As we have more and more experiences with the virtual school, I am finding myself feeling a little bit like I have found a treasure.
I could not be more surprised myself. I had initially dismissed this as an option. Like many others, I had pre-conceived notions of children who were educated at home. Like many, I felt this could become to overwhelming for us and I was afraid that I would have to search for a new school during the school year. I wondered if there would be some sort of psychological repercussions from having dual roles with my children. I wondered if my children would suffer from loneliness. I have been pleasantly surprised.
I am a parent, therefore I feel that my children are extraordinary and special. They are amazing. I know we all feel that way about our children, that is why I am writing today. This program has given my children the gift of feel special and extraordinary every day. No, I do not give them rewards or prizes for completing their work. Perhaps I should have stickers or small prizes, but I do not. My children are getting something better every single day. They are feeling confident and accomplished. They are able to check on their own progress each day. They are able to take charge, get ahead and then use their progress as leverage with me. I guess in a way, I do give rewards, but I feel these rewards fall into the "Natural Consequences" version of parenting.
This started a few weeks ago. We were already quite busy, but there was one extra thing the girls wanted to do. I informed them that we simply did not have the time. Both girls immediately worked together on a "plan". They both worked ahead in their assignments. Both girls worked for longer periods of time for four days in a row before they ambushed me. "Mom, we are both ahead in our work, we have earned medals, we have completed our hours for the week, could we please go to the _________?"
I looked at their progress pages. I looked on their study pages. I reviewed their written assignments carefully to ensure they did not skip anything or miss any key points. Incredibly, they had done it all. They had done this in a way that would make anything other than a positive response from me seem absurd.
And so began a new trend. They have both not only figured out how to get ahead, but they have both learned that staying ahead gives them a little bit of power when something special comes along. That little gem of knowledge will last them a lot longer than any sticker I could give them.
Sometimes I sit back and marvel at this Tom Sawyer approach to education. Somehow, without bribes, scolding, threats or any other overt means, this program has quickly created two very self motivated, very confident little girls.
Friday is the last day of the first quarter. I still have a little bit of anxiety about this milestone. What if I missed something? What if we did something wrong? It's a small anxiety. I feel pretty confident that we did everything that we were supposed to do. I cannot wait to see how this reflects on their report cards.
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