{This post is one in a series called, “Top 10 Fears”, in which I speak to the most common fears parents express about homeschooling the high school years. To see all the topics, or start at the beginning, click HERE.}
Fear #9
The fear of forgetting something really important
The biggest problem with homeschooling a teenager is never getting a second chance. What that means is, grades K-8 notwithstanding, you’d better not mess things up in high school. If you do, your child will have a perfectly miserable life. Oh, and, because everything’s your fault, you’ll be miserable forever, too.
Just kidding.
If high schooling were so high risk, why would so many of us be doing it? Did you realize there are as many homeschoolers in high school as in the lower grades? Contrary to what many people think, you don’t have to put your kids back in school when they reach high school age.
So, the proof is in. People do it. And it works.
Better yet, homeschooling high school works despite the mistakes we make. And we do make mistakes. We’re mere mortals taking on a gargantuan task, right?
The good news is that high schooling errors aren’t the end of the world. Not by a mile. I know there’s a bit of a learning curve, and you’re doing the best you can to prepare, but, there’s no way to predict every possible thing that can happen. It’s safe to assume you’ll probably goof up every now and again.
But, you can recover from making mistakes in high school, and your student will continue making strides anyway. Success in high school isn’t dependent on doing things perfectly. It’s dependent on your caring and doing the best job you can. And you’re already doing that or you wouldn’t be here, amiright?
Recovering from High Schooling Mistakes
Though it’s impossible to list all the dreadful scenarios and major foibles you might make when high schooling your kid, let’s take some common situations so I can show you things aren’t hopeless. Meet me again at the end of this article, so I can share some final thoughts and we can recap this whole thing together.
What if…you forget to schedule/teach a class, or your student fails one miserably?
Recovery strategies might include: Having the student take/retake the entire class or a similar one (time permitting); have the student take an intense or abbreviated version of the class; the student may choose to learn the material independently, then “test” for course credit; you could extend the graduation date, allowing time to take the class; you could also research the importance of the class after all, judging whether it was really that important; or, you could just move on without it.
What if…you lose important paperwork, or forget to write down things your student did several years ago?
Recovery strategies might include: Trying to obtain copies of important paperwork if they exist somewhere else (your district, a homeschool group, copies loaned to friends, etc.); recreating documents from memory, with help from your student or others; looking for similar materials and seeing if they resemble what you might have done in the past; explaining in an honest written statement what happened, highlighting those parts of the experience you do recall, plus samples of any evidence you’re able to find; or, omitting the course/experience on the transcript altogether, substituting something else worthwhile in its place.
What if…you miss a deadline, and now it’s too late for your student to do something he/she wanted to do?
Recovery strategies might include: Petitioning for a deadline extension, or applying at the next and earliest available time; applying for something similar but different, and making the best of the change; looking for a similar opportunity out of town or possibly online; designing/creating a similar opportunity on your own; using it as a learning opportunity to highlight the importance of planning and responsibility; or, emphasizing the need (for you and your student) to stay on track for the future.
What if…you’ve been busy preparing your student for a job/other opportunity after graduation, then you find out your student wants to go to college after all?
Recovery strategies might include: Using the remaining time in high school (if any) to prepare; extending the graduation date, if possible, for college prep activities; using independent learning to hone skills in crucial areas that matter; taking college prep study courses and webinars, or purchasing study guides and focusing extensively on those; taking a gap year (or more) until college preparedness is complete; or, knowing there’s a college for most everyone, finding a college match based on what the student has completed, not what he has not.
As you can see, there are many ways to circumvent so-called high schooling errors or make the best of changing situations. With the help and guidance of friends who’ve been there, of reading articles like these, or maybe even bending the ear of a high school counselor like me, I promise homeschooling high school can still be successful.
There are lots of ways to get around the errors we sometimes create on behalf of our students. In my mind, the best way to handle things is to assume they’ll happen because we’re human, and figure out how to make lemonade and keeping going.
Messing up is just life. When you think about it, you’ll probably be better people for figuring out how to recover from these errors anyway. Bouncing back from the unexpected is just one more way to learn. You can bet your student will notice.
To your success,
Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.
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Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, 
When homeschooling high school, the phrase “Social Science” often comes up. You might see it in on a high school check-list, on a college web site, or in a list of course requirements.