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This week marks the end of eighth grade, the end of middle school for my only child. That season of life is over, and I have only four more years of home education with Emma — high school.

Although I taught in a public high school many years ago, I do admit that moving into ninth grade has given me some anxiety. My (required by state of TN) umbrella school says I have to have a clear plan before I start the school year with recognized curriculum names. The thought that I can’t homeschool on the fly makes me feel boxed in and nervous.

Deciphering what is required by the state and what is required by colleges is a bit confusing. And then there is the whole issue of a transcript and the record keeping that goes with it. The stakes are just a bit higher now, and there is more accountability from outsiders who may not see eye to eye with my take on what home education should look like for my own daughter.

One of my strategies for dealing with anxiety is to look backwards and see how God led me through the past, knowing he will do the same in the future.  We’ve had crazy years when we got “behind” and had loads of emotional trauma. But Emma is still on track.

• Her recent standardized test scores reflect that she is at or above grade level.
• She is articulate, able to handle herself in all kinds of situations, and has great people skills.
• She is a good writer and has a love for foreign language and art.

In meditating on our situation, I sensed these convictions about homeschooling high school. They may be counter to popular opinion, but that seems to be how God normally leads me — that narrow path.

1. Invest in strengths not weaknesses.

My plan is to invest both time and money into Emma’s strengths and passions — writing, art, and foreign language — instead of paying tutors to help her with the areas in which she may be less enthusiastic about or less proficient in.

For those harder or less liked areas, we will do what is required but no more.

I want her passions to blossom during these four years of high school, and I’m willing to sacrifice other areas to make that happen.

2. Trust God to work out the details.

I refuse to be anxious about curriculum choices and grades. Our path has worked so far. It will not fail us now.

I will be diligent to make good choices and keep Emma accountable to her learning goals. God will fill in any gaps we leave.

Armed with those two messages about homeschooling through the high school years, I sat through two sessions this weekend by two amazing homeschool speakers — Debra Bell and Heidi St. John. You won’t be surprised to hear that the messages they shared were exactly in line with what I was already feeling about our homeschool path.

High School Lessons from Debra Bell

I have read my copy of  The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens, but I still wanted to hear from the author Debra Bell in person once again. I heard her at Real Refreshment Retreat Atlanta and felt an immediate connection to her. She speaks truth in a very sincere and not preachy way.

This weekend she shared story after story of how God ordained different experiences in her children’s lives that have worked to prepare them precisely for the role they now have in life. Sometimes those experiences were sought after and deliberate, but more often than not, they were accidental or providential, I should say.

Her bottom line was be open to possibilities. Plan but hold the plan loosely because you don’t know the fullness of God’s plan for your child.

High School Lessons from Heidi St. John

Heidi is another person I connected with at Real Refreshment Retreat Atlanta, so when I saw she was talking about high school, I made a beeline for her session.

She emphasized relationship over academics and listening to your children to make high school a special time for them. She was very empowering, encouraging all the moms that we can homeschool high school. It is not as scary as we think it is.

High School Lessons from Lee Binz

I didn’t meet Lee Binz this weekend, but I listened to a webinar by her many months ago. I love her no nonsense approach to high school that left me feeling empowered to conquer this task.

I am going to be using her Total Transcript Solution to keep me on track for Emma’s high school requirements. And I am so excited to share that on June 25 Lee will be giving a free webinar about high school especially for my readers. If you have a child in grades 6th or up, I suggest you come listen to her. She will reassure you that you can homeschool high school.I’ll be sharing more about it in the weeks to come.

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