Overcoming Homeschool Burnout: Tips for Parents and Students
Homeschooling, while offering flexibility and personalized learning experiences, can — like all forms of education — sometimes lead to feelings of exhaustion and frustration. Both parents and students can experience what's commonly known as homeschool burnout. But what exactly is burnout, and how can families navigate these challenges? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at burnout and its impacts on the homeschool environment, as well as how to recognize burnout and bounce back from it. What Is Burnout? Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when individuals feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable...
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students: A Closer Look at Challenges and Solutions
Education is of the utmost importance. It equips our children, our communities, and our world at large with the knowledge and skills necessary to be resilient, equitable, and future-ready. Yet education can be hindered or even denied for LGBTQ+ students. Research reveals that, for these students, “the vast majority experienced harassment or assault during in-person school, and many heard school employees use homophobic language.” A student survey from the 2021-2022 school year showed that more than 80% of nonbinary or transgender students “cited depression, stress, or anxiety as obstacles to learning.” In this article, we’ll explore the pressing need for enhanced understanding, acceptance, and inclusivity for...
Why Literacy Matters—and How You Can Help Your Child Improve
Literacy is an essential part of childhood education. In many ways, it's the foundation on which many other forms of education rely. But learning to read is hard, particularly for students from underprivileged backgrounds or rural communities, where schools tend to have fewer resources. Sometimes, kids need a little extra support developing their reading skills. In those cases, summer reading programs can be immensely beneficial in helping students to get caught up and maintain fluent reading comprehension. The Importance of Literacy According to experts, literacy is a key predictor of academic success. Students with strong literacy skills tend to do better in school and have a higher...
New Year, New You: It’s Never Too Late To Graduate
New Year, New You: It's Never Too Late To Graduate The new year is a time of possibilities. It's an opportunity to reimagine who we are, to examine our long-term goals, and set intentions for how to get closer to them. For many people, those goals include continuing their education. Particularly for non-traditional students or adults who didn't finish high school, earning a high school diploma can unlock a wide range of professional opportunities and set them on the path to achieving their goals. Still, that's often easier said than done. Returning to school as an adult or a non-traditional student can come with a lot of...
How homeschooling will help your child to experience more real-life, practical social experiences
When I first decided to homeschool my two children, the question that I got asked the most was "How will you socialize them?" My response was always "They are children--not animals. We socialize animals. We create social experiences for children." And the person who asked the question always stared at me with a blank look. Homeschooling is quite possibly one of the best ways for children to experience real-life, practical social experiences, and yet, for some reason, homeschooling tends to grow the most criticism in that very regard. Homeschooling offers children the opportunity to experience daily life alongside their parent or guardian. Whether they find themselves...