I started homeschooling when the kids were still small. My babies were 4 and 3 years old at that time. Twelve years ago, we migrated to the US when my husband got a job offer from our church organization to open a cafe in downtown Nashville. The cafe was supposed to be utilized as a student center at night and a deli during the day. I had a dependent visa. My visa status restricted me to be employed anywhere.
So I am stuck at home- without work, and with 2 toddlers. I have cleaned every corner of the house, finished all our photo albums and scrapbook projects, read all the books on the shelf, folded all the clothes, but at the end of the day I found myself whistling in boredom. Probably because we did not have a decent TV at that time and there was no cable at all.
When my children turned a year older, I started asking our friends where they send their kids to school. Most of them were homeschooling. I was referred to different women in church who were doing it. I remember the first time I asked one lady on which curriculum she used-she answered, “hodge podge”. I was thinking, “That was really helpful, thank you for making me more confused”.
I found out that there were a huge selection of curricula you can use. Aside from choosing the curriculum per subject, you need to register under an umbrella school. An umbrella school basically keeps a record of all the grades of your kids- which you provide. When you register under them, you become a legitimate homeschooler recognized by the state. Depending on the umbrella school, they might require you to submit your grades per semester or more frequent than that. They will need you to submit the number of days you homeschooled. In this case, we are talking about 180 days. An umbrella school also offers certain services. They can offer field trips, athletics, college prep testing/counseling, transcript/diploma issuance. All umbrella schools require an annual fee per family.
In addition, there is an association that represents homeschoolers in our government legislation. In Middle Tennessee, the group is called MTHEA (Middle Tennessee Home Education Association). MTHEA basically protects the rights of homeschoolers to continue what they are doing without any government intervention. The association is a network of support if you are looking for tutorials, camps, field trips, extra curricular activities and even support groups for beginners. For older kids, they have an organized prom and graduation. Moreover, they have a curriculum fair every year, which is held usually around the month of May. MTHEA also requires an annual fee membership.
After you register under an umbrella school and become a member of MTHEA, the curriculum shopping begins. Stay tune for my next blog on how to choose the right curriculum for your kids.
Having a Nice Day 