About

Quick update: My daugher is now "8 and 3/4," and we've entered her second year of exclusive homeschooling. I feel like I might be a better supplemental homeschooler than just a homeschooler, but we are learning along the way.

I'm a mom of my one. I am a wife to a wonderful man with a beautiful heart named Brian. My daughter is six, and she's my world. So much so that I don't have much of a life of my own. I once taught music in charter schools in DC. That was fun, but will I return? I really don't know.

My Lyla is "six and three quarters." She's in first grade. She loves to dance, make up songs, read, dress up, hang out with Daddy, and watch tv. She's super inquisitive and very observant. She's a fledgling ipad photographer. She used to want to be a dancer, but now wants to be a photographer when she grows up.

We are no longer in the DC area, but now live in GA. It's been quite the adjustment, but I do see my little one flourishing here despite the many challenges. I have been a SAHM and a working mom. I'm not a great homemaker, so for that reason, I would rather work, but I am an excellent teacher, not only to others, but most definitely to my little one. I'd rather be home for that reason. I really do see myself as my daughter's primary teacher. It matters little if she's being schooled at home or away from home, I am her primary teacher.

I love the art of teaching- something I didn't really realize until I got in charter schools and almost bombed. I had to learn, and now I love the connection. Sometimes, I feel guilty because the innovative part of teaching, the part where you hook your students, I really don't do that much at home, but I do work hard to make sure that she's stimulated and challenged.

I decided that homeschooling exclusively is not for me. I would definitely have to come up a bit to do that well. While my daughter would probably move along much faster at home, than at school. I don't feel that I would be good at the social aspect of it. You really do need to belong to a community to homeschool well. I never really found that where we were in VA. It could be that with the closeness of people here in GA, it's easier to homeschool exclusively. We shall see.

I still do consider myself a homeschooler, though. My daughter schools at home as well as at school. We grab time in the evenings and on weekends for homeschooling. While I could go on and on about the perils of public schools, for the most part, I think they are great. My biggest issue, besides parents who don't do their jobs at home, is schools aren't really able to meet every single learner at his needs. Of course schools tout words like differentiation, but while you can differentiate activities, it's next to impossible to differentiate effectively during whole group instruction.

If your child comes in ahead. At some point, it levels off. Schools really don't spend extra time and resources making sure that students are learning at their optimum level. Most of those resources are chucked (in the most inappropriate ways) at lower performing students. This is why I call myself a homeschooler.

I've spent a lot of time researching. I've missed the boat so many times. I've spent so much money. My daughters library is bigger than any classroom library I've seen. The amount of curriculum materials and method books that I have is staggering. I am not perfect. She could be further along. I'm inconsistent, but I know that I am raising the most beautiful person I've ever known. She is well mannered, a bit timid (this is why we need a public school), smart, and wise beyond belief. I have learned so much from her.

This blog is about our non-exclusive homeschooling. These are some of the things we do when we can do it. I hope that you will give me some pointers, find the blog helpful, or maybe even both. Guess blog? Whatever you decide. Let's learn from each other.

You may just find some opinion pieces, too. Why? Because I am one opinionated lady!!! If you don't agree. I promise we can coexist.