An Unexpected Decision

The end of the school year is nigh, and in addition to the usual frantic summer scheduling for the kids that fills up much of my spare time in April and May, we’ve also been busy trying to figure out where my ten year old will attend school next year.

Punky will graduate from elementary school in a few weeks and there are so many options for middle school around here that I’ve tried to take all of them into consideration. Having experienced the public middle school with my stepdaughters, I’m not convinced that it’s the right fit for Punky’s personality and learning style. She does really well in a highly interactive learning environment, where experiments and labs and games and real-life connections are part of the agenda. Put a bunch of worksheets in front of her, on the other hand, or give her assignments without providing context as to why they actually matter-– and she zones out completely. This is starting to hurt her in the public school system, and I know that in middle school, it would only get worse.

We visited several schools and put in applications and before I knew it, it was time for us to make a decision. Logic told me to go with a traditional choice– we found a school that seemed to fit the bill and that we could swing financially– but my heart was pulling me in another, radically different direction. There’s a different kind of school here in Nashville where the students only go to classes two days a week- They do the rest of their work at home, under the supervision of a parent. (It’s technically a home school tutorial, but the school determines the curriculum and the lesson plans and the workload.) A friend of mine has sent both of her children to this school and she’s raved about it for years, so we included it on our list of possibilities.

When Punky and I visited, we met teachers who had come from some of the best schools in the area, leading small classes that were full of interactive, engaging discussions and hands-on activities. During a break, the girls from Punky’s grade all came over and introduced themselves to her and asked her questions about herself, which I could tell pleased her immensely. They were all so friendly. And so confident. And so… *small voice* … normal.

These people felt like my people. My daughter felt the same way. And while we visited several schools that seemed perfectly lovely, this was the first time where I felt a true connection between my family’s values and the values of this school and its teachers and administrators.

So while my head said that I would be crazy to send my daughter to a 2 day a week school and nobody else I know (besides my friend) does that and everyone would think we were nuts and how could I even think of doing such a thing…

My heart was saying… This is it. This is right for US.

This was a place where Punky would do well. This was a place that would give her time to figure out what she wants to pursue over the next several years. Equally important, this was a place that would give me my daughter back. She’s ten now, and I have just a few years left with her before puberty strikes and inevitably changes everything. This school would give us the magical and completely unexpected gift of time together before that happens.

Dennis and I talked and talked and talked about it and in the end, he left the decision to me, since I’d be the one overseeing the whole thing.

And in the end, I went with my heart.

Which means we will be homeschooling Punky next year.

Which…. WHAT?!

I’ll admit, I’ve had a few wake-up-in-terror-in-the-middle-of-the-night moments over the idea. But mostly, I’m excited. Really excited. We’re going to try it for a year and see how it goes- and if it’s not working out, we can always do something else. She’ll still have the classroom experience a few days a week, and her days off will be filled with homework and activities we’re already planning together- cooking classes and keyboarding lessons and field trips and hikes and book clubs and bike rides– There’s a lot to do around here. And she’s independent enough now that I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get a few hours of work in most days too, without it being an issue.

I never, ever, ever thought I’d be a homeschooler–  but I’ve just got to go with my gut here.

Wish me luck.