We are trudging through the worst part of the school year, those last few weeks of tedious work before finally calling it quits. Post-spring break homeschooling is the worst homeschooling. No one cares anymore.
However, being tired of the current school year doesn’t prevent me from looking forward to the next one. It will be Jeremy’s senior year, and every time I say it or type it, I have to pause because I’m completely stunned. SENIOR YEAR. Pause. Breathe.
When we decided to “try homeschooling” for the 2011-2012 school year, Jeremy was in second grade and Jackson was starting Kindergarten. My position has always been that I’d approach each academic year each with an open mind. Should we continue homeschooling? Should one or both boys go back to traditional school? What about private school?
There were a few summers when I grappled with that decision. Chuck offered input, but these decisions were mostly my jurisdiction since I’m the homeschooling parent of record and the one facilitating everything. Could I keep going? Could they keep going? Are we tired of looking at each other every day, all day? Yeah, there were a few summers when I questioned everything.
And now, here we are. Jeremy will start his senior year in five months and turn 18 in six. (That is some weird math I don’t understand!) We’ve figured out his school schedule, save one required class that’s still in the works, and we’re having more frequent talks about what comes next. College? A job? Something else?
Jackson will start his sophomore year of high school in August, which will mark the start of two tough years academically. (He’s convinced the Biology/Geometry and Chemistry/Algebra II combos will kill him. I’ll keep you posted.) But, we’ve done well to get a lot of his other high school credits completed early, so his senior year will be an absolute breeze. He is still planning to run cross country next year as well.
As for me, I’ll continue teaching, Lord willing, until Jackson graduates, and then it’s time to consider what comes next. I know what I want, but I’m not sure what will be available. If I learned anything from 2020, it’s that we don’t know what the future holds at all. Make your plans, but keep them loose.
A few months ago, I moved my grandpa’s bookshelves into my library. I couldn’t be more pleased to see them every day. They are rough around the edges, and one day Chuck will refinish them, but for now they remind me that our family is full of readers and explorers. Being curious about the world is the best way to be.
If there is one thing I hope my boys take away from our educational experiences together it’s that learning about other people and places and ways of life is always worthwhile. Whether you read about them in a book or take the time to travel somewhere, those efforts always have a return on investment.
As you can see, Salem still enjoys being our mascot at the Miller School for Boys. Boss Man always steals my chair as soon as I move.