Though I’ve homeschooled for 14 years—I’ve never homeschooled through high school. My oldest two children were adamant about going to the public high school…That is another story for another day, and whether or not it was really the best decision is debatable some days! I always intended to homeschool through high school and was truly heartbroken when my oldest child started school. He literally got on the bus and I cried. But eventually, I got used to the idea (and kind of LOVED) that someone else was teaching Chemistry and AP Literature (and Calculus and Anatomy…). Also—teenagers can sometimes be a real pill (they actually don’t always smile and hug each other like this)…so there’s that too!
A Change In Plans—Again!
I think God likes to keep us on our toes…Because wouldn’t you know it, just when I got comfortable with sending my kids to public high school, now I’ve got one that wants to stay home. And she’s not interested in public virtual school…she wants full-on, good ‘ole fashioned homeschool high school with a diploma from Mama! And now I’m back to asking God…Really? I can do this???
Here’s the point I think He keeps teaching me: It is always about trusting Him…following Him. It’s not about doing something because of my personal pride, agenda, or confidence…but following where He leads and trusting.
Gaining Knowledge and Resources—Confidence!
And He always provides…He encourages us and leads us each step of the way. Years ago, when I first began researching homeschooling high school, I was blessed to discover, Lee Binz, the Homescholar. I knew I wanted to homeschool high school, but had no idea how to actually do it! I had some serious questions (and doubts)…
What does homeschooling high school look like? What records are required? How do colleges (or future employers) perceive homeschool applicants?
Lee completely put my mind at ease and helped me to see that I could definitely homeschool high school—and showed me that homeschool students are welcomed with open arms by colleges! Her own two sons received full-tuition scholarships to their top choice universities—and now Lee’s passion is helping other homeschool parents create comprehensive high school records that colleges will love.
Over the years, I have read her books and resources (she has a lot of them available for free on her website and on Amazon for very affordable prices). Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned are about creating classes from the activities our kids are already doing—delight directed learning. She gives practical advice about how to give your student grades and how to translate the grades into an organized high school transcript. She lays out exactly how to keep high school records and how to create transcripts and course descriptions that colleges love.
Practice During Middle School
Now with my 8th grade daughter, I’m beginning to prepare for high school. Middle school is a great time to practice keeping more formal records (read my post about preparing for high school during middle school), and I just attended one of Lee’s free webinars for motivation and a refresher course on creating course descriptions. I left feeling ready for the work ahead and confident in my abilities!
Yes, I’m a little bit scared as we start this new chapter in our homeschool journey…But I’m trusting God to lead me, and I’m trusting the beautiful plans I know He has for my daughter. I’m so thankful for the moms who have walked this path before me—their stories and experiences are such an encouragement! And I’m especially thankful that years ago, I happened upon Lee Binz and all her amazing resources! Go visit her website—you will be blessed!
Side Note—But Important Stories!
Interestingly—this won’t be the first time I’ve put Lee Binz’s tools to work! I first used her system to create grades and transcripts when my oldest two children went to public high school. During the enrollment process, I submitted organized transcripts and included course descriptions. I wanted to give the school an accurate account of what we covered during middle school and place my kids in the correct classes (especially in regards to Math and Honors Courses).
Later, The Homescholar resources for creating transcripts and course descriptions played an even more important role when my son came home part-time his sophomore year. He was struggling with some serious health issues, and we decided to bring him home for half of his coursework. Suddenly, I found myself teaching Algebra 2, Sophomore English, and Chemistry!
It was always his desire to rejoin his classmates full-time and ultimately graduate with his high school class. Obviously, his health was our main focus—but I couldn’t ignore the responsibility of keeping formal high school records! I knew that in order for our homeschool classes to count towards his public school graduation requirements, I would need to keep excellent records and present the school with the appropriate documentation. I followed Lee’s plans and templates—and his coursework and credits were accepted! My son returned to school full-time his Junior Year, and did amazing in all his courses…like he never missed a beat! Now, he’s set to graduate this spring…wow! I’m so thankful he never had to redo the coursework we did at home—it would’ve added so much extra stress!
So, Sweet Friends, I guess my point is this: When you’re a homeschool family, you just never know when having formal records, transcripts, and course descriptions may be important!
UPDATE:
My sweet daughter did homeschool all the way through high school–we had a great experience! It was such a blessing! I ended up creating a High School Transcript Template & Grading Tool! It includes my daughter’s exact transcript that was submitted to colleges–so you’ll not only get the template, but a completed example!
You can do this!!
With Love,
Jen xo
