Do you ever wonder if what you’re doing in your homeschool is “enough”?? Do you ask yourself daily if you are “doing it right”? If you’re like most homeschooling parents, chances are good that you do. And there are probably many other anxious questions that follow those. Maybe you wonder if your kids are actually learning. Maybe you deliberate whether they are ahead, behind, sideways or in the middle of the benchmarks of where they should be. Mama, you’ve got this. Let me explain.
In my classroom teaching days, I had my students do a self-evaluation three times per year (about a month into the start of school, after winter break, and right before school let out for the summer). I asked them the same five questions each time, adding an extra “end of year” question on the third go-around. I do the same thing in my homeschool setting. It is amazing what kids have to say if we just ask them the right questions! They willingly volunteer information that tells us exactly what we need to know, helps us direct our planning, and verifies that we are either on the right track or need to switch things up a bit. I love evaluations because they give me direction and insight that I would not have had. I think you might find that they are helpful to you, too.
Here are the five questions I always ask:
What is your favorite thing we do in school?
I ask this question first because it starts the students off in a positive frame of mind. This makes them much more comfortable answering the other questions honestly and in more detail. The more they volunteer, the easier it is for you to decipher, plan, and relate. All of these are very, very good things for a successful homeschool experience.
What is your most unfavorite thing about school?
Often, you will see short answers such as “work”, “math”, “writing”, or my all-time favorite “all of it.” Haha…yes, sometimes the answers to this one will make you chuckle out loud. Other times, you will want to roll your eyes. Maybe it’s an answer you were not expecting. An answer that speaks volumes about a certain child’s attitude or behavior. An answer that has a simple solution that will make your homeschool day go so much more smoothly. Those are the AH-HA! answers we love. And asking questions is how to get them.
What would you like to learn about that we are not already covering?
This one is also insightful. It is probable that some answers will be predictable, but others…well, they’re golden too. Depending on how your homeschool year is structured, you might gain some truly excellent ideas for what you will focus on next. This is particularly helpful if you like to do unit studies (also called thematic units), but it can actually be applied to any type of learning and teaching structure. It’s a glimpse into your child’s interests, and by playing into those, you will be amazed at how easily he or she will adopt a “Yay, school!” attitude instead of a dull or even feisty “yayyy. School AGAIN… ugh,” attitude.
What is one thing you would like to change about school?
Watch the reactions on their faces to this question. It’s funny, but your kids might be surprised you have asked them for their opinion on this. And that’s another bit of gold. When kids feel understood, and like their opinion is valued (because it IS!), they give great feedback! I have gotten answers that range from “I would prefer to do math in the mornings,” to “Can the dog sit next to me if I promise she won’t be a distraction?” There are other answers that will help you determine curriculum, too. Once, I thought our history curriculum was going great, and this question’s answers informed me that a change in curriculum was needed. See? If you ask the right questions, you get lots of insight!
What are three goals you have for the rest of this school year?
When I hand out the evaluations, I always make sure to emphasize that these are “school goals,” not life goals (UNLESS there are goals that are one-and-the-same). I think this one is my favorite out of all the questions. We never know what is going on in those brilliant minds that we are teaching until we ask pertinent questions. I have discovered tons of things my kids focus on without letting me know that they do. Who knew one was focusing on their handwriting looking better, another trying to read faster, one wanting to finish a math book early? Through this question, we can also evaluate whether or not our kids are understanding the concept of goals in general, too. For instance, if you get an answer such as “I want to learn to write a great essay in one hour…” or “I want to graduate 5 years early…,” then you as the parent know it’s time to explain what realistic goal setting means (more on that in an upcoming post).
**end of year add-on question** Out of all the activities/units/studies/ projects we did this year for school, which one did you learn the most from?
These ones are the most fun to read! You can hear and feel their excitement over that owl project, the unit on the environment, or that field trip you almost decided not to take to the zoo because you worried your kids might be too old. Some will touch your heart (“when mom and I made 10 pies together and then gave them away…”), and some answers will shock you (your girly-girl loved dissecting a worm.) And one very important thing this special question tells you is what to do more(or less!) of next year! Maybe they loved drinking hot chocolate during Friday spelling tests, and hated the map work you thought would be fun. Who knows what gold nuggets you’ll find when you do a little digging!
These simple self-evaluations are so informative for both parents and students alike. When they write out their likes and dislikes, students become more confident in voicing their opinions. When we read our children’s thoughts, we are able to more easily see their hearts. What joy! We are truly blessed to be able to teach them at home and search for that deep and engaging learning we know they are all capable of!
I suggest keeping all three evaluations until the third is completed at the end of each school year. Compare them to each other to view your child’s growth in a very tangible way. Yes, we can see their goals, likes, and dislikes changing, but we can also evaluate things like penmanship, spelling, and grammar through one simple questionnaire. It’s an invaluable tool. You can find your FREE download of my student evaluation form HERE. Happy schooling, friends!