TEACHER TO MANAGER: HOMESCHOOLING HIGH SCHOOLERS

 TEACHER TO MANAGER: 

HOMESCHOOLING HIGH SCHOOLERS

Homeschooling in High School is so different from the younger grades. I love that high school is so much more independent, especially when they are taking a few Dual Enrollment classes at our local community college. My teens are learning adult soft skills as they manage their time using checklists I and their professors give them.

That said, I am more of a manager than a teacher at this stage. I have to be so much more intentional about meeting with them and staying involved.

We have instituted a weekly meeting with mom. It was through our weekly meeting that I realized in high school homeschool I've gone from being their day to day teacher to essentially their manager. A good manager checks in often to monitor quality of work and maintain good relationships. A good manager doesn't do the work for you, but they give you tools and encouragement to do your work well.

This meeting is to make space for them to learn how to discuss and summarize what they are studying. I have caught items they forgot to do or didn't schedule correctly. I encourage them to look ahead and start planning for the next thing.

The transition of homeschooling high schoolers is a hard one at times. The first few years of high school were actually a little heartbreaking. I miss the snuggling on the couch and reading picture books together. I miss being THE teacher they came to with questions. I had to mourn that stage of homeschooling before I could move on. But they grow up, and this is the natural next step. Now, they teach ME about what they are studying. We have even deeper discussions about history and the Bible. They are also taking math class that is way beyond what I took in high school.

My job isn't to help with the content but the context. How do they communicate with their professor? How are they feeling about the workload and dealing with the stress?

It is ok and even healthy to mourn what was, but now I am thankful and prayerful of how to be a good manager of my homeschooling high schoolers.