Homeschool

Last week we promised a post on homeschool. Today, S. J. Wells talks about teaching her sighted children.

My dad used to tell me, “You spend more time trying to figure out a way not to do something, than actually doing it.”

He was right. Time management has never been one of my strengths. I am a procrastinator, too often I allow my mood to dictate my actions, and I tend to run away from situations when they become too difficult. So, when I first began to seriously think about homeschool, I put a lot of time in to studying it. A friend graciously let me visit her home and observe what a typical homeschool day was like for her and her family. I read blogs, listened to podcasts, talked about it with anyone who would listen and prayed. The closer the time came to begin homeschooling my children, the more nervous and unsure I became. After all, I didn’t have a college education, I live in a rural community without accessible transportation, and while my children are blessed with vision, I am not. How on earth does a blind person teach a sighted child to read, do math or use a computer?

As it turns out, numbers and computers were the easy part. Remember those foam numbers and letters that you press out of the puzzle? I found some at the Dollar Tree. It helped that I know basic print, as well. Manipulatives work well when learning to count. A friend gave me a box of one hundred plastic animals, and my girls loved separating them into groups according to color or species. We counted tea bags, spoons, beans, windows in the house. Whatever we could get our hands on became part of class. More than once, we even used ourselves to act out addition and subtraction problems by coming in or leaving a room one at a time. I would keep my speech program turned on and allow my girls to type out emails to their dad. I helped them spell, they found the correct letters on the keyboard, and I knew whether they were correct or not when the speech announced the letter they pressed. Then, when he emailed back, using my speech and their eyes, I helped them learn to read.

Most of those early years were days of trial and error. I learned what works and what doesn’t by trying, failing and trying again. At the time of this writing, I am halfway through my seventh year of homeschool. I have stopped reading “how to” blogs, podcasts for newbies have been dropped, but prayer is still the key - prayer, determination and trial and error.

So far on this blog, we have talked about independence and advocacy. We have introduced you to a can do attitude. We have discussed adopting new ways of thinking, educating others that people who are blind can do whatever they want. I stand behind what we have put on here. In saying that, though, I will be the first to admit it is easier to write about these things than to do them, especially when faced with daily obstacles.

Why do I homeschool? There are several reasons. Here are just a few.

1. I would rather do the work during the day than spend all evening doing homework.
2. I believe each child learns at a different pace and should be given the opportunity to truly learn a concept without pressure. I do not believe public schools can offer every child that opportunity. Children should not be classified into stereotypes. We are all different and unique.
3. There are certain subjects I want my children to learn from the perspective that comes from God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
4. The mountain of printed paper my daughter brought home from public school when she was a preschooler was unreal. The teacher promised to call, text or email me with information about this print, but she never did. I chose to teach my children at home, rather than deal with that for the next thirteen years.
5. I am a lifelong learner, and even though it sounds rather nerdy of me, I was excited to begin school with my girls.

That list is not complete but it gives you some idea as to why I began this journey. When I hear on the news about school shootings, I hold my children close and thank God I know where they are. When difficult questions arise about growing up, boys and changing bodies, I am thankful to be able to give answers that are neither dirty, crude or incorrect. If one child excels at a task or concept, I do not expect the other to be the same. Each child has the opportunity to learn at her own pace. No one is left behind, here. If we’re sick, we can take time off without penalties. If we are grieving over the loss of a family member, we can stop language arts class to have a good cry. If we want to spend all afternoon reading, we do.

Obstacles that have stood or still stand in my way include:

1. Blindness. Sometimes, that burier alone is enough to frustrate the entire day. Printed materials aren’t as much of an obstacle as they once were, but still, the communication gets sticky at times.
2. Being told I can’t do it. Oh, the naysayers love that one. Since they’ve never heard of a blind person teaching sighted children, it probably can’t be done.

So, how to overcome? Never give up.

When my youngest wanted to learn to read, I made a promise to myself to sit down every day and listen to her try. We sat together in the recliner. She sat on my lap with a book and a blanket, and attempted reading. She went from sentences like, “Pam got on the mop.” in November to “Samantha the Snob" by Kathryn Cristaldi in February. I often fell asleep. I often wondered if I’d ever make it through a long session of struggling with words she didn’t know, but she never gave up. Her will power empowered me. Today, she is a third grader reading at about a middle school level.

Whenever I doubt myself, I remember Moses from the Old Testament. When God told him it was time to go back to Egypt and get the Jews out of there, he told God he wasn’t qualified. He made excuses. He couldn’t talk well, the people wouldn’t listen to him, and so on. Here’s what God had to say to that.

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4:11-12 KJV

My doubts crumble and fall through my hands like grains of sand at those words. God made me blind, and He made my girls sighted. He will put the words in my mouth and teach me what I should say. This is what fuels my determination. This is what gives me boldness to advocate for myself and my family. This is what teaches me to be independent.

Whatever your calling in life, whatever your mission, whatever your heart's desire, just remember you can. All it takes is determination and that "can do" attitude we talk about so often.

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Thanks for being with us today. Have a wonderful week, and be sure to come back next Thursday.