What To Do When You Feel Behind in Homeschooling

EP226: "Falling behind" might be the most common worry among homeschooling parents, but it's based on a misunderstanding of how learning works. When we measure ourselves against arbitrary timelines and standardized expectations, we miss the beautiful truth that homeschooling allows us to follow our children's natural development.

The Waldorf approach offers remarkable wisdom here through its spiral curriculum ~ a thoughtful progression where subjects unfold with increasing complexity as children mature. Listen in for three steps to take when you feel behind in your homeschooling.

Ready for a fresh perspective? Join our Summer Reset inside the Inspired at Home community, where we'll reflect on your homeschooling journey and create space for both planning and summer fun. 

Find the Show Notes here  https://artofhomeschooling.com/episode226/

Join the Inspired at Home Community to join in for The Summer Reset

Get the Waldorf Homeschool Starter Kit here

Chapters

• 0:44 Why "behind" is a myth
• 3:46 Understanding the concept of a spiral curriculum
• 8:01 Pacing ~ How to choose what to focus on when you can't do it all
• 11:04 How to adapt your rhythm and flow
• 12:19 3 steps to take when you feel like you're falling behind
• 15:14 What does a gentle reset look like

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

You're listening to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help parents cultivate creativity and connection at home. I'm your host, jean Miller, and here on this podcast you'll find stories and inspiration to bring you the confidence you need to make homeschooling work for your family. Let's begin. Hello homeschooling friend and welcome Today. I want to start with one of the most common questions I hear from homeschooling parents what do I do if we've fallen behind? And first I just want to say, if you've ever felt that way, you are not alone. Honestly, we've all felt like this at some point on our homeschooling journeys, or maybe even many points along the way, especially in the spring when we're looking back and realizing how many of the main lesson blocks or activity ideas that we planned for at the beginning of the year never actually happened. But here's the thing the whole idea of being behind is really a myth. I think it comes from a mindset that's deeply rooted in the mainstream school system, a mindset that says learning is linear, that children should all move at the same pace and that everyone should be on grade level at all times, or at least on task, whatever that means. But homeschooling doesn't work like that, and Waldorf homeschooling definitely doesn't work like that, rather than looking at a group of 25 or 30 children and trying to get as many of them as possible up to a certain level like a classroom teacher, homeschooling parents get to observe the children in front of us our very own children and craft lessons based on their needs. Those are two very different approaches and in my opinion, one of the gifts of the Waldorf approach is that, in particular, it invites us to look at our children as whole, unique beings, not just as vessels for academic progress. We get to observe where they are developmentally, emotionally, even energetically, and then decide what to bring them. It's not about keeping up, it's about meeting them where they are in this moment, at this time. And I'll be honest sometimes when we say we're behind quote, unquote, what even a little bit guilty, but those feelings are signals, not failures. They're invitations to us to pause, reflect and reset. So before we talk about what to do when you feel behind, I want to start by reminding you you're not on anyone else's timeline. You're on your own homeschooling journey and it's allowed to unfold at a pace that works for your family. So now that we've gently debunked the myth of being behind, let's talk about how subjects actually progress in a Waldorf-inspired homeschooling journey. One of the most beautiful things about this approach is how intentionally the subjects unfold through the grades.

Speaker 1: 3:52

The Waldorf approach follows a spiral curriculum, or is known as a spiral curriculum, which is an educational approach where core subjects and skills are revisited throughout a student's learning journey, coming back to subjects to build upon previous knowledge with increasing complexity. It's about deepening understanding and connections from one year to the next. If you want to read more about a spiral curriculum, I'll include a link in the show notes to an article called the Spiral Curriculum, a Teacher's Guide. That's from the Structural Learning website, where they help educators use educational theory to enhance learning outcomes. You can find that link in the show notes at artofhomeschoolingcom slash episode 226. So I want you to think of learning in this way In our homeschools.

Speaker 1: 4:51

We want to envision each year as reflecting the developmental stage of the child and building on everything that's come before emotionally, physically, spiritually and academically. It really is more of a spiral than a straight line. Let me give you an example from science. In the early grades, around fourth grade, we start with zoology. Right, we're exploring unique qualities of animals and comparing them to human beings. Then in fifth grade we moved to botany, observing how plants grow and adapt to the environment. In sixth grade, we studied geology the solid ground beneath our feet. Then comes physics and chemistry. Do you see the pattern? It starts with comparing ourselves to animals, it starts with us right and then moving out to other living things. Then we explore the earth that we live on and slowly we move to the more abstract subjects, just like our children's thinking evolves.

Speaker 1: 6:04

And here's the key If you don't get to something on time quote unquote, meaning at the recommended time or when you think you're supposed to, or you miss a block entirely, all is not lost, and that's what we're talking about here today. You do not have to cram it in just because that's what's next or try to speed things up. Instead, I want you to ask yourself is my child developmentally ready for this topic? Are they interested in this topic and do we have the capacity to dive into it right now? Sometimes the answer is yes, let's do this, and you bump the next block forward a bit. Other times the answer is not right now and you can let it go or plan to return to it later, even in another grade or season. You can add it on to the beginning of the next block and that subject as a bridge to that new topic.

Speaker 1: 7:03

You're allowed to adjust, and toward the end of this episode, I'm gonna give you three specific steps to take when you feel behind. So keep listening, remember this you are the curriculum coordinator in your home school. You can rearrange blocks to suit your child's needs and your family rhythm. And when you don't get to something or you fall behind, that's not failure, it's flexibility. I promise you that even in schools, teachers never get to everything. If you need a little compass for this, I have a list of the typical blocks by grade on my website that I'll link to in the show notes, which you can find at artofhomeschoolingcom, slash episode 226. And this list of typical blocks is often a good thing to start with when you're planning and also return to when you feel like you've gotten off track.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Now let's talk about pacing capacity and how to choose what to focus on when you can't do it all, because, let's be honest, none of us really can. So really, it's about pacing and not about catching up, because that's a terrible feeling. If we're feeling behind and like we have to catch up, we're bringing a rather challenging energy to our homeschool life. When you're feeling behind the natural impulse and I know because I've been there it's often to try and speed up, double up, get more in, and this adds a sense of pressure. How do I know, because I've been there myself? Maybe we want to double up on lessons or squeeze in a little something on the weekends or homeschool through the summer, just to get back on track. Quote unquote. But here's the thing you can't rush real learning. Waldorf-inspired homeschooling is about depth, not speed. It's about meeting your child where they are, not what some schedule says, where they should be.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Pacing is actually one of your most powerful tools as a homeschooling parent, and I want to encourage you to see it as a form of care for both your child and yourself. So ask yourself these questions what is my child's current capacity? Are they tired, stressed, needing more movement, needing more sleep? And what is my capacity right now? Because if either of you are running on empty, pushing harder won't get you further. In fact, it might just create resistance, resentment or even burnout. And if your child's not ready for new concepts that you're trying to teach, no amount of pushing is going to change that.

Speaker 1: 9:50

Instead of trying to catch up, I suggest simplifying. Look at what's ahead and identify what is truly essential. What do you want your child to experience and understand by the end of the month or the season or year, and what can you let go of, consolidate or gently move to a future time? This is where that list of typical blocks by grade can really come in handy, not as a checklist to stress over, but as a compass to help guide your choices. You get to decide what's worth focusing on, what can be shortened and what can be skipped. And I promise you this children don't learn well when they're in a hurry, when they experience that sense of pressure. They learn best when they feel connected, grounded and safe. They learn best in a relaxed environment where they feel supported. So give yourself permission to slow down. It's not falling behind. It's realigning with your values, your child's needs and your family's unique rhythm. Educators do this all the time, in every single setting. It's an important skill to develop.

Speaker 1: 11:05

So now I want to talk about how rhythm and trust can really help you move forward with confidence, even if your plans don't look anything like you imagined at the beginning of the year. So let's say you've taken a step back. You've simplified your plans and tuned into your child's current needs. Now what? This is where trust and rhythm come in. And I don't mean here the daily rhythm, though that's important too. I'm talking about a deeper rhythm of learning and living together as a family.

Speaker 1: 11:40

There will always be seasons in homeschooling times where everything clicks and you're flowing beautifully through your lessons, and times when it feels like you're moving through molasses. Both are normal, both are part of the process. You might even have other times when you're deep into projects that are wonderful and engaging, but taking away time from formal lessons, or you might be going through a difficult season where there's illness or some sort of challenge within your family. So when things feel off track, I just encourage you to pause and take a step back to reassess. Now here are three concrete steps to take when you are feeling behind. Look at what you had planned or think about what you thought you'd be doing, and follow these three steps.

Speaker 1: 12:36

Number one pick one topic or book, one skill and one lively art to focus on. Here's an example If you didn't get to your ancient civilizations block this year, choose to read the book Voices from Ancient Egypt. Focus on the writing skill of dialogue and do one watercolor painting. This will anchor you in the present while helping everyone make progress. Number two for other blocks or topics, you feel you didn't get to decide between these two options A do you want to simply read the stories, without planning full lessons or making a main lesson book? You could read the stories in the afternoons or evenings, or even on the weekend evenings, or even on the weekend. Or B, do you want to include this in the first week of the next block on this subject, which might even be next year? So you're going to choose between those two things.

Speaker 1: 13:39

And number three let the rest go and celebrate what you have done rather than regretting what you haven't. That is very important. Just keep it simple. Let rhythm gently carry you forward instead of trying to force momentum. And here's a little secret I've learned over many years of homeschooling and mentoring Children are wired for learning. You don't have to teach them everything. Just keep showing up with warmth and intention. There's explicit learning that's happening with warmth and intention. There's explicit learning that's happening. That's the more formal lesson time that you bring, as well as implicit learning your children are doing naturally on their own.

Speaker 1: 14:25

Be flexible. If your child is showing a strong interest in something. Perhaps you want to follow that for a while, even if it's not on the schedule. You could weave in some skills practice on something that you want to help them develop further, while following their interests. If something you planned isn't working, it's also okay to set it aside for a while. You're allowed to change course. In fact, that's a sign of a responsive present homeschooling parent, educator and, most importantly, trust that the learning is happening, even when it doesn't look like a perfect main lesson block, or even if you're not creating beautiful main lesson books. Trust your child, trust yourself, trust the process.

Speaker 1: 15:14

If this is all resonating with you, if you're feeling like it's time for a gentle reset, a fresh perspective and some support as you look ahead, I'd love to invite you to join me inside the Inspired at Home community for something really special called the Summer Reset, and it's happening next week. If you're listening in real time, if you're listening at a later time, there's always a replay of everything that we do inside the Inspired at Home community. So next week we'll be gathering for four days Monday and Tuesday, thursday and Friday, starting May 19th for a series of deep dive calls to help you reflect, celebrate, reset and reimagine your homeschooling journey heading into summer and beyond. This is not a course or a training with a bunch of homework. It's a spacious, supportive time together where you'll get a chance to ask questions, share wins and worries, connect with other Waldorf-inspired homeschoolers walking a similar path and take one action each day. We'll talk about what to carry forward, what to leave behind and how to move ahead with clarity and confidence. You do not have to do this alone. You do not have to figure it all out on your own, and you don't have to catch up on anything. Just return to your center. If that sounds like something you need right now, I'd love to have you join us. You can find the details and sign up through the link in the show notes or head over to artofhomeschoolingcom.

Speaker 1: 16:53

Slash inspired at home. This summer reset process is one of our most popular monthly masterclasses inside the membership, because you'll finish feeling grateful for what you've accomplished in your homeschool and ready to create space for both planning and summer fun going forward. I hope this episode has helped you be more gentle with yourself and see how learning the skill of flexibility with intention can really bring more ease to your homeschooling. If you know of any homeschooling friends who need to hear this today. Please share this episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast with them. I'd so appreciate you helping spread the word. You can find the show notes at artofhomeschoolingcom, slash episode 226. So there you have it Lots of thoughts and ideas for when you feel like you're behind, let's reset together. That's all for today, my friend, but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection, let's focus on connection. Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast. Thank you.