Thinking About Homeschooling? Start Here (Part 2) | Katelyn Deville

Thinking about homeschooling can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to figure out state laws, withdrawal procedures, curriculum, record keeping, assessments, transcripts, and whether your child is truly ready for a different educational environment.

In this episode of The Gentle Year, Knikki Hernandez continues her conversation with homeschool coach and former public school educator Katelyn Deville about the practical first steps parents should take when considering a move from public school to homeschooling.

Katelyn walks parents through why curriculum should not be the first decision, how to begin with legal requirements and family logistics, what to consider when pulling a child out mid-year, and why proper record keeping matters, especially for high school students who may need transcripts for college or scholarships.

This conversation also speaks directly to the parent who feels nervous, unqualified, or unsure if they can really teach their own child. Katelyn reminds families that parents have been their child’s first teacher from the beginning, and homeschooling does not have to mean doing everything alone. With the right support, community, tools, and awareness of how your child learns, homeschooling can become a thoughtful and personalized path forward.

If you have ever wondered whether your child needs a different educational environment, how to legally start homeschooling, or whether you are capable of guiding your child’s education, this episode will help you slow down, get clear, and take the next right step.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Gentle Year. Today's episode is supported by Turning the Tide Tutoring, Acting with Pippy, Shared Humanity, A Field Agent's Journey into the Human Mind, and Your Wish is Your Command. In this conversation, I'm joined again by Caitlin DeVille as we talk about what parents actually need to know before making the leap into homeschooling, from legal steps and record keeping to bigger questions like whether your child may need a different educational environment altogether. If homeschooling has been on your mind, but you feel overwhelmed by where to begin, this episode is a calm and practical place to start. And again, thank you for listening to The Gentle Year. Welcome back to The Gentle Year. We are again here with Caitlin Deville. She has been amazing and just a wealth of resources and knowledge and insight about what families actually go through on a very individual level when it comes to transitioning from public to homeschooling. So now we're going to get into the nitty-gritty of this entire conversation. So, Caitlin, are you ready?

unknown 1:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Fabulous. Okay, so we're going to start with what are the first three things a parent should do if they're seriously considering pulling their child out of public school?

SPEAKER_00 1:23

So public school is in and schooling law is decided um specifically by states when we get to homeschooling law. But I will tell you, you do have to look up your legal requirements in your area. They have two different pathways. Most states have like an accredited pathway and then an unaccredited pathway. And generally, where you're going to find this information is go to your state education website. They will have something, click in their search bar homeschool, or Google uh homeschool and law and your state. Look for your state education website. Um, and they will tell you in your state about your pathways, um, if there are scholarships available, because there are scholarships available in some states uh for um homeschool materials and s and things of that nature. Um, and then in in Louisiana, your diploma is valid if you go um with the accredited uh pathway, um, and your your diploma is recognized as having graduated. Um, so you just have to look at what are the requirements for that specifically in your state. So once you do the necessary paperwork for that or um whatever you find out in that state website, um then look at um logistics, which is mostly gonna be your routine, um, or what what does it look like for our family? Like is somebody still gonna be working? Who's gonna be the primary education parent? Um, who's going to be the main teacher? It's often mom, but it isn't always. There are dads out there that um homeschool as well. There are parents who work from home that homeschool. Um, so look at who's gonna be the primary parent, what does that routine look like each day? And lastly, once you have pulled them out and you've you've gone through those legal requirements and you figured out your routine, um then at that point start to look for your curriculum. Um, a lot of people think curriculum first, it's not. Start with the legal stuff, move to the logistics, and then find your toolbox.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Thank you for explaining that. And I think in Virginia, again, I'm not legal counsel either, but the the steps to homeschooling, at least where I am in Virginia, based on what people have told me, are not that complex. It's pretty simple here if you if that is something that you want to do. So check out your state's website, of course, as Caitlin said, find out what those requirements are, and then get any kind of assistance or support as needed from there to help you navigate that process because there's plenty of people in your state, regardless of where you're from, that have gone through that process and they can give you guidance and give you some counsel and advice on what they have seen and it personally experienced. And that can that can really help to make it can make or break you as a parent, just to have that community, as Caitlin has said, you need that support. And I do think it is important as well. So we'll go on to the next question, and that is can parents pull their child out mid-year? And if so, how does that process typically work? Um, I did have a family one time ask me, and they were at the end of their high school. It wasn't like totally at the end of their high school, but they weren't freshmen. And it was at the end of the year, maybe a couple weeks left of school, of that entire school year, just a couple weeks left. And the parent said, I think I want to homeschool my child. How do I pull them out of school with 14 days left? And so we, we, I did the research, we talked about it, and they ended up not doing that, but they are slowly transitioning into the homeschool environment for the following year so that they can kind of have a fresh start. So, can you walk us through what that looks like if there is a mid-year situation that calls for homeschooling?

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Yeah, and and that that's actually quite common. Um parents uh decide, you know, at um at the half year that they're ready to pull their kids home. Or it's also very common, like after state testing is over, they just decide, or maybe even right before state testing, we're just we're ready to go ahead and get started. Again, this definitely depends on state because some states require that you have so many educational minutes. And then like Louisiana, you really just fill out the paperwork if you're gonna do the um, if you're going to do like the state approved path, you really just fill out the paperwork and you withdraw their um, you just withdraw them from their school. So one of the things that I've seen uh uh from when I worked in in public school is sometimes a kid will just like they their their parents just decide, okay, we're gonna homeschool now, and then they just won't return them back to school. Um, but then that can get really sticky legally. So in addition to your state uh um standards, you need to talk to your local school. Um, what does their drop process look like? Um and that way you can formally withdraw your child from school so we're not dealing with any sort of truancy things. Um, but in most states, and I've I've not encountered anybody um that's just not able to pull their kid out mid-year. Um there there have been instances where we do have to see how many instructional minutes or how many like teaching minutes are left in the school year, um, and we have to to fit those. Um and then you mentioned high school. Um if you're dealing with like high school credits, there may be something you have to look at with that. Um otherwise for that, um, which this is my personal experience, um back when I was in homeschool, um, there wasn't like it wasn't just like Google the things like and figure it out. You just had to talk to people. And if somebody didn't get you right information or you like dropped a step, then you know, there had there were might be some consequences. So I actually missed out on a state scholarship personally because we missed some paperwork. Um and uh but obviously I went on and graduated from college anyway. Um, but making sure you do follow those local withdrawal procedures and then your state procedures um, because a lot of people will do that state-approved pathway for high school to make sure that they meet um those state scholarship guidelines.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

Yes, thank you for that explanation and the detail that you provided in that. So I want to address a a concept that I have seen on social media, and it's not just social media. I've actually had people tell me this was their experience in person, where a parent has told me that a school has overstepped their bounds by saying that they cannot homeschool their child. You cannot unenroll your school or your son or your daughter from our school. And a lot in Virginia at least, they don't have that power, to my knowledge. Again, I'm not legal counsel or anything like that, but I have been told that schools do not have that authority to tell you as the parent that you cannot unenroll your child and homeschool them. But there have been instances where schools have tried to do that. And I'm not sure what the reason is. I'm sure it's just ignorance. Maybe they think that that is their legal right, maybe they just don't know. But I want to just make sure that parents know that that could be a potential situation that they face, that there may be a little bit of pushback from the school system itself. Have you experienced that?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

I've not experienced it personally, but I have seen in the homeschooling community how there has been some pushback from the local school. So, with that, arm yourself with your with your state law, because unless you go look at it, you probably don't know what it is. And your person in your registrar office, they probably don't know either. Like they would have no reason to go look up the the homeschool pool. Um, and a lot of times when you're withdrawing your child from school, you're you're generally not even dealing with an administrator who might be familiar with those laws. It's usually someone that's in um in the registrar's office. They they are really wonderful at what they do, but they may not have that full depth of that education law. And then the other thing is there are in states there are advocacy groups with um four homeschools. So you can often connect with one of them if you are having a specific issue. But before you go to your local school, definitely do your legal research and see what your state law is, because some states are stricter and and some like in Louisiana, you pretty much just go to your school and say, I went homeschooling, you fill out the paper, and then like you can be a registered homeschool, uh homeschooler, um, and get a high school diploma, basically, by just filling out um a form and kind of kind of just declaring um, you know, some of your plans.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, exactly. And I have seen some parents talk on social media about assessments where they will need a certified teacher in that state to assess what you know whether their child has has learned. A lot of people have put out those feelers online saying, I'm looking for a teacher who can be my assessor or my child's assessor. Can you talk to us about what that is and what the process is and is that required across the board? This episode is supported by Turning the Tide Tutoring, where I help students become stronger readers, clearer writers, and more confident thinkers. If today's conversation has you wondering whether your child is behind, misunderstood, or simply in need of a different kind of academic support, visit turningthetutoring.com to learn more. And you can also read the blog, Is My Child Behind? A teacher's perspective. Now, back to our conversation with Caitlin Deville.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

No, it's not required across the board. And in some states, it's only required for scholarship pathways. Um, and if you're in a scholarship pathway, they may require that. But even in places where there are those assessment requirements, a lot of times there is a portfolio option, which is basically we are going to collect what we've been doing, and we get to show and tell this to an assessor, and they're they're certified teachers. Um, I know in Florida, there's there's two moms that they were public teachers and then they homeschool their family, and now they are assessors. Um, and a lot of times the portfolio option just looks like we collect our work throughout the year, and then we basically have a show and tell uh show and tell session where we just show off like all the wonderful things that we've been doing, and it's very much like a conversation. Um, and what parents get out of that is get to see like what really wonderful things they've done, and then get like a pinpoint of okay, next year, like maybe we want to adjust this, maybe we want to we want to look at this. Um it's uh people get really scared when it comes to assessment, um, because it's just like they they think they're going to be judged, but really all it is is let's see where we are and what is our next best step. Um, so with that portfolio option, it's really powerful because you're not having to teach to a test. There's no like there's no standards, uh standardized test, one size fits all. It's the portfolio. So like we are creating the work and then we're just talking about it. That's kind of how humans work anyway. Um, we talk about, you know, one of the first things, a conversation that adults have, or what are you, what do you do? Like, um, we naturally do that anyway. So, like, if we step outside of it and we stop looking at this like really scary thing, it's really just a conversation of what you're doing. Um, and there are tutors, there are certified teachers um that offer those services. Um, and it's just a matter of finding what your state requires and then what's available in your area. Um, and I work when I work with families, we build that into their plan um if they do need an assessor.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Absolutely. And if you're in Virginia, I'm a certified teacher. I would be happy to help you with that if you're a family listening to the show. So you have mentioned a number of things, assessments, and then you've mentioned that there may be a number of hours required. You've mentioned that their families can choose a portfolio option. That's a lot to keep up with. And I think it's a good thing to keep up with, but I want to make sure that parents get a good understanding of what record keeping should look like when it comes to homeschooling their child, because parents have, or teachers rather, have PowerSchool and we have Canvas and all these different platforms. What do parents use for record keeping?

SPEAKER_00 16:24

A lot of times parents keep and just a notebook, like record keeping can be done in pen and paper. If you're a little more um it tech savvy, it might just look like a document for each student. Um, and we're gonna look at what concepts have they mastered, and we might just break that down. Um, a lot of homeschool parents like more of a um anecdotal um sort of note-taking instead of like A, B, C, D. We're looking more at, okay, they mastered this concept, it's time to move to the next one, or we've got part of the ways, so let's fold this concept into our next concept. Um, so it's almost like record keeping and planning all in one. Um, so you might keep that in your doc word document or in a notebook. Um when I have when when I have tutored, like I would keep note a notebook um where I could like make notes in the session. Like, okay, we need to we need to pull some more resources in for our next lesson for this concept because they need a little additional help, or um, we need to move faster through here because they've already really mastered that. So um just finding what really works for you, it doesn't have to be um, unless your state requires it, it doesn't have to be ABC D. It can be more of have you mastered the concept? Okay, let's move to the next concept. Um, and you have the benefit of being able to take as much time on a concept as your child needs. Um, whereas in public school, we don't always have that liberty. Sometimes we just have to move on because we're not gonna get to everything if we don't.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

Yeah, I appreciate that. And there are some curriculums out there that do have record-keeping tools and trackers for concepts and and standards and things like that. And I saw one for a writing curriculum a few weeks ago, and I thought this is really high quality. And it's it's it was easy for me to understand because I'm a teacher, but I I had a I have a hard time believing that a parent wouldn't grasp it either. Um, it was pretty simple. So if they were looking at it, it literally tells you, okay, here's the box that you literally can check if you have covered this topic. It may be subject, verb, predicate, whatever it is. Check the box if you've done this and they've completed their assignments. And so it really was just as simple as that. It didn't have to be anything super elaborate or anything, but those tools are out there and sometimes they're embedded into the curriculums, which I think is great. Now, I do have another question about transcripts. This has been a question that's come up quite a bit with regards to uh going to college, you know, them kids needing their transcripts and things like that. If you're homeschooling, though, where do the transcripts come from, especially if there's not like traditional grades?

SPEAKER_00 19:31

So in that that's also a state thing, and it also depends on what scholarships you're seeking. Sometimes, for the sake of those records, that you may have to switch to a more grade base if you're scholarship seeking like in Louisiana. Um for the state, you don't have to have those um those courses in a transcript, but for the Louisiana top scholarship, you do have to have those. Um so this is where we're looking more for, we probably are looking at grades, and so that maybe we're looking for a curriculum that does have that built in there, um, so that we can we can meet those requirements. High school, um often people will change their approach a little bit um to where it may, if they're if their student is entering um college or is um scholarship seeking, um, it might look like more like the traditional approach. Um, and so you may kind of have a little bit of a transition period where you start to move from like an anecdotal base to a more grades base if you need that. Um but transcripts come from the parents um in uh in depending on your state, um, you sit down and you actually write your course equivalents down um with with your grades. Um and that that's how you generally name your your school, your program. Um, and that's that's where your diploma and your transcripts come from.

SPEAKER_01 21:22

Okay. So if you have a curriculum, something like Penn Foster, and the kid is going through that process, will some of those curriculums have the grades built in?

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Okay. That's gonna be helpful for for people to know just because if you're I did have somebody tell me one time that they generated their own transcripts using Chat GPT. And I was like, what? So so yeah, if you could maybe just kind of go down the nitty gritty of what the transcript generation process is is like a little bit more, because I don't even as a Teacher feel like I know exactly what that looks like. I know I go to the registrar's office in college. I know I do the same in high school, but homeschool, I'm still a little I'm still a little lost on that one.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Yeah, so that's definitely gonna be very state dependent on what those requirements are. Um, but your your high school um state department, um, your state website is going to have um what course requirements are for someone to graduate. Um, or if you are uh seeking a state scholarship, then um in like our Louisiana um Gator Scholarship, the top scholarship, um they will have a list of courses that you need. So you would basically follow that path. Um, and then you would just list the ninth grade courses with your grades. So basically you're just recording um the grade they got overall in that class. Now I uh generated transcripts as a part of um English as a second language because we actually translated um uh uh transcripts from other countries and generated them for this country. So this is where it is very helpful to uh either get with your local school and see if you can talk to somebody or somebody from the State Department, um send an email of what that's supposed to look like in your state. But uh in Louisiana, you can literally make one in a Word document. Um so you would just record the course and then the grade. Um, and all of those together um make your make your uh transcript, and it's generally in one document um for the four years.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

Wow, that is very lax.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

I don't have not every state is, but that's the way it is in Louisiana.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Well, I'm in Virginia, and the person who told me about the Chat GPT is is in Virginia, and I was like, okay, so this is, you know, and I I don't have an issue with it per se, as long as it's done right, but I want to make sure that, you know, there's there's some credibility there because not that schools are the most credible places in the world because there's grade inflation and there's there's all kinds of stuff that happened at public happens in public schools that uh people probably don't know about. But in terms of homeschooling, if homeschooling is going to be a credible option, especially for someone who is used to a traditional environment, that may feel a little uncomfortable that they're just making it up on the spot and they're just putting it in a Word document. Now, I'm not saying you don't have some level of support through the state websites and the guidance that it provides you, but it does feel a little loosey-goosey because if you're applying to college, it I definitely, okay, this is how I've seen it. This is how I've seen it play out, where a student has has been homeschooled and I don't know what they've learned because I don't know this particular kid. And they wanna, they decide their 12th grade year that they want to go to college. And then all of a sudden they need, they've realized they have this epiphany that they need a transcript because the college has told them that they need a transcript, but all of this time they've never been quote unquote graded on anything. So they have no concept of what a transcript is. And so then they go to their parents or their who whomever is helping them in the with their education, and then they say, Well, I need a transcript. And then so now everybody's backtracking. And they're saying, Okay, well, did you do this and did you do that and did you do this and blah, blah, blah. And then everybody's now backtracking on all these records, and I just can't I can't stand behind that as a as an educator myself to say that this kid actually has learned all those things. I'm not saying that the kid's not incredibly smart, incredibly bright, and incredibly capable of going to college. I'm not saying that at all about the child, but the record keeping is so um important that if if somebody were to, I know it, I know it's important for me as a teacher, if I'm not documenting every single thing and somebody calls me to the carpet and they say, hey, what about this, this, and this? And I don't have the records to say it was this, this, and this, then I'm the one that it this information, this moment reflects really poorly on. And I would imagine it would be the same for parents and or the students, but I don't know. That's just my personal experience on that. What any any takeaways on that?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Yeah, that that's why record keeping is so important. Um, also knowing your your state rules and your state law um as far and knowing what your college, like if your student is going to college, we do need to look at that at the beginning of their homeschools. So because um I would never advise anybody, just like makes make makes it up. Um and um but that record keeping piece is so important and updating those records yearly and making sure we have uh those records yearly. And if you are in a state that requires um assessment, that really helps with your records as well. Um, and you can also voluntarily do the assessments as well, if that's something you're interested in. So you do have those solid records that you can produce and it does provide that legitimacy.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Yeah. Thank you for that. Thank you for clarifying that. It kind of gives me a little bit of stability, a little bit of footing on this topic, because it, you know, I feel like I'm I'm on ice, thin ice on on that particular topic. Like, what, what, what, what? You know, people are just generating these transcripts out of thin air. Do what now? Like so far from so far removed from how I am as a teacher. But okay, so last question for this part, and I I think this is a really key component of this conversation, is what signs tell a parent that a child genuinely may be ready for homeschooling? Or what signs tell a parent that their child genuinely may need a different educational environment, such as homeschooling?

SPEAKER_00 28:42

A lot of times it just starts with an off feeling. You're just noticing like parents know when something's off with their kid. You can't always say what it is, but you're like, something's not right. So they're coming home every day and something's not right. Their stories are starting to um give an air of uh maybe there's there's stuff going on in the background and you're just not sure about, or maybe it's just you see them not getting their needs met. Um and maybe you're just sometimes it's just one subject. Parents will decide to homeschool because um they're just not getting what they need in math. Um, or uh uh some people do homeschool temporarily. Uh but one of the people I've worked with, uh, she decided she wanted to do homeschool for one year. Um and she she needed um some time for a transition. And so she pulled her kids and for one year she homeschooled. Um, and so knowing your needs and just really like noticing what's going on with your kid is is the school no longer meeting their needs? Um, it might be time for a change. And then the other thing is uh is that some do you want to? Do you want uh to to homeschool them? Do you want to be the source of their education? And do you believe they would respond well to that? So a lot of it is uh is j is intuition, which is what makes parents really good educators, because uh teaching is mostly uh uh intuition uh uh paired with skills. Um, and so like if you're sensing something is off with your student or grades are changing or their personality is um maybe we're starting to see them lose confidence uh at school, and that's just like continuing to go downhill, and you know, your your sweet, happy kid at the beginning of the year is coming home and feeling really dejected because uh maybe the learning uh approach just needs to be different for them. Um because people are natural learners, we we are wired to learn. And when that stops being exciting, and when it starts when when you see a kid shut down, that might be time to look at other opportunities.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Yeah, definitely. One last question, it came to my head as you were talking. Homeschooling is an incredible responsibility on the parent to have to educate your own child. And I know I saw a quote today on Facebook that said um homeschooling is not it's not far removed from what parenting used to be. Parenting was providing children this education, and it now we've gotten so used to outsourcing education to all these other entities that people have forgotten that their primary role as parents are is being their child's first teacher. And I don't know how you feel about that, or you know, what your opinion is on that, we'll get to that in just a moment. But what do you say to the parent who feels unprepared to do this? Because, like for me, I'm a natural-born teacher. This is what I was born to do. I know that before I incarnated on this earth, I made some kind of agreement with God that I would be a teacher, and that's what it was. So I'm here and I am teaching. And I I know this is my calling. It's there, it's just it just is what it is. But um, not everybody's like that. Not everybody can teach. And it's so funny when I look at other people teaching stuff, I'm like, oh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, and I cringe, you know, because you know, I just I know I it's just instinctual. So for the parent who doesn't feel prepared, what do you say to them? And do you also agree with the statement that a parent is their child's first teacher?

SPEAKER_00 33:07

Yes, a parent definitely is their it, a parent is their child's first teacher, and that's where we start with. I was recently talking to a mom with uh with a daughter with autism, and she um she was worried they're uh they're going to the school system next year, but she's very concerned that the child is not going to be able to understand the education system. And I looked at this mom and I said, You have been advocating for her since she was born. Like this is just a continuation of that. You have been teaching your child since they were born, barring any sort of delays. Does your child walk and talk and dress themselves and um talk to people? If they're doing all of those things, it's because you taught them how. Um so it's just a matter of getting you, you know those are the things you're supposed to teach them. So it's just a matter of getting you what do they what do they need? Like what should I be teaching them? Um but that that's where we start with is uh have you taught your child? Of course you have. So we're just going to continue that on. Um, because individualization in teaching and um uh personalization and intuition and like knowing when something is clicking and when something is not clicking. Parents naturally do this. We shift our schedules around, we make mills or don't make mills. Like my daughter thinks pickles are evil. Like, so like I am careful with like it's the vinegar smell, like how much vinegar smell is in a mill. Like, you know, we adjust that naturally. Certain socks are banned from the house, like we we do that naturally. So really it's just a matter of uh of looking at parents and saying, uh uh, you've been doing this, maybe you haven't realized you've been doing this, but you've been teaching them since the first time you took them in your arms and started saying mama at them way before they were even ready to talk.

SPEAKER_01 35:48

Yeah, that's very true. And also there's support out there, you know, if if you're not comfortable with teaching physics or Spanish or whatever the case is, like, you know, there there is a certain amount of outsourcing that you can do, and that is perfectly okay. There's micro schools, there's tutoring. I work with one of the students that I work with is from a different country, and his mom is a teacher. His mom is a teacher, and she gets me to teach her son the subjects that she doesn't feel comfortable with, and that's perfectly okay because it I think there was um there's an episode on my podcast. I want you guys to go back and listen to this. Go back and search the podcast of the Gentle Year archives, and it's just it's right there. You type it in and look for the episode with Angela Caldwell. There's an episode with Angela Caldwell, uh, it has a title, sort of like it takes a village kind of thing to raise a child, that that type of vibe. And she talks specifically on how, particularly moms, but parents, it applies to everybody, how they can create their own communities that can support them and help them raise their child. Because in today's world, you can feel very isolated. And there's a million and one reason that I mean reasons that Angela talks about on that particular episode of why someone might feel isolated. It could be that they're home alone with their kids all day. It could be COVID, it could be uh it could be a mental illness, it could be a variety of different things that make someone feel lonely. So you don't have to feel like you are doing this all on your own. Now, of course, I think that the next question we'll have to talk about this either um in the next episode of this with you, Caitlin, is the financial component, the financial resources. Because I think that's probably if there, if there is a number one reason why parents don't homeschool, it's probably either it's gonna probably teeter-totter between time and money. Those those two things. So, Caitlin, what do you want to end this show with today? Is there any like one thing that you're just bursting at the seams to tell our listeners right now?

SPEAKER_00 37:53

Yeah, this is something I love to tell families, and it's just a little assignment for the next 24 hours. Watch what your kid lights up about. That is you noticing how they learn what they are interested in learning about and how they absorb that information. Watch when they start lighting up. Um and that's just that that's one way that you're starting to think like a teacher. Um, and it it's also a lot of fun for you because who doesn't want to see their kids light up about something? So start to notice the light bulbs.

SPEAKER_01 38:35

Yes, definitely. Appreciate that. That actually segues really well into a blog that I just posted on my website, turning the tide tutoring.com. It's it's the title is um, I think it's how do I tell if my child is behind a teacher's perspective, something like that. And if you go through the blog, it's not written by Chat GPT, I wrote this blog. Okay, so I just want everybody to know that. Um, but you go down and it tells you specifically how how to identify in a very easy way how to identify what type of learner your child is. And it's not the typical stuff like auditory, tactile, this, that, and the other. It's it's something else that I think you will find interesting. So go to turningthe tututoring.com, click blog, and as of the recording of this episode of the podcast, it is the first one as of this recording. But in the future, there will be new blogs because I write a new blog every week. So just look for the one is my child behind a teacher's perspective if you're listening to this podcast in the future, in future time. So thank you, Caitlin, for being here. And for part three, we will mostly we'll probably get into some of the financial components and the time and all of that, but mostly we're gonna be talking about socialization and academics and all of that. That that's gonna be the main component because a lot of parents feel I I know, I know how parents are feeling. They're they're like, I want my child to socialize with other kids. I want them to have friends. You know, can we do a meetup? How do we how do I get my child out there so that they're not at home all day long? So we're gonna get into that and uh appreciate your time, Caitlin.

unknown 40:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Gentle Year. If today's conversation with Caitlin helped you to feel a little less overwhelmed about homeschooling, I hope you'll take one simple step. Watch your child over the next 24 hours and notice what lights them up, as Caitlin said. That small observation can tell you so much about how they learn what they need and whether their current educational environment is truly supporting them. A few major takeaways from today's conversation. First, homeschooling does not begin with curriculum. It begins with understanding your state's legal requirements, knowing what paperwork needs to be completed, and making sure you have formally withdrawn your child in the correct way if you are leaving public or private school. Second, every family has to look honestly at logistics. Who will be the primary education parent? What will the daily routine look like? What kind of support will the family need? Homeschooling can be flexible, but it still needs structure. Third, record keeping matters. Whether you use a notebook, a word document, a curriculum tracker, a portfolio, or a more formal grade-based system, parents need to keep track of what their child is learning, especially as students get older and begin thinking about transcripts, college, scholarships, or future opportunities. Fourth, assessments do not have to be scary. In some states, they may be required, and in others they may be optional. But when done well, assessments and portfolios can simply become a conversation about what the child has learned, where they have grown, and what the next best step should be. Fifth, parents should pay close attention to the signs that a child may need a different educational environment. If your child is losing confidence, shutting down, or coming home dejected, perhaps struggling in one subject or no longer feeling excited to learn it all, it may be time to pause and ask whether the current environment is still serving them. And finally, parents are already their child's first teacher. You may not feel prepared to teach every subject, and that is okay. You can bring in tutors, co-ops, micro schools, online programs, community resources, and other forms of support. Homeschooling does not have to mean doing everything alone. And of course, this episode is supported by Turning the Tide Tutoring, where we help students become stronger readers, clearer writers, and more confident thinkers. If you're wondering whether your child is behind, misunderstood, or simply may need a different educational environment or academic support, you can visit turningthetutoring.com and read the blog, Is My Child Behind a Teacher's Perspective? And as always, thank you for spending part of your day with me, Nikki Hernandez, your host of The Gentle Year. And I'll see you in the next episode.