I’m willing to bet many of you are in the same boat as me: I want my child to discover and explore their passion. Those huge looks of wonder that were almost daily occurrences when he was little are more fleeting now.
I don’t think that has to go away in high school. (You might remember Homeschool High School: Don’t Lose the Wonder - written when my first child was at this point.) We must LISTEN to and OBSERVE our children. Then, we need to be brave enough to come beside them to help them pursue what interests them.
This is one of the benefits of homeschooling (especially high school) - the ability to give our older children time, space, and FREEDOM to NOT become a product like those spit out by the public school assembly line.
Sometimes, however (especially for very type A, practical moms like me), there are things that get in the way. Doesn’t our state require certain credits to graduate? How do we fit everything in and still give our children that time to pursue an interest and keep the wonder alive? In my case, I believe in the principles of a Classical Education through high school - how do I include those while still keeping the wonder alive?
What if our student doesn’t really CARE about anything in particular?
I look back on how we homeschooled our oldest through high school and it makes me smile. She graduated with all of the so-called “necessary” requirements, but we also allowed her to pursue her interests in music and working with the special needs population at the same time. She took a writing class that allowed her to hone a talent she has with words.
Now, with my son in 10th grade, we’re in the thick of planning a partially interest-led homeschool high school education. I think it’s going pretty well!
Yes, we are members of Classical Conversations. My son is in Challenge II this year. If you follow the Challenge curriculum to the letter then I would agree there is very little time for pursuing your child’s own interests. (Don’t get me wrong - the Challenge curriculum is beautiful - that is why it is the spine of our high school.)
After talking with my son and evaluating all of our options, we agreed to adjust the curriculum slightly to give him more time to pursue his interests.
You know this, mom, but time is short. High School will come and go before you know it. We must homeschool with intentionality, prayer, and focus.
Let’s talk about how to keep the wonder alive in these critical years.
(Did I mention these are the very last years of homeschooling for me? I’m cherishing them!)
Keep the Wonder Alive - 5 Suggestions
Talk to and Plan With Your Child
At this age, they aren’t really “children” anymore. In just a few years they will be deciding for themselves what to study and pursue, so why not start now?
Make sure you communicate with your child. Let them make the school decisions with you.
My son has an interest in architecture. So — while he didn’t’ say “Mom, could you please help me pursue architecture?” - I did show him some different opportunities for learning in that area. He opted for a one-semester class from Excelsior Classes (Intro to Architecture) that he has learned so much from. He told me he’d like to continue learning more!
Win.
Listen and Observe Your Child
Become a student of your child (and if you’re a homeschool mom I’m sure you already are!).
Because of the sheer amount of time I spend with my son, I’m getting a VERY good idea of what he is interested in.
He has started talking a lot about (and actually making his own) YouTube videos. He is using his gift of creativity, humor, and love of technology in this project.
Yes, they take a lot of time. Yes, sometimes he is working on them when he should be doing his “traditional” school work. But you know what? I don’t complain or tell him to stop or do it when everything else is finished. He is LEARNING. He is excited. And, I know what a valuable skill making these videos can be!
I happen to think his “Moms When You Get Home From a Party” is pretty funny!
Or, I have long noticed my son is great with Latin. I knew he would be interested in Spanish, so I suggested a Spanish class to him - which I’m pretty sure he is enjoying. (as much as a 15-year-old boy will verbalize enjoyment to you - ha!)
Suggest and Present Opportunities
It is your job, as the parent, to research and present opportunities to your child.
Maybe it’s a class they will take online. Maybe you have found an in-person mentor for them.
Or, maybe you need to investigate opportunities outside of your normal (and therefore comfortable) circle of homeschool friends. I’ve had to jump out of known group to find opportunities for my son - it takes time and effort.
Homeschool Spanish Academy has been a great discovery from my research. This is my son’s second year with them and it is going well!
Get Creative With Credits
A lot of moms have asked me how to assign credits for something.
If you are unaccredited, then this is super easy. You get to decide what goes on that transcript!
For example, when my daughter showed an interest in music and special needs, she did a lot of volunteering with our special needs group at church. She played guitar for them and planned music for their Vacation Bible School - then executed those plans. I gave her a credit for this: “Music and the Special Needs Adult”.
Or, if your child plays an instrument or participates in an ensemble - call this “Music Performance”.
Because I have been teaching my son video creation - and he’s been researching a lot on his own and even creating videos for my SQUILT Music Appreciation curriculum - this will go on his transcript as “Video Creation using iMovie”.
Don’t Be a Stumbling Block / Who Is Your Child Created to Be?
Moms & Dads - most often we just need to GET OUT OF THE WAY!
Many of us (myself, at times, included) are experts at projecting what WE WANT our child to be onto them. We have a vision for them - for how they should turn out and what they should be.
This will only backfire. Your child is going to do what they want to do. Or, they will become who you want them to be and not have any joy in the process.
Homeschooling High School with wonder has to be a give and take of what the parent knows is best, what the child desires, and who the child IS. For our family, this has been the best approach to a balanced, joyful, and rigorous high school education.
The end of the homeschool journey for your child should be every bit as wonder-filled as when they were in the elementary years. The wonder might look quite different, but the spirit and attitude are still the same.
We homeschool to give our children something DIFFERENT, something BEAUTIFUL, and something tailored to THEM.
I hope these ideas will guide you along the way.
If you have any ideas for me, leave them in the comments below!
You might also like:
Homeschool High School: Meeting the Foreign Language Requirement