The Hardest Part Of Interest-Led Homeschooling {week 16 lesson plan and recap}

I am sharing my personal weekly lesson plans, as well as a recap of our prior homeschool week, every single week in 2022. This is Week 16.

Over the course of the last 16 weeks, one question has come up about my approach to homeschooling, over and over again, from those of you following along with this series. It is some variation of the following:

How will I know if we are doing enough?
Will this really work long term?
What if it doesn’t work and I fail my child?

The Hardest Part Of Interest-Led Homeschooling

Table Of Contents

For me, this has always been the hardest part.

The unknown. The worry. The fear of failing.

Your questions are the same questions I have asked myself for more than a decade. In fact, the only reason why I agreed to finally share this level of detail about our homeschool is that I graduated my oldest last year and he is now successfully completing his first year of college.

Truth be told, I was just as surprised as any of you that this all worked out as well as it did. Looking back though, I should not have been so surprised.

Taking an interest-led, strength-based approach in your homeschool is not something I made up. It is based in educational theory and research that has proven itself time and time again.

Even in schools, there is more and more discussion around this type of education.

All students (and adults) have strengths and weaknesses. In K-12 education, student weaknesses and areas of concern are sometimes more apparent, while strengths can fade into the background. Over the past decade, there has been a movement in education to be more explicit in addressing student strengths
BranchingMinds.com

Before I was able to stay home with my boys, my career exposed me to strength based learning research with Gallup. 15 years later, the research has only gotten stronger in support of individualized, interest-led learning plans.

The reality is that “school” and “learning” can be two totally different things. When I began homeschooling, I was far more focused on schooling my children, not necessarily helping them learn. My children’s unique learning differences forced me (kicking and screaming) away from a traditional approach to learning.

And, somehow, through trial and error, a ton of prayer, and lots of worrying that I wasn’t doing enough, it all worked out.

The reality is that “school” and “learning” can be two totally different things.

I share these lesson plans to reassure you that it can and will work out for you as well. It may not look exactly the same. In fact, it shouldn’t, as your child’s interests and strengths will be different than mine. It may not look the same, but the end result is always more confident, capable learners.

My friend, Kara, is graduating her oldest this year, and she said it best. “The difference will not come down to whether or not I worry hard enough.”

Last Week’s Homeschool Lesson Plans vs. Reality:

Monday

THE PLAN

YouTube Video – His choice
Audiobook and Discussion
Infusion – 4 hours

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Doctor Appointment (unplanned)
Audiobook and Discussion
Infusion – 4 hours

Tuesday

THE PLAN

Drivers Ed Online
Everyday Math Word Problems
American History – Roanoke Study
YouTube Video – His choice, something educational
Online Voice/Music Lesson – one hour
Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Drivers Ed Online
Muscular System Quiz and Word Search
Beyond Personal Finance
Spelling list practice
Online Voice/Music Lesson – one hour

Wednesday

THE PLAN

Rock Climbing with Coach – 2 hours
Driver’s Ed Module
CTCMath
Audiobook and Discussion
Science: Experiment TBD
Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Audiobook and Discussion
CTCMath
Roanoke – Read Aloud
Roanoke – YouTube Video
YouTube Video – Every Way To Cut A Piece Of Wood
Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports

Thursday

THE PLAN

Audiobook and Discussion
Social Time with friends – 1 hour, without me
Art class – 1 hour, not taught by me
Rock Climbing with friends – 3 hours

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Audiobook and Discussion
Social Time with friends – 1 hour, without me
Art class – 1 hour, not taught by me
Rock Climbing with friends – 3 hours

Friday

THE PLAN

CTCMath
Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
Science Experiment – continued from Wednesday
YouTube Video – his choice and educational
Spelling Practice

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

CTCMath
Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
Urban Driving Videos – Drivers Ed
YouTube Video – Dr. Mike, Building Muscle