Testing, Testing...

1, 2, 3...

This June my daughter participated in the standardized testing process, a requirement made by the state where we reside. The pressures surrounding the test are confusing to me.

As a homeschooling family, I feel more pressure to perform well than if we were participating in the public school system, where I already felt enormous pressure to be "top of the class".  I am trying not to put that kind of pressure onto my kids.

These tests and how the schools teach to the test are among some of the main reasons we have chosen to homeschool. I no longer believe the tests are worthy of finding the brightest or most well rounded kids. More and more, I believe it is an archaic system of the Industrial Age that no longer works for the Information Age. But, just because I don't believe in the methods anymore, doesn't mean other people aren't still holding onto the old ideas. So, we must partake in the standardized tests. And, to prove to the "nay-sayers" of our lifestyle, I feel we must perform well. It's odd to want to do well at something I think is invalid. So, I wouldn't be surprised if my kids are getting mixed messages.

We try to downplay any pressure surrounding the test. But the word "test" inherently brings our family stress. Through thoughtful discussions, we talk about how we feel about these tests and how best to approach them. We could spend time doing practice tests and studying the art of test taking. Or, we could just do our best, knowing the tests won't cover everything we studied and will cover things we haven't studied, therefore, our scores may be lower than those who attend public schools. In addition, taking note that some questions are written ambiguously with more than one answer, putting the student into a debate of, "Do I answer what I think is right," or "What the test writer is looking for?" We have found several of these kinds of questions on sample tests, where, depending on how you interpret the question, there are two good answers. Usually one answer is more straight forward and one is more thoughtful (in my opinion) and the correct one is usually the more straight forward answer (in my opinion). Another reason I think standardized tests are wonky and I try to make this point of view clear to my children. I hope these discussions allow my kids to come to the conclusion that however they perform on these tests is NOT a good indicator of how they will succeed in life. I hope my kids forgive me that, while I currently believe this to be true, I am still deschooling myself and it's taking longer than I imagined.

After all the hubbub, my daughter did just fine. She's happy to take the next three years off until her next state required test. Now onto next year when my son will be required to participate and we'll do it all over again.

Me Too

I'm Learning to Love Learning

One of the main goals I have in homeschooling my children is to teach them to love learning. What I'm finding, is that as I guide my children along this path, I am re-learning to love learning.

I went through a traditional schooling experience. I survived it. I succeeded at it. I came out ok. However, many of my "successes" are really just my success at coping with certain restraints or figuring out how to "work the system". I want my children's experiences to be more than just coping.

As I homeschool my kids, I find that I'm excited to learn too. I am still not interested in learning history, it's never been my favorite subject. But I am fascinated, that when I read about historical events, knowing there is no test later, I find that the information is much more interesting to me. I may forget the facts tomorrow, but the general feelings of events stay with me. I love putting different historical pieces together and seeing a larger picture. A new energy is emerging from me as I read about our world's history.

Perhaps one could argue my interest is peaking because I'm older now and history is more interesting to me at this age than when I was a teenager. But I think I'm having more fun because there's no test to measure how much information I'm retaining. No one is asking me if I can site 3 examples as to why my point of view is correct. I'm free to read in any order I want. I get to share my thoughts and interpretations with others without a grade attached to it.

I am also allowed to learn about things that interest me, like the photography business I have with my father. There is always something to learn in photography that will make my work better. I hope my children see that, while I may be scared sometimes (like shooting my first wedding event), I am attacking the learning curve around my passion. That I, willingly, spend the time to be sure I'm ready for a shoot. That "getting ready" can look like practice, information gathering, reading, and more. I hope they see how proud I am of myself after successfully completing a shoot I worked really hard one (not just on the day, but the days and weeks leading up to the event).

Motivation Works

 How A Motivated Kid Succeeds

I keep wondering how my kids can learn under the unschooling method. I want them to follow their passions. But at their ages (8 and 11), they seem to be passionate about YouTube and Minecraft. Yes, they have other interests. Yes, it is my job as the parent to facilitate learning for those other interests. But I keep reading about successful kids and how they followed their interests on their own. Because they were interested in the subject, they learned faster, deeper and without much direction from an adult. I just don't see that kind of behavior with my kids yet. They are young, and perhaps that is why. Or perhaps I'm too lazy and too hands off? Whatever the reason, this lack of motivation that fuels my desire to hold onto certain school paradigms I desperately want to let go.

This summer, my daughter participated in a day camp based on the theme of the Percy Jackson  novels. One of her tasks was to sharpen 10 sticks with a knife, unaided, so she could use them with a homemade bow. I was impressed with her dedication to the project. She stayed up late into the night, working in the dark, to get her 10 sticks completed.

I admit, I offered to help around 10pm. She refused my help, wanting to do it herself. I promised I wouldn't tell. I promised they couldn't figure it out. But she refused.

The cynical part of me thought this was only to avoid getting caught. Or to avoid being embarrassment in front of co-campers who she feared would finish without her. Or to avoid humiliation if she wasn't allowed to participate in the next day's events because she didn't finish. But, the optimistic part of me is proud of her. She was determination to do her own work, no matter how long it took. She made each stick "perfect". She kept her integrity about her and did all the work herself.

In the end, of course, the counselors realized the task was too long for one night and gave the kids another day to complete the assignment. My daughter, having finished the night before, enjoyed a night off, feeling proud of her accomplishment.

Is It Summer Yet?

 Can't Conentrate Anymore

I planned to be engaged in our routine until early or mid-June with the local public school system. However, this year, we went on a big family vacation at the end of May. Since returning home, I have NOT been able to get back into routine-mode. So, for our family, summer routines started early.

Thank goodness for a homeschooling community that continues on and invites us on wonderful field trips to local museums.