Confidence... Yes, it is quite a mighty word. I like to feel confident. I like to feel accomplished. This is not such a genius concept. If you really think about it, when was the last time you felt overjoyed by your own failures or insecurities..
How do I get confidence? I research and prepare. I have to say this K12 experience so far is much like any other unknown territory. Yes, the day the school supplies arrived in their many boxes, I was definitely overwhelmed. The reality of what I was undertaking sort of...overtook me. I realized that day that I really did not have any idea how this was going to play out in real life.
Since then, I have used the K12 to research and prepare. There are so many resources for coaches. (K12 parents are called 'learning coaches') There are step by step tutorials for logging in, checking the lessons for the day or week as well as tutorials for how to make sure that your computer is compatible with everything your child will need to do on K12 websites. There are samples of lessons to view, step by step instructions on how to log attendance, how to adjust the schedule, and how to check to see if everything is complete.
Just a few days ago, the lessons were loaded into our account, and even though school does not technically start until this Thursday we have had full access. I have been able to do things in the accounts in real time. My children have already completed their assessment testing as well as several lessons and tests. We have dabbled enough in the materials to get an idea of how this will work for us.
Basically, instead of feeling overwhelmed, I now see how the flexibility will actually work for us. I can see how the children will complete a lesson. I can see now that this is not really scary at all. It is exactly what I was hoping for. Today, I called one of my children's teachers to go over some of today's events. She has already suggested that one of my children may need new coursework within a few weeks. I told her that we could postpone that conversation for now, as I really wanted to get through some more of the classwork before we made that decision. I did not feel pressured at all. It was exactly the way it should be. The idea is there, but it is too early to make that decision at this time.
We have sampled a variety of the lessons. Each works a little differently, just as they would in a regular classroom. Some lessons require more reading, some require a workbook or notebook and some are entirely online. It seems to make for a nice balance.
Now I feel confident. I feel empowered that we will be able to do what is best for each of the children. It really is geared to play to their strengths and assist with their weaknesses. Some of it is just genius. The language course my oldest daughter chose is Latin.. Latin? Seriously? Yes, she chose it and has done several of her Latin lessons already. The online program that K12 uses for children is definitely more fun than any other language course I have seen. It's almost addictive. I will explain that at a later date. My children feel more confident now that they see the expectations are not at all unreasonable. I think they were secretly afraid that they would become little education drones. Not at all... the material is well within their abilities while constantly building on their skills. It progresses more quickly than they realize because they are enjoying it more.
My oldest child even stated it was definitely easier to get the coursework completed without other people trying to have conversations with her or waiting for someone else to ask a question. I guess these were distractions for her that we did not realize.
Yes, I am now ready. I feel stronger than ever. We are ready to conquer this new frontier. The only thing I would change would be how the help is offered. I would like to have a recommended list for coaches. I found everything I needed, but it would have been nice if there had been a list, in order.
- Go to coaches mentoring site and begin with the first video.
- Set up online accounts.
- Watch videos in order and stop in between each one to locate that subject on the actual K12 site.
This list is a little oversimplified as there were dozens of things I did to prepare. I have already sent an email to K12 recommending this. It may or may not have alleviated some of my anxiety. Who knows?
Anyway, confidence is a big word, but I am feeling it. I am ready. The children are ready. We are so excited to see where this leads us.
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