As I transitioned from being a public school teacher to a homeschooler, I faced additional resistance within my home.
My son has never been formally schooled. He’s never been in daycare or preschool either. He doesn’t know what it’s like to be forced to follow social rules within an institution.
In the early years of our home educating journey, I implemented the “school at home” model. I felt pressured by yet another system (namely, rehabilitation) to reinforce skills in a certain way and for a certain amount of time. I went from training children to conform to school rules to training my son to conform to rigid early intervention strategies.
It wasn’t long before I realized the pressure I was putting on my son was the reason I left the public school system and why homeschooling became an option in the first place.
While my son was joyfully enjoying the journey regardless, I found myself having to change my plan of action.
I became a student in the process of deschooling.
Imagine that girl who fit the school system flawlessly, then taught in the system, and left the system only to attempt to implement the same system within her home was now having to undo all of the conditioning she held onto her entire life.
I am a work-in-progress.
I know I am every bit the student as my son is the teacher. The synergy of this relationship is why I continue on this educational path.
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