests lie. Their talents and interesst might not be in the academic arena, but they are the driving force behind their passion for study. For example, our rising junior is a talented baseball player with his eyes on playing for a Division I college. This goal dictates how he approaches his academics (within the guidelines of the NCAA, see previous link above). And our current college student had a passion for the writings of Louisa May Alcott, which led to receiving a credit for American Literature while she was in high school.
I am looking forward to exploring new opportunities with our newest high school teen. She, too, is excited to discover that by re-reading some of her favorite books more deeply, discussing them with me, and writing about them will "count" as English; that spending a night out under the stars and learning about different constellations will be a part of Earth/Space science; and that Algebra will be made fun by using the DragonBox app on the iPad and watching Kahn Academy videos. She'll be able to take classes at a local co-op for enrichment if she wishes and she will naturally have real-life experiences from which to learn.
Be sure to visit previous blog posts linked below as well as my high school page.
Best wishes for your future!
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