Homeschooling is most successful when done with team effort, but sometimes the roles are a bit harder to define for the team member not doing the day-to-day teaching. Here are a few ways the non-teaching spouse plays a vital role in homeschooling:
Big Vision and Goal Setting: Principal
Having someone with whom to discuss family vision and goals makes setting semester, weekly and daily goals so much easier. The daily grind of homeschooling can sometimes grind on us a little too much and we lose our focus. So, having that person nearby to remind us of the “whys” of homeschooling is so essential.
Support: PTA President
The homeschooler needs support. Frequent encouragement as well as backing the main teacher is so necessary. An occasional reminder that all this hard work will pay off one day goes a long way on the tough days. Also, having someone else support your expectations of the kids is helpful. I have days that I hand out an assignment and immediately send my student to sit with dad in his office to complete it. This gives us all a little break and refocuses everyone.
Calendar and Curricula Decisions: Administrator
Once our big visions and family goals are established, it is helpful to talk through which textbooks to purchase and to which methods of education we hold. Also, seeking the advice and input from your spouse helps them feel a part of homeschooling and provides them a way to influence things through their investment of time spent researching and choosing textbooks. Setting the family calendar and schedule expectations requires the spouse’s support, too.
Fill In: Substitute Teacher
All homeschoolers need to call in sick at least once. If your spouse is at all able to help out with schooling during that time, it is a huge help to the entire family. If subbing isn’t an option, just a reminder that it is ok to take a day off to recover is helpful.
When there isn’t a spouse
Can homeschooling be done without a spouse? Absolutely! A supportive friend, another homeschool parent or relative can fill these roles with a quick phone call or an occasional evening out. Homeschooling is a hard task that often feels slow-going when the daily tasks get mundane or muddled.
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother to three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com.