Prize-Giving Celebration

It is September: the traditional time to begin a new school year in the British education system. Accordingly, we started Year 5 for Esther and Year 3 for Ben at our home-school on Monday last week.

Before continuing much further with the new school year, we wanted to take time to celebrate the year we have just completed: our very first year of home-schooling!

We chose Saturday morning to celebrate the completion of this first year of home-school. 

Andrew The Chef made a plate of pancakes and we started with a special family breakfast: 

Then we moved on to our miniature Prize-Giving ceremony!
Andrew The Headmaster gave a short speech (even the cat was impressed and came close to listen):

Then it was time for the presentation of hand-made certificates and a small prize (we still have a stock of sweets from England to use for these special occasions!).

Esther celebrated completion of Year 4 (with much giggling!):

Ben celebrated completion of Year 2:

Joel celebrated his fist ever year at school, as he has just started completed "preschool" and moved up to "Kindergarten" at the little local school he attends. We wanted to include him too:

It was a fun way to mark the end of our academic year!

Joel went back to Juba Christian Academy on Wednesday. He was a little apprehensive but is coming home happy each day. Now he is 4, he goes to school from 9-12 and then again from 1-3pm. He seems so grown up all of a sudden! Here he is with his new teacher, at his brand-new desk with 3 of his class-mates:

We are so grateful for Joel's lovely Kindergarten school where he enjoys learning with his MAF friends.

Meanwhile, our initial year of home-schooling has been quite a journey. Sometimes joyful and fun. Sometimes painful and stressful.

The Joys

Teaching in any environment always has its rewards. These rewards are what I love about teaching: seeing children achieve new skills, seeing their enthusiasm when they gain new knowledge, seeing realisation dawn on children's faces when they suddenly understand something new. Most of all, it is so rewarding to see increased confidence in children as they enjoy their achievements. I have rediscovered my love of teaching after several years of being Mum!

In addition, it is amazing to get to know my own children even better than I thought I knew them!
I have gained more insight into the way they think and learn. It is exciting to share their successes first-hand, as well as being there to support them when they encounter difficulties. It is a rare privilege to have this time with our children whilst they are young (including Joel, as he often joins in with home-school between his own school times).

We have also had lots of fun with topic work, science investigations, cooking experiments and the lovely, hands-on side of learning.

The Challenges

I have had to "re-learn" how to teach! Home-schooling is an entirely different setting from the class-room teaching I did for 8 years. I have had to learn how to teach 2 different age-groups with 2 different topics simultaneously, in a short time-bracket to fit around Joel's preschool hours. It has been a steep learning curve!
Esther and Ben have also had to learn to relate to their Mum as Teacher. This side of home-schooling can actually be one of the hardest, as switching roles for all of us can be extremely challenging.
We are still learning what "home-schooling" means, but with a year behind us, I can reflect on what went well and what went badly. I can learn from my successes and my mistakes.

Last year, I found home-schooling isolating. When problems occurred, I no longer had a team of fellow-teachers to turn to as I did in my teaching career. There's no staff room to share ideas in over coffee, no support network when things are not going well.
When we did home-school in the house, I missed interaction with other adults. I spent some days without going outside of the front door. I was simply too busy, with teaching, then house-work!
Furthermore, I have been sorely conscious of the social scene happening on the compound but have had to accept that now is not the season to be involved. For now, my commitment is to my children and their education. Investing time in the MAF team has to take a backseat.

This year, however, there are some very positive changes making a BIG difference. 

The first, most significant change is our wonderful school-room. Having a place to go to school does make all the difference. Psychologically and physically. School no longer encroaches on weekends and evenings. I don't have to see my place of work every time I walk through my home! It is easier to relax when school is over. It has drastically reduced the stress level.

As I cross the compound to the school room I meet and greet other adults on the MAF staff and even that simple fact is so refreshing!

The school room is an excellent space for learning. It makes the learning seem more like school and helps us all to have better focus and structure.

Secondly, we have new friends in Juba, from France, who are also home-schooling, with children the same age as ours! :-) It has been a revelation to me that other people have been through the same types of joys and struggles- it is so good to know that what I have felt is normal! The support network I felt was missing has suddenly appeared!

Lastly, being in England and feeling the support of friends and family for Andrew's MAF work and for my home-schooling has bolstered me. I have a renewed sense of confidence and purpose as we move ahead.

We now look forward to our second year of home-school, thankful for all the joys and for all the changes which will help us to face the challenges. We have alot to celebrate! It was so good on Saturday to take time out to particularly celebrate Esther and Ben's hard work and their survival of being home-schooled by Mum for their first home-schooling experience!