I bet you’ve heard criticism about short home-school days. Many families spend about three hours a day with lessons. Math might take longer for some kids. But daily school takes place during the mornings. Good job! I taught in both private and public schools. I know first hand how many distractions take place in a classroom: disruptive students, pep rallies, fire drills, shooter drills, in-service, announcements, home-room, half-days, review and standardized testing. Not all electives are useful. Some teachers plan for regular movie breaks. Time leading up to the holidays are full of disruptions and distractions. The last few weeks of school aren’t very educational. I’ve lived the full experience.
Instead, your teen is likely working one on one with you or in a small Co-op setting. Tomorrow, I’m laying out my threats the first class of Co-op. Class time is extremely focused. Misbehavior is addressed early. (My best threat is to have to reorganize the basement classroom. We start with my Christmas decorations.) My point is that most home-schooled families get down to work and complete their work efficiently. In fact, often kids want to finish all their school work well before the end of the year. This leaves loads of time for your child’s interests: choir, golf, fishing, horses, chickens, drawing, video graphing, etc. The next time you are criticized for a short class day, explain how vigilant your family is about school lessons in order to leave sufficient time for reading, gymnastics, orchestra, or apprenticeships. Explain how you just can’t afford to waste one minute.
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