“How Homeschooling Prepared Me for Classroom Realities””

It all happened very quickly. In one week, we had to decide to take our children out of school. The story has many details but, in a few words, we lived in England and our three children were still very young: a 7-year-old boy and two girls, 5 years and nearly 2 years old.

The first few months were extremely challenging. Apart from the difficulties already expected, we also had to deal with the constant doubt if we were on the right path. I remember how I struggled when I used to see children in their school uniforms on the streets. I used to wonder if we were preventing our children from an important stage in their development.

Slowly a routine was established but we were constantly having to adjust it. We already had chosen a curriculum and this helped us a lot. Basically it was a complete method that included six subjects: Maths, English, Word Building, Literature, Sciences and Social Studies. Because this system was designed for homeschooling, it included exams at the end of each book. Apart from the formal studies, our children also did tennis, swimming, gymnastics for the girls, arts and we were part of study groups with other homeschooling families. It didn’t take long for us to be part of a big homeschool network where we used to meet regularly to socialize and exchange ideas. We used to take part in big events and conventions which were an enormous support to us! It is important to highlight that homeschooling in England is legal and therefore we had so much support.

In the meantime, I had to teach my youngest daughter how to read and write. The curriculum that we chose had wonderful material for this age group. When she turned three years old, I started the program that dealt with the sounds and letters (in English, of course) and in the following year we started the “learning to read” method.

It seems that the whole homeschooling process went very smoothly but the reality was far from this! My son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was only four years old. We didn’t have proper professional support and for this reason, I had to search for ways to deal with his difficulties. We had many challenges and moments when I thought that I wouldn’t be able to manage. Besides, my husband used to work and travel a lot which meant that I used to spend most of the time by myself with the children! I didn’t have any help with the kids or the house. Looking back, I don’t even know how I used to manage.

But why is the title of my text “How Homeschooling Prepared Me for Classroom Realities”? Well, as I said, the story has many details. In 2020 we decided to move to Brazil. After homeschooling them for a year, we had to enroll the children in school, which allowed me to return to work (I have a degree in Language and Literature). I started to teach in a bilingual school and quickly I realized that my experience with homeschooling would come in very handy in the classroom. I spent five years dealing with three very different children and one of them had special needs. I believe that one of the abilities that I developed during this time was to be able to adapt when something wasn’t happening according to my plans. We had many occasions in which we had to “recalculate the route” when I realized that an approach wasn’t working. 

One of the most valuable lessons that I learned during this process was how to have an individualized look at each child. All this knowledge I now try to apply with my students in the classroom. As teachers know quite well, we enter the classroom with a well-planned lesson expecting a certain result but many times it simply doesn’t work. In those moments, I stop and try to figure out what is the need of a specific student that is calling for attention. I also take time to assess if my lesson is working for that class and I will make as many changes that are necessary until I find a good result. In other words, I am always open to new approaches, there isn’t a ready-made formula!    

 I believe that more and more the teachers are facing difficulties in the classroom for which they were not prepared. That is the reason why I believe that the abilities that I gained from homeschooling are very useful. We must be open to accept this new generation that is bringing new and unexpected challenges.