Transitioning From School To Home School

Learning from home can be a big adjustment after time spent in public schooling. Every family has a different reasoning for exploring home schooling as an option, too, and each has a different experience of it.

After all, these changes aren’t just about preferential treatment anymore. Sometimes, the case for homeschooling can be as important as protecting a child and their well-being. Whatever your situation might be, there could be ways to make the change easier on you.

So, how can you better transition from school to home school? We’ve provided a few tips below that might help.

Know Your Circumstances

Jumping from one experience into another goes more smoothly when you have a better idea of what you’re in for. It’s impossible to map everything for an experience you haven’t had yet, but you can set some standards.

Have an open discussion with your parents if you haven’t already. Make notes on the information they share with you. A few questions you can ask and answer together are:

• Will I follow the national curriculum, or a different one?
• Are we going to spend more time together, and how might that change things?
• Which services and resources will I use for learning and tutoring?
• What time window will I be studying in?
• Is the home school arrangement permanent or temporary?
• Can I receive any help for any anxiety I might be feeling?

You can also set personal expectations of yourself. Expect that you won’t use television, video game consoles, or your smartphone all day just because you’ll be home. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better!

Explore Social Media

Many people roll their eyes at the mention of influencers. However, if you do want an insight into the homeschooling lifestyle ahead of time, it may be a good idea to seek a few out!

Obviously, reputable sources matter greatly here. Not every influencer is to be heeded. The most reputable influencers will acknowledge their own set of circumstances and have a good head on their shoulders. They’ll seek to keep you informed, rather than ‘look cool’.

Furthermore, not all websites are safe, either. So, even if you find a homeschooling content creator you like, double-check that they’re posting content on a reputable platform.

There are also Facebook groups for homeschooled kids in local areas. They are usually run by a community of parents. You and your parents could see if there’s one for your area and try to connect with your peers. Perhaps you’ll make new friends, get recommendations for suppliers and resources, and get a better sense of what to expect.

Be Kind To Yourself

It’s not guaranteed that you’ll feel like you’ve landed on your feet during the first day, week, or potentially even month of home schooling. There’s a lot to account for and acclimatise too.

However, you can be kind to yourself. Just because there may be some struggle here and there, it doesn’t mean homeschooling isn’t for you. It’s not uncommon to fear change in any context, so give yourself the time to push through that feeling if you’re experiencing it.

Learn your rhythm. The entirety of your routine is about to change, but with homeschooling, there may be more room for flexibility when it comes to start times and the duration and frequency of breaks between study. If homeschooling doesn’t come easy at first, stay hopeful, and patiently work with your family to find out which learning strategies work best for you.