A New Plan

After much discussion, Sean and I have come to the conclusion that I am clearly not happy doing what I do. Teaching at a school is just destroying me. The constant stress of having mountains of paperwork that never go away. The frustration of students that refuse to do their work and certainly don't care what you say isn't helpful at all either.

Then there is my son who is having difficulty in school. He is remarkably smart. More than the second grade level at which he is currently enrolled in his school. He attends school in a district separate from where I am teaching. I was hopeful that this district would be able to cater to his more hands-on needs that he certainly has. He really need to ‘mess with’ something to really understand it. While he is a sponge and will retain anything that he is told, his comprehension level is directly proportional to his hands-on activity. Unfortunately, his school doesn’t do very much of that. A realization that was disappointing to say the least.

So after the last few years of tears, both his and mine, and frustration, we have come to the conclusion that something had to give. I refuse to have a child in the school system that despises everything about it. I do not want to nurture the “I hate school” mentality that he has already developed. In fact I hope to change it completely into a more “I love learning” mentality. I am going to begin this process this fall when we start home schooling.

I know virtually nothing about home schooling. Actually I’m very nervous about it. I can teach a classroom of 5th graders all day long (it’s what I do now), but to teach my child. YIKES! Not only that, but I’m likely going to begin my daughter in kindergarten. She’s a year away from “school-age”, but I figure she’s ready. She’s wants to read so badly and can already do basic adding and subtracting. I might as well help her as well, right?

So, hang on for the strangest ride as I, the professional teacher, chuck the traditional teaching world for one in my own home. Who knows, maybe I really can change the world one child at a time. I guess I didn’t realize just which children it would be.