Are you thinking about homeschooling your high school student? It’s definitely an exciting option. To help you understand if this is the right decision for you, check out our homeschooling checklist.
Get the Checklist!
In this blog, we want to help you evaluate the pros and cons of homeschooling through the high school years and whether or not this may be the right fit for you and your child.
How You Got Here
Regardless of your reasons to continue or start homeschooling your child at the high school level, the decision was likely a difficult one. Because let’s be honest, teaching is hard. It’s time-consuming. It’s tiring. And it only gets harder as the courses get more difficult.
As you start teaching your child more advanced courses, you may find yourself worrying about how much time it will take for you to (re)learn the material you are planning to teach. Not to mention the significant time it can take to gather materials, plan lessons, facilitate learning activities, grade assignments, and deepen your student’s understanding of the content.
But don’t worry, you have options! You will not have to do everything yourself. And you don’t have to sacrifice the flexibility, quality, and independence you and your child want to achieve with a homeschool education.
Is Homeschooling Right for You and Your Child?
Are you still unsure if you should homeschool your soon-to-be high schooler? That’s okay! Have a conversation with your family about the challenges and advantages of homeschooling in high school. This is a big decision. It will be quite a big change, and you want to make sure everyone understands what lies ahead.
Challenges of Homeschooling in High School
Not sure about what the challenges of homeschooling might be? Not to worry, I’ll help break down the top five challenges for you.
1. Homeschooling Still Isn’t Mainstream
Even though the percentage of homeschooled students has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, it’s still unfamiliar to many people. And unfortunately, people tend to criticize what they don’t understand.
But it will be alright. You are doing your research. And you aren’t alone. There are a growing number of families who have made/are making the same decision. You can speak confidently about why it is the right choice for your child.
2. Homeschooling Can Be Isolating
Thanks to the internet, isolation is not as much of an issue as it was 20 years ago, but it is still something to consider. Your child’s identity will go through major development shifts throughout middle and high school. Interactions with others, mainly their peers, is what propels their development.
Even though feelings of isolation can be a challenge, it is possible to create opportunities for your child to connect with others. Most likely your child has already made friends through your social circle, their neighborhood, sports teams, clubs, or through a homeschool network. Learn more about homeschool organizations near you.
3. Homeschooling Will Make You Jump Through (Some) Hoops
Your child’s education isn’t just important to your family. It’s important to your community, your city, your state, and the future of our country. And like anything important tied to public interests, there are regulations, requirements, red tape, and forms–lots of forms.
As long as you do these three things, your child’s education will feel less like doing your taxes and more like a choose your own adventure book:
4. Homeschooling Is A Lot of Responsibility
You may be thinking, “Yes, of course I knew that already.” Well, I’m telling you again because it’s a significant amount of responsibility. Being a parent and teacher to your child ALL THE TIME is a recipe for stress.
That’s because teaching isn’t your only job. You have many other family-related responsibilities beyond the modest task of preparing a young human to live happily, productively, and compassionately on this planet for the rest of their lives.
You’re already a superhuman for taking this on, but even superhumans deserve a break sometimes. Here are a couple of great articles on how to avoid burnout and what to do when you’re stressed out.
5. Homeschoolers Have A Lot of Curriculum Options
It’s overwhelming. How do you choose??? There are published curricula specifically for homeschoolers, online courses, distance learning courses, and courses you can take through local community colleges.
You can even design the courses yourself with or without the help of your child. Co-ops, local homeschool organizations, and any fellow homeschoolers in your community could be helpful resources for selecting curriculum. To learn more about how Apex Learning Virtual School can support you and your child on your homeschooling journey, visit: https://www.apexlearningvs.com/homeschool/.