by Cassieopia Hursh

Created on: December 04, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

My decision to home school was one of the most important regarding my children I've made to date. It began mid- year when my son was in second grade at the local public school. I was getting letters from the school "AxL was up playing instead of in his chair learning", "AxL was causing distractions to the other students in class", So I packed up all the younger kiddos and drove up to the school.

I asked around and all I could get was "he's so smart", "we love him" and "I've never had any trouble out of him". Hello, People? If there isn't a problem, why do I get weekly discipline notices in the mail? I eventually made it to the source... his teacher. This woman nearly drove me mad, with her syrupy sweetness and smug smiles. Ahh, but still nothing derogatory. "If he interrupts at home, he gets a swat from Mommy or Daddy", I told her; so we all agreed, if the instance arose again, he should be sent to the office for a paddling. This worked for two weeks. Then, I was back at the school with another handful of discrepancies, and an earful of "perfection."
I asked his teacher about the possibility of ADHD. I had noticed some new behavior at home and was hoping to get some insight. I got nothing, save for a lame excuse of "there are 30 kids in here, I don't have time to notice if he has issues like that." Then lady please tell me how you had time to complain he had visited the bathroom sixteen times and sharpened his pencil eleven times in one math lesson?
This idealistic oxymoron could not be my son.
I took him to his pediatrician. I had been keeping up with his newfound tendencies, such as the unexplainable need to empty his bladder every time one drop of urine was created and dropped into its depths (I even had the Doc check on possible infections!) to his inability to use a pencil without a pin- point prick on the end. He advised me to take him to a behavioral health care facility that would look into his possible behavioral defaults. Sure enough, on a test that ranks the ages six to ninety- nine for ADHD, he had the highest scores possible! I would've been more proud to know he had beaten a high score on an illicit video game than this! This diagnosis meant medication, and a watchful eye. Thus began our journey into the wonderful world of homeschooling.
In the early days it was just the two of us; Mother, playing the role of "Teacher", and son, as the wise- cracking side kick. It was great. We had play days and alone time and GREAT advances in reading levels and math.
Then, his brother was invited to a four- week summer session at a college in the neighboring town (His brother the six- year old!). We learned that there were openings in the schedule for him as well, so we began fund- raising for this opportunity for him to learn and spend some time in a regular classroom setting with children his own age. While there, he met a teacher who taught third grade at his "old school". She talked him into going back there, and he had a great time, but near the end he started asking if he could come back home, because when school started again in the fall, he wouldn't have Ms. Rebecca at his side.
I, in the meantime had been trying to decide how to get the kids around their father (my ex-husband) more often; Viola, our full time home school idea was born!
The plan is that I teach them for three weeks at a time (Dad taking them on the middle weekend), then Dad gets one full week with them. This arrangement gives them plenty of time there with him, and here with us (since my fourth child belongs to my second husband).
I now teach fourth grade, second grade, first grade and pre- kindergarten on a daily basis, and wouldn't change it for the world!

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