The world has been changing exponentially over the last decade: tech is taking over everything; American values are despised; ethics of every kind are shouted down and rewritten; attention spans are fading; logical thinking and courtesy are disappearing. Old enemies such as intolerance, censorship, and tyranny are becoming the preferred modes of operation. Some entire industries have become unappealing careers to those with a biblical view. Our world is an unrecognizable place from when I began homeschooling 19 years ago.
As a result I’ve struggled with a vision for homeschooling the last while, and with knowing in what direction to send the older kids. It felt increasingly like I was homeschooling for the 80’s. The classical ideals I began homeschooling with seemed dreadfully out-of-date. Skills were becoming obsolete with technology, colleges had become woke and moral cesspools, and many “conservative” communities looked like the “liberal” ones did just a few short years ago. I felt like Don Quixote insisting upon jousting and chivalry in a world that had moved on.
I hadn’t been to a homeschool conference since spring of 2019. I signed up to go with a few members of my local Charlotte Mason group to the GHC in St. Louis last spring. One session was presented by a veteran homeschooler (Lisa Nehring) who ran an online academy. The session was about schooling Jr. high and was full of wisdom as well as information on the changing world of tech and job market. I liked her so much I went to all her sessions. I ended up using her academy for our Junior’s Civics class this year.
Among other sessions was Andrew Pudewa on Rethinking the High School Years. Lots of wisdom and hindsight coupled with creative approaches to higher education. As I mentioned in my previous post, I began to see a theme emerge among various speakers who had no affiliation with each other. And it was exactly what my discouraged, confused, homeschooling mind needed.
My main take-aways:
- We can be freed from the tyranny of possible college expectations. Pretty much every single speaker (some of them college educators themselves) had something negative to say about college, rather than it being something to aspire to. (The few good ones aside.) This was a very different tone from the old days where everyone wanted to help you get your kids into college. The moral corruption, the leftist ideology, the degraded academics, the astronomical price, and the explosion of cheap online learning have made college pointless for most people. If one does need to go, the entry standards are abysmal. With no admissions board to impress, high school can truly become anything we want it to be. As long as the 3R’s are in place (yes, these are still important for human development even if a device can do it for you), we can be as creative and customized and out-of-the-box as we want! This feels like a breath of fresh air.
- There are ways to teach our kids to navigate the new world of false information overload. We can use principles that have been used before. (see Nate Noorlander on media literacy)
- The skills our kids will need for the future are: entrepreneurial skills, interpersonal skills, creativity, the ability to pivot, grit & resiliency, a lifestyle of learning, and solid faith. These are what homeschoolers should be good at. If college is no longer a major factor, then there has been no better time to homeschool!
- Some core tenants of classical education are more important than ever: memory work, logic, and rhetoric (persuasive speaking). These are vital in our current culture. Don’t give up on teaching them. Our kids, more than ever, need to know how to think, not just what to think.
- We need to pray for our kids and be faithful. Their nurture is our responsibility, but not their outcome. We must have humility and grace.
As a result there are some differences between Dusty’s high school and Duncan’s. Dusty’s high school track was college-focused, with high scores being a priority in hopes of getting scholarships. (As it turned out, he ended up going to a flight school instead.) Our focus for Duncan is success in LIFE, with college or scholarships that may or may not happen. We also aimed for life success with Dusty, but it was compromised by college requirements that took time, money, and energy.
So, since Duncan had completed his high school math requirements (algebra 2 and geometry), we did not force him to continue into higher math when he had no desire nor goals that required it. However, we do not drop math completely. He is spending his junior year on a consumer math course that teaches skills like budgeting, investing, taxes, resume writing, renting, homebuying, etc, as well as some review in algebra and geometry. For 12th grade I am considering something short, sweet, and review-rich, along with more money-management material.
In science planning, we abandoned the traditional sequence of the pure sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) for an applied science that was in line with his interests (aviation science). A good high school applied science will bring in pure science when applicable.
On the science topic, one of the most helpful things I heard years ago was from a homeschool mom who also taught physics at the university level. She said the thing that held students back in college science was not lack of science instruction but lack of MATH, particularly algebra. She also said college science classes start with the basics again because they assume only an introduction to science in high school, no matter how “rigorous” the course. In other words, your student will not face lifelong limitations because they didn’t take a full year of chemistry.
Next year’s 12th grade for Duncan may look somewhat unconventional, and I’m free to be excited about that! As one conference speaker put it, homeschooling has come full circle, and is back at its original goals from the 80’s. And frankly, the world is more ready for it.