'Tis Good to Evaluate

Living in Pennsylvania, one of the many requirements for home schoolers each year is to get our children evaluated by a certified teacher, principal, psychologist or someone who is "qualified" as per the school district's qualifications.  Yes, I know...very strange, especially for those of you who don't live in PA.

Knowing myself, I would not keep such "contemporaneous" logs of things if we didn't live here, so living in PA is a good thing for me to see progress in my kids.  I know I would see progress in them elsewhere too, but nothing like when we pull portfolios together every year.

Our evaluator is what people in the home school community call a "minimalist".   This is a very good thing because she requires only a couple samples from the beginning, middle and end of the school year.  With my children, it helps me to physically see their progress and it helps them to see progress too.  They're learning, but of course I knew that already.  The undeniable truth is right in front of us.

Another good thing these portfolios are good for is well meaning relatives who come to visit and want to see what they've been doing in school.  Now, for some of you, I'm sure you probably wouldn't do this, but I let the children sit with them to explain to them everything they've done on each page so that the well meaning relative understands that yes, we learn here at home, but mostly to help them see that home schooling is a good thing.  I've had well meaning relatives tell me that they felt our children absolutely "needed" to go to real school.  With a child and their portfolio in hand with "proof" that education does take place, they ask the child if they were going to "real school" soon and the child answers for themselves, "No!  I like home schooling!"

Ever since that time when our well meaning relatives have sat down with our children, we've only had 2 or 3 times when they've asked about high school.  Now that they know we plan to home school the children all the way through, we don't get questioned as much, but they do ask the children what subjects they're studying.

Now, I know that there are those of you who would not allow their relatives to question their children in this manner, but honestly, I was within ear shot of each conversation.  It also helps to have the children answer for themselves so that they practice on people who love them, so who can refute a child so excited about learning?  So I let the whole experience speak for itself.  =O)

So today, the day after our evaluations, we clean up the paper "bomb" that has gone off between the living room and dining room.  I have the kids put their portfolios together now, so there is a bit of a "paper trail" through the house, but not nearly as bad as it use to be.  LOL  We will also get all of their papers taken out of their baskets, folders and binders to file in my files just in case the school needs more samples when we submit the portfolios to them.  This happens every school year.  Then we start all over again.  This year, though, we're taking a little over a month off of school before starting again in July.  Yes, we home school all year around, scheduling breaks every 8 or so weeks.  But, this is the cycle of our lives.  We wouldn't have it any other way. :)