When the situation arose that our family had to depart India to reapply for visas, I found myself in the odd set of circumstances that required me to homeschool my own children.
I tell people often that I support homeschooling, but would never be able to do it with my own children.
Sigh.
With no option given to us BUT to homeschool, I outwardly said "It will be NO problem at all!" I met with all of the principals and teachers the day before we boarded our flight to the United States and armed with piles of books, worksheets and instructions for the kids, felt very secure in the task before me.
Fast forward to Day One of Operation "AWAY" School.
Utter disaster.
10th grade is hard. 10th grade is even harder when you as a parent have NO idea about the nitty gritty going on in the classroom, and when a student is losing the interaction from a classroom (that is structured much like a college classroom with loads of discussion from the teacher and other students), it becomes even harder.
2nd grade is not as hard as 10th grade, but there are definitely certain expectations that a 7 year old has for his "substitute teacher"!
Preschool is fun and very easy to "away school" as long as said preschooler doesn't get bored, fight with her brothers or consistently hit her knee on the table or accidentally step on her crayons and break them daily.
Operation Away School Day One consisted of a well thought out plan. I was up early with the littles (damn jet lag anyway) and plotted out schedules, charts and a checklist. I organized their schoolwork and ripped out the corresponding worksheets from the BrainQuest books I'd found at the local Michael's store and the short stack of Kumon workbooks I'd brought from home.
I was READY.
We ate breakfast and settled around the small 3'x3' table in our hotel room. We chatted about what our morning routine was going to be and then ...
MOM! She sat in MY chair!
Mama? I don't WANT you to be my teacher.
Mom ... that isn't what I'm supposed to be doing.
Um, Ms. Sullivan doesn't do it like THAT!
Mama? I'm tired of doing 'peech therapy. I just want to do it with Miss E.
Mom, am I done yet?
Mom, we don't have any pencils.
Hey mom, I can't log in for my algebra. All of my passwords aren't working.
Mama? I have to go potty.
Mom, I'm still hungry. I'm tired of doing math, can we do science instead?
Mom - I haven't heard from my French teacher, and I don't have access to the vocab sheet for homework that was assigned today.
Mom, could we just stop now and go play?
Mama, is it time for TV Choice now? You put it on the calendar. Can we just watch TV?
Mama, Tony's KICKING me.
Seriously?
I issue empty threats, bite my tongue, grit my teeth and inwardly scream. I squeeze my hands so hard that the insides of my palms have nail marks. I wonder how on earth I am supposed to get through this phase/stage/situation ... and then I lock myself in the bathroom. Then I realize that I need to take it moment by moment and sigh a deep breath. I re-enter the school zone and in approximately 35 seconds, want to lock myself in the bathroom again!
(Photo taken during the happy moments ...
which on Day One of Operation Away School lasted about 3 minutes!)
Stay tuned for more episodes of Operation Away School, coming straight to you from somewhere in the middle of the United States.
