Homeschooling High School: Senior Year Curriculum Overview

This is a realistic look at what we had planned vs. what we actually accomplished for my son’s homeschool senior year.

For more than a full year, I shared exactly what our weekly lesson plans looked like. I also shared what actually ended up happening each week. The truth is, I planned to do the same for my son’s final year of high school.

Many of you seemed to appreciate the day in, day out look at how learning actually happened in our homeschool. I absolutely loved the accountability.

I had everything planned out, curriculum chosen, and even outlines created to share with you. Then, three days before our official start date, my entire world fell apart and with it, any motivation I had for teaching.

The Challenges Of Our Final Year Homeschooling

Without getting into too much detail, suffice to say the end of my marriage was a crushing blow. I struggled with every single aspect of my own daily life. Unfortunately, that included homeschooling. The beginning of our school year was essentially nonexistent, with me delaying our start date from the end of August to the end of September.

Adjusting the homeschool plan and then adjusting again.

Do you ever find yourself looking around at the details of your life and wondering how in the world you got here?

The truth is, homeschooling has always felt like that for me.

All the time.

Just when I think I have it figured out and under control, something shifts. My child needs something different than what I was finally feeling good about providing. Or, I start to worry that I am not doing enough and ruining him for good.​

I felt immense guilt in the beginning of this school year, but reminded myself that this wasn’t the first time we missed an entire month of school. We had always been able to get back on track before. I trusted that we could do it again.

Homeschooling High School: Our Senior Year Curriculum Overview

Here is a look at what I thought we would learn this year including curriculum choices.

What I Planned

This is the post I wrote about our plans for this homeschool year back in August. It’s really difficult for me to read it, as it feels like a completely different person wrote it.

High School Curriculum Choices For Our Homeschool: 2023-2024

What We Actually Accomplished

• Language Arts
  • Emphasis on everyday, natural writing with journaling each day and beginning a social media account about rock climbing
  • Audiobooks and discussion
• Math
  • Consumer Math with an emphasis on self-reliance (in case something happens to me, my children now have no other adult to oversee their daily lives – this reality definitely shifted our learning plans).
• Political Science
  • YouTube and Discussion
• Economics
  • Woven into math (see above)
• Guitar
• Songwriting
• Rock Climbing (5 x’s a week)

A Note About Driving

Although he tired to continue practicing driving with an outside instructor, we made the decision to discontinue lessons and practice and let his permit lapse. The pressure and anxiety he felt around driving, coupled with the anxiety he was feeling in his everyday life was just too much.

The End Of Our Homeschool Years

As I finish writing this, we are in our very last week of formally homeschooling. You read that right. My youngest officially graduates from high school this Friday.

He had knee surgery 12 days ago. We have both slept a total of about 10 hours in the past two weeks.

You know what I still find myself thinking? Am I doing enough school right now?

Seriously.

Because of my child’s unique needs and circumstances, we will still likely keep up a kind of learning schedule for at least the next two years. What I want you to know is, no matter what year your child is in, this homeschooling thing is not easy. From the very first day of homeschool your very first year all the way to graduation day, it’s a wild ride.

More importantly, when I am most honest with myself, I realize I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What has made homeschooling so incredibly effective for my children is that it is woven into the tapestry of our lives. Even the most difficult times have provided an opportunity to learn and grow – as individuals and together.

It’s been brutal. It’s been beautiful. It’s added up to an education and a life.

Additional Resources and Related Posts

• Homeschool High School Curriculum: Grades 9-12
• Weekly Homeschool Lesson Plans
• Homeschooling When Your Life Is Falling Apart
• Practicing Spelling With An Older Learner