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obody could have anticipated the events of 2020. The way we shop, interact, and work is drastically different from this time last year. For parents of school-aged children, the spring semester’s traditional, in-person learning turned overnight into “crisis schooling” at home. Many parents struggled to balance working from home with keeping children busy and focused on school. As the months progressed, frustrations grew for both parents and kids, prompting many to look toward alternative options and ask difficult questions about the school year. While school districts have announced plans for the 2020-2021 school year, parents have agonized over their own decisions as they prioritize the safety and wellbeing of their children. No one knows what the rest of 2020 will hold, but regardless, kids must still start school this month. Purcellville mom and Middleburg Life writer Shayda Windle has struggled through the concept of distance learning with her son, Will, who is going into second grade this fall. “I loved being able to sit next to him and see how his brain worked when I went through different activities with him last year,” she said. “One of the silver linings from all this is that my family has gotten much closer because we’ve had so much more time together. As a mom, it was amazing to watch Will learn new things right before my eyes.” Windle said one of the biggest challenges of distance learning last spring was the limitation of teacher-led instruction to one hour a week via Google Classroom. During the rest of the week, parents were responsible for helping their kids through the curriculum. “I think it was very difficult, but I don’t
Homeschooling photo by Libbi Moore.
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middleburglife.com
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AUGUST 2020
think I’m alone in that,” she said. “Especially for anyone that has to work, we are taking on the role of the teachers.” But every teacher is approaching distance learning differently, and Windle is optimistic about the upcoming school year. “I definitely hope that going to the 100% distance learning program this fall, there is more teacher involvement, but also more assessments and expectations communicated to parents,” she said. “There isn’t a perfect solution right now for anyone in public schools.” During the spring, her son Will told her a few times, “I love school with you, Mom!” His statement helped her realize she needed to do more of the things that drove and pushed him: more learning games, more applications, more teaching to his learning style. Learning As A Lifestyle For parents who choose traditional homeschooling, this concept of personalized learning is deeply woven into their approach to individualized education.
There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all homeschooling. With a variety of homeschooling methods — Waldorf, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, classical — and hundreds of curriculums, co-ops and extra-curricular programs, there is something to suit every parent and child’s learning style and needs. Homeschooling can be many things, but as a homeschool graduate myself, I would best describe it as a lifestyle. My brother and I did science experiments at the kitchen table, poetry recitations while sitting in the grass, and multiplication tables in the car. Recess was running barefoot in the backyard, digging in our garden, or searching for wildlife in a nearby forest. My homeschool years were a season of wondering at the natural world, falling in love with the act of learning, and letting my creativity and imagination run free. Sarah Hall, a second-generation homeschooler living in Round Hill, attended a private school through fourth grade, when her Schooling | Page 7
