“Please don’t make it into schoolwork!” is the plea from my child. She wrote a delightful essay for a contest. I was so happy she did it of her own initiative. I appreciated her reminder to “tread lightly.” She is right. I am too often guilty of “making it into schoolwork” which too often means “making it drudgery.” I am glad I have this reminder! I want our learning to be enjoyable.

Expecting only excellence denies the scope of authentic situations. “To demand perfection is to turn our backs on real life, the full range of human experience,” explains Kristin Neff. We benefit from being conscious of the reality of our blemishes. I’ve noticed that I tend to use either/or language about my own attempts to homeschool. Either I am succeeding or I am failing in teaching my children. When I make a mistake (by being impatient, or distracted, or neglectful) I struggle to keep my flaws in context; I find myself overemphasizing them.

Study the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern living organisms and biological systems. Score2013[4]2014[5]2015[6]2016[7]2017[8]2018[9]2019[10]2020[11]2021[12]55.5%6.6%6.4%6.6%6.4%7.1%7.2%9.5%7%421.6%22.4%22.1%21%21%21.5%22.2%22.7%20%336.2%35.2%35.9%33.6%36.7%32.9%35.3%36.9%34%229.3%27.1%27.5%28.8%27.5%28.5%26.6%24.1%30%17.4%8.7%8.2%10.1%8.4%10%8.8%6.9%10%% of scores 3 or higher63.3%64.2%64.4%61.3%64.1%61.5%64.7%69.1%61%Mean2.882.912.912.852.902.872.933.042.87Standard deviation1.011.051.041.071.031.081.061.061.07Number of students203,189213,294223,479238,080254,270259,663260,816233,444212,198https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Biology Textbook Campbell Biology (we bought an older edition) Additional Reading I am so grateful to the booklist created by a teacher on Amazon . We found many great reads from her suggestions. Some of our favorites: Heart: a History by Sandeep Jauhar Nine Pints by Rose George

AP is an official, trademarked title and in order to advertise a class as “AP” you need to go through a course audit . However, anyone can prep for an AP test and taking an AP class is NOT required. The College Board wants as many students to take the AP tests as possible, and they make it easy to prep. This is something a homeschooler can do! Advantages of AP Tests Demonstrates mastery

Homeschooling cannot be shown step-by-step. There is no way to give precise instructions. To rephrase a message from Seth Godin in his book Linchpin about other creative endeavors, “The reason that [homeschooling] is valuable is precisely why I can’t tell you how to do it. If there were a map, there’d be no need to wrestle with the task of [homeschooling]. If we were following prescribed steps, we wouldn’t be navigating; we wouldn’t be finding our own way.

Tips on Teaching AP At Home You can provide advanced academic courses while homeschooling your high school student. AP Chemistry Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry. Study states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. Teach using hands-on labs. AP Art History This is a great first test for a freshman in high school since it doesn’t have any prerequisites and it gives good practice for writing essays. AP Biology Living organisms and the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern them.

Are our fears about homeschooling possibly misplaced? The stories we hear about homeschooling have been handpicked—largely because they are unusual. What do you fear about your homeschooling? I noticed this unusual sign inside the Aquarium du Québec. I was captivated by their clever presentation of unjustified fears. While I stroked the stingray in the child-friendly tank nearby, I read the list and considered how many of my own fears are unfounded.

In my local Asian market, I saw this sign hanging above the freezer section. It reads “Frozen foods can prevent the decay and deterioration in the oven.” The concept is mostly there, but the key details were lost in translation. We preserve the things we want to keep. Preservation makes the transient last a little longer. Preservation is the fleeting interval between freshness and storage. Preservation allows it to be enjoyed again in the future.

As a homeschooler, time can feel unwieldy. Our freedom can almost be debilitating. “If you have struggled with a sense of inadequacy—wondering if you are good enough because you cannot seem to do it all, or do it well—maybe your only shortcoming is how you schedule your time,” teaches minimalist homeschooler Zara Fagen in her book, Minimalist Homeschooling. I believe our discouragement in our homeschooling can often be overcome by structuring our time differently.

The creativity of homeschooling can’t support comparison; there are too many differences. Comparison shatters the lens that makes gratitude possible.