As the 2020-2021 academic year kicks off, parents of school-age kids have never been more high-strung. The list of unknowns feels insurmountable. Will my child learn to read this year? Will there be fall sports and extracurricular activities? Will there be an ACT? What about prom and graduation? From Kindergarteners to rising seniors, every student, whether in a traditional school or homeschooled, is at risk of missing something from the academic year.
Homeschooling has long since been on the rise, but more parents are considering it for this year to provide some level of calm and consistency for their kids. Or, perhaps more parents are working from home indefinitely, and homeschooling makes the most sense. No matter the driving force, here are a few questions and answers to help parents get started on their newfound homeschooling journey.
What are the requirements for homeschooling in TN? The good news is that homeschooling in Tennessee couldn’t be easier. If your child isn’t returning to traditional school this year, start by filling out and submitting an Intent to Home School form to the school. The form requires basic information, including the name of the parent will serve as the child’s Teacher of Record. There is no cut-off date for this decision. Even if your child starts the school year in August, but you decide to homeschool by October, you’re good to go. There is no state-mandated curriculum, so you are free to explore and choose the curriculum you want for your child. The state only requires four hours of instruction per day for 180 days. How those hours break up or accumulate is entirely up to you. For more information about state requirements, visit TN.gov/education/school-options/home-schooling-in-tn.
What’s an umbrella school? An umbrella school serves as your official record keeper, and we have several to choose from in the Knoxville area. Private schools, such as Berean and Christian Academy of Knoxville, offer homeschool support and record-keeping, as well as high school diplomas through their Independent Study programs. These are especially helpful services for middle and high school years. However, HomeLife Academy is an online umbrella school that is even more hands-off (and less expensive) and does an excellent job helping parents keep track of their kids’ academic years from Kindergarten to graduation. Registering with an umbrella school helps parents stay accountable.
Do parents have to teach all the subjects? No, thankfully! Since Tennessee doesn’t have a mandated curriculum, parents are free to piece together different products to complete a full academic year, or they can buy an all-in-one product that takes care of everything the student needs. There are online options, textbook options, and classroom options through local co-ops (though co-ops are making COVID-19 changes just as traditional schools are). Depending on the age, reading level, learning style, and maturity of the student, a day of homeschooling can look a dozen different ways. Some kids thrive online, while others get bored and distracted. Some benefit from the intense focus of one-on-one learning, but others need a group setting to really dig into a subject. The beauty of homeschooling is that you don’t have to do the same thing for all of your kids. I have a 9th and 11th grader, and they couldn’t be more different when it comes to their learning styles.
A good starting place for elementary-age students is Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool. (They have a high school option too.) Whether you follow their instructions day to day, or use it as a guideline in addition to other materials, the program helps new homeschooling parents wrap their minds around the academic year. For parents of high schoolers, I recommend joining the Facebook group Homeschooling College-Bound Teens. (Yes, homeschoolers go to college.) Seasoned homeschool parents are at-the-ready to answer any questions new homeschooling parents may have.
What about socialization? Minus the hardcore introverts, many of us are missing a sense of community, so socialization is a constant concern for all of our kids right now. However, pandemic or no pandemic, homeschoolers are traditionally some of the most socialized groups because the whole concept of homeschooling is built upon cooperation within a community. We are library users, club organizers, and co-op facilitators. We take our kids with us to the post office, the grocery store, and other myriad errands so they can learn real-life skills such as budgeting and household management. Homeschoolers play team sports, compete in academic bowls, and travel year-round. Socialization is rooted in the world your family builds for itself.
Finally, Tennessee is a pro-homeschooling state, so many organizations and tourist attractions host discounted days for homeschoolers - even Dollywood! We are a field-trip-loving bunch, so socialization is never an issue.
Can I really do this? Yes. Yes, you can. But, expect some growing pains. Adjusting to a new normal isn’t without strain and sacrifice. You may find that homeschooling in any format doesn’t work for your family. Lesson learned! Or, you may enjoy part of your first year and readjust some things for the second and third years. You may view this shift as temporary until the traditional school schedule resumes.
Here’s what I know after a decade of homeschooling:
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It looks different from year to year. You try something, realize it doesn’t work for your kid, and change gears the following year. The freedom to experiment with curriculum, schedules, and learning styles is hands-down my favorite thing about homeschooling. It’s allowed us to re-center our focus and align our goals with our kids’ strengths.
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There’s a lot of wasted time in traditional school. When you take out all the breaks, waiting in line, and classroom management, the hours of true instruction align with what the state requires of homeschoolers. Once you gain back control of that time, you’ll realize how much time has been wasted over the years.
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Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive. Only invest money where you know the return of investment is worthwhile. For us, that includes traveling as much as possible and signing up for co-op classes that I'm not equipped to teach at home (such as Life Science with Dissection and Chemistry). The amount of free curriculum online will astound you.
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Your family’s physical and emotional health could improve. You will all get more sleep (no more getting up at 6 a.m. to catch the bus) and eat healthier (no more grabbing something quick because you have to GO GO GO). The slower pace will be a delight.
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You will get to know your child in a brand new way. The relationships I’ve built with my boys have been worth every single struggle we had. Not every day of homeschooling has been perfect. Attitude is everything, and there are days when we are all off-kilter. (Those days are the hardest.) But overall, the ride has been worthwhile.