When I first started homeschooling, the constant worry I held was “Is it enough?” Will my kids learn everything they need to know, when they need to know it? Am I doing too much, or too little? I don’t want to burden them, or wear them out.
Reflecting on this thought, I recall having the same concern as a public school teacher. Am I teaching them enough? Will they be prepared for the test? Did I miss a standard? Perhaps this concern of “enough” is innate to education. Maybe that’s because the learning process never stops- there’s always more to see, more to do, explore, wonder. It’s easy to overwhelm the mins of the teacher by questioning id “all” the wonder and exploration was taught- which of course the answer is a resounding no! Wonder isn’t something to be taught, as much as it is something to nurture, to grow. Fan the flames of wonder, and let the child follow those flames to the bonfire of learning. When this occurs, the child does the work, while the teacher simply encourages. Is it any wonder then that we teachers are constantly questioning the quantity of what we’ve done? I often think of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. She asks a questions, gives a guiding thought, then steps back while the students explore that thought. She gives a simple explanation, or thought when needed, but the bulk of the learning is done by the students. And she did enough. They learned what they needed, often more.
Educator, you chose a plan for your students for a reason. You researched it, and made a decision to use it for various reasons. It’s enough. Trust the plan. Implement the plan, follow it, and know that it’s enough. The children are learning, even if you don’t see it. Perhaps especially if you don’t see it.
When you are wrestling with this question of doing enough, it’s equally as important to avoid the trap of comparison, especially for homeschool families. If you and another family are doing the same curriculum, it will still look different in the two homes because your two homes are different. Your families are different, each child is different, and your routines and family rhythms are different. Even when following the same plan, it’s implementation will look different. Isn’t that beautiful? No two family’s journeys will be quite the same because no two families are the same. Education should be flexible, personable, and molded to the individual student. I found that to be true even in the classroom. I could observe amazing lessons from veteran teachers, yet when it came my turn to duplicate that lesson, I couldn’t ignore my personality, or my student’s personalities, and the rhythms we had found within our classroom. I could take ideas or concepts from another teacher’s lessons, but they ultimately had my flair, my spin, my unique style, or they just didn’t go over as well among my students. It’s the same for homeschooling. This diversity in curriculum implementation is so beautiful! I love hearing how other families implement the curriculum I’m following, or how other families chose and implement a curriculum that works with their paces and rhythms. Meeting our student’s needs through the diversity of curriculum choices and implementation styles is so beautiful!
My encouragement to you? If you’ve found your plan, rest in it, trust in it and know that it’s enough. If you’re like me in my first years of homeschooling, you’re still searching for your plan. And that’s okay. Keep researching your options. Keep studying your family, learning your rhythms and what you value. Discover your educational goals, and methods that will help you achieve these goals. Learning about your family and finding your educational goals will help lead you to your plan. Then it’s time to implement….and wait! Rest in that plan implementation. You are doing enough.