July 9, 2025 • 20 mins
You’ve felt it—maybe while staring at a stack of biology worksheets, maybe during your fifth attempt at explaining the periodic table, maybe when your teen asked you about mitosis and you blinked. Am I really supposed to teach all of this?
In this reassuring and practical episode, Christy-Faith takes on one of the most misunderstood stages in homeschooling: the upper years. If the idea of homeschooling middle and high schoolers feels overwhelming, confusing, or just flat-out impossible—you are not alone.
Spoiler: you don’t have to do it all. And you were never supposed to.
The Christy-Faith Show | Ep. 73
🛠️ LINKS & RESOURCES
Free Homeschooling Resources
Find everything you need to simplify and strengthen your homeschool journey:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/links
Thrive Homeschool Community
Join Christy-Faith’s online community for mentorship, encouragement, and real friendships that last:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/thrive
Christy-Faith’s List
A curated directory of homeschool-friendly service providers, businesses, and colleges:
👉 https://christy-faiths-list.com
Christy-Faith’s Book: Homeschool Rising
📖 Learn how to homeschool with confidence—especially when it feels hard:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/book-homeschool-rising
Links Mentioned in Episode
⊚ The Year-By-Year Primary and Secondary Education Histories of Homeschooled Individuals and the Implications for Empirical Homeschooling Research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15582159.2024.2422243
⊚ Fast facts on homeschooling: https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/
🎙️ SHOW SPONSORS
BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible structure, biblical worldview
✔ Built-in critical thinking and hands-on learning
👉 https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/christy
CTC Math
✔ Online, self-paced K–12 math curriculum
✔ 50% off + free trial for Christy-Faith listeners
👉 https://ctcmath.com/how-it-works/home-school?tr_id=CF
Lovevery – The Reading Skill Set
✔ Game-based, science-backed reading program
✔ 98% of kids improved in just 6 weeks!
💰 https://lovevery.com/christyfaith (code CHRISTY10)
🎧 SHOW RECAP
Homeschooling the middle and high school years doesn’t have to be overwhelming—or lonely. It also doesn’t mean doing it all yourself.
✅ Why the upper grades feel so overwhelming (and why it’s not your fault)
✅ The most common pivot successful homeschoolers make—and why it works
✅ How outsourcing and mentors can transform your homeschool
✅ Why following your teen’s passions is more powerful than a perfect curriculum
✅ What it means to model lifelong learning—and why that’s the true win
✅ Practical tools, real-life stories, and permission to stop trying to do it all
Whether you’re deep in middle school or just bracing for high school, this episode is your reminder: the teen years aren’t a trap door—they’re the sweet spot of homeschooling.
📌 Like, subscribe, and share this with a homeschool parent who’s stressing about algebra, transcripts, or Shakespeare.
💬 What’s helped you homeschool confidently through the teen years? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Christy-Faith (00:00):
If there's one thing that seems to be weirdly
(00:02):
absent on social media, it's thecontent on homeschooling middle
schoolers and high schoolers. Italmost feels mythical, like
teens just vanish fromhomeschool Instagram the minute
they hit puberty. Meanwhile,your feed is packed with
preschool crafts and phonicsflashcards. But what about
algebra, chemistry labs, andessay writing? Right?
(00:23):
Not as glamorous. There's areason why this stage gets a wee
bit quiet on social media. It'swhere families start to feel in
over their heads. And sadly,it's also a time where a lot of
people stop homeschooling. Buthere's the truth.
The upper years aren't the endof the homeschool story. They're
actually pretty sweet andamazing. And in my opinion, when
(00:45):
it starts to get fun. Navigatingthe junior and high school years
in homeschooling can feel likediving into uncharted waters.
Whether you're a seasonedhomeschooler or just getting
started, I wanna explore how tothrive during these crucial
stages with outsourcing,pivoting, and zero pressure to
fake a degree in quantumphysics.
(01:05):
In this episode today, we'regonna dive into why people panic
or peace out when the uppergrades begin, how the successful
homeschoolers do it, which isconfidently homeschooling
without teaching everythingyourself, what to do when a
subject feels out of our depth,and practical resources to make
it all doable, and dare I say,enjoyable. Stick around. This is
(01:26):
gonna be a fun if you're a firsttime listener or welcome back.
Hi. I'm Christy Faith, author ofHomeschool Rising, speaker and
founder of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, a place where you can
(01:48):
find real connection, solidmentorship, experts, and support
from parents who really careabout being the best
homeschoolers they can be.
So let's talk about it. Whydon't we see the upper years
represented as much online?Well, it's because this is where
a lot of people quietly tap out.Middle school hits, high school
(02:09):
looms, and suddenly thehomeschool dream starts feeling
like a science fair gone wrong.Let's just go ahead and
normalize the panic right now.
You thought it was hard whenthey were learning to read. Now
granted that actually can bedifficult or a breeze. It really
does depend on the kid. But nowyou're being asked to explain
the periodic table in Latinwhile also teaching geometry
(02:31):
that you barely survivedyourself. It's understandable
that the idea of homeschoolingthe upper levels is daunting and
overwhelming.
A 2024 study published in theJournal of School Choice found
that while over a third ofhomeschool students continue
through eighth grade, nearly onethird of them switch to
traditional school for ninthgrade. So, yes, there is a clear
(02:53):
drop off when the high schoolyears hit. But this doesn't mean
homeschoolers are failing. In myopinion, it means that a lot of
us have reached the part ofhomeschooling that no one really
prepared us for. Now if you werehomeschooled all the way
through, this stage probablyfeels a little bit more
familiar.
You might have a rough mentalmap of how the upper grades
look, how to build a transcript,and the general homeschool
(03:13):
setting. But if you came throughthe traditional system,
especially the modern publicone, you're likely realizing
that you were never actuallytaught how to learn. You were
taught how to memorize, how topass a test, how to follow a
system. So now being in chargeof said system, it's
disorienting. But hear me out.
This is not a you problem. Thisis a systemic problem. And lucky
(03:37):
for you and for me, we can nowdo things differently, and we're
free to do so. Because I hopeyou know that you don't need to
teach everything yourself. Theninja skills we do need though,
it's how to source well, pivotwhen needed, and build a plan
that supports our values and ourteams, not someone else's
agenda.
Alright. So now that we face thepanic head on, let's talk about
(03:58):
the part that makeshomeschooling in the upper
grades actually doable, and itis you don't have to teach
everything yourself. That's notwhat we're doing over here. Let
me say it again for the mom inthe back currently googling how
to explain DNA replication witha whiteboard and no will to
live. You don't have to teach itall.
You don't have to have a degreein biology, And yet my kid's
(04:19):
learning it and really wellmight I add. How? I source
really well. That's the beautyof homeschooling in the twenty
first century. We're not limitedto what's inside our own head or
the dusty stack of textbooksfrom 1997.
Here's what smart sourcingactually looks like. Online
courses. There are self paced,live taught, and hybrid options
(04:40):
for nearly every subject underthe sun. Some even grade the
assignments for you, aka mypersonal love language. Dual
enrollment.
If your kid is ready, they canearn college credit and high
school credit at the same time.And bonus, someone else is
teaching them how to write acollege level paper. Co ops.
Whether it's a formal academicco op with labs and deadlines or
(05:02):
a casual group of families doingbook clubs and history projects,
co ops can help cover yourweaker spots. Tutors.
Tutors can do classes. You canmeet with them several times a
week, once a week, once a month.It doesn't matter. There are
some pretty amazing teachers whoare also tutors out there, who
are fantastic. YouTubeprofessors.
(05:22):
Honestly, some of these YouTubeteachers are better than the
ones I paid thousands for incollege, and they're explaining
trigonometry with a whiteboardand a cheerful Australian
accent. It's actually oddlysoothing. The point, you do not
need to pretend to be an expertin every subject to give your
teen a rich, well roundededucation. And here's the thing
that's super amazing is weactually have world class
(05:45):
resources and instructors at ourfingertips. We are not limited
to our particular school or ourparticular district and stuck
with only the instructors there.
We literally have our choice.The education that I've been
able to provide for my childrenby sourcing really well is
better than the education thatthe kids were getting that we
taught who were going throughthe best of the best private
(06:08):
schools in our country, and I'mdoing it for so much less too.
Now we all have that momentwhere we're sitting at the
kitchen table and the content isstarting to feel like out of our
pay grade. For me, it's thirdgrade math. After third grade,
I'm out.
A lot of people take this as asign that maybe their homeschool
days are gonna come to an end,but it's not a sign that you're
(06:29):
failing. What it means is thatit's time to pivot. Because
here's the deal. In the uppergrades, successful homeschooling
isn't about doing more. It'sabout knowing when to shift your
approach and embrace the factthat you don't have to do it
all.
So what do these pivots actuallylook like? I'm gonna give you
real life examples right afterthis. As a homeschool mom who
values a family togetherapproach and leans towards the
(06:51):
classical and Charlotte Masonstyles, I often struggle to
bring my educational vision tolife with my kids' diverse ages
and learning needs. With all ourinterests and super packed
schedule, bridging that gapbetween the dreamy homeschool I
want and reality, I gotta behonest, it's a challenge. Now,
yes, I know perfection isn't thegoal.
But if you're listening and youcould use a little easing of
(07:12):
your mental load in your day today, I found a resource that has
become the quiet hero of ourroutine, and it could be a
really great option for you too.BJU Press homeschool curriculum.
Now many think that BJU Presshomeschool is solely an all in
one option, and though it doesexcel in that role, did you know
you can also opt for specificcourses and tailor them to fit
your family's needs just as Ihave? BJU Press Homeschool
(07:34):
provides the perfect balance ofstructure and flexibility and
easily complements my family'smixed age family together on the
couch learning style. They aresecond to none in integrating a
biblical worldview, stimulatingcritical thinking, and offering
tons of hands on activities inthe lessons.
To find out how BJU PressHomeschool can come alongside
you in your homeschooling goalstoo, visit
(07:57):
bjupresshomeschool.com or clickthe link in the show notes.
Sometimes it looks like changingyour curriculum. Here's the
scenario. You've tried it all.The box sets, the planners, the
systems, and yet your teen isstill staring at you like you're
speaking a foreign languagewhile you go over the periodic
table for the fifth time thisweek.
Sometimes it's not you. It's thecurriculum. It's time for a
(08:19):
change. It's okay to let go ofwhat's not working. This is what
the public school and privateschools can't do, but this is
our superpower.
Curriculum isn't sacred. It'sthere to serve your family to
help you reach your goals, notthe other way around. You may
need to take a hot minute andfigure out what clicks with your
teen. It may be an onlinecourse, a more interactive
(08:39):
workbook, or even a completelydifferent style of learning. If
something's broken, don't beafraid to fix it even midyear.
But here is a word of caution.If you are in the middle of a
year, particularly in theJanuary and February months,
sometimes it's not aboutswitching the curriculum. It's
about taking a break too becausethis is the time of year where
the homeschooling blues canreally start to settle in for
(09:00):
many of us. If you're feelingburnt out or unsure if
curriculum is the problem, itmight just be that your family
needs a little bit of breatherand a little recharge. And if
you aren't sure what's going onand you need a little bit of
guidance, I highly recommendjoining Thrive Homeschool
Community.
It's where I offer monthlymaster classes taught by
experts. We have five liveoffice hour sessions per month.
(09:22):
Yes. One even dedicated just tohomeschooling teens and tons of
other resources and camaraderieto help you get through the
rough spots of homeschoolingbecause we all have them. The
point is you don't have to dothis alone.
Sometimes just having someone totalk things through with can
make all the difference. Everymonth, we have quite a few
Zooms, but three in particularthat the listeners of this
(09:43):
episode might be interested inattending are our homeschooling
teens Zoom, our seasonedhomeschool mom Zoom, and our
special needs homeschoolingZoom. Thrive is where you get
experts at your fingertips.Moving right along. Besides
reevaluating curriculum, it canalso look like leaning into your
kid's passions.
Remember those Pinterest boardsfull of perfect schedules, every
(10:05):
subject listed? Throw it out,girl. The beauty of
homeschooling at the upperlevels is that you get to follow
the spark. If your kid has aburning passion for graphic
design, guess what? Math,science, and even history can
live there.
Let them dive deep. If they'refascinated by filmmaking, guess
what they're gonna learn?They're gonna learn project
management, writing, techskills, and even physics as they
(10:28):
create their own films. We canstop worrying about checking
every box. We can focus on deeplearning and real world skills
instead because not everylearning moment has to come from
a textbook.
And yes, even if your student iscollege bound, we actually have
a lot more freedom than peoplethink. Another real life pivot
can look like utilizing outsidementors and self paced learning.
(10:51):
Now this is a game changer. I'vealready covered that you don't
have to be an expert ineverything. If your teen is
struggling with chemistry, whynot hand it off to someone who
really loves it?
That might mean hiring a tutoror finding an online course.
Mentors, whether through co opsor tutors or even YouTube
professors can teach trickystuff in ways you might not be
able to. And your kid willprobably enjoy it because these
(11:13):
people are passionate about thesubject, and that's contagious.
Plus self paced learning, whichby the way, are courses where
the kids can go through thelessons according to their own
schedule, helps kids buildindependence and time management
skills. In my own homeschoolingjourney, I realized that trying
to figure out how to teach Latinalongside everything else that I
was doing was just too much.
(11:34):
With multiple kids to homeschool, I knew I needed to make
sure I wasn't wearing myself toothin. Also, I'm not an expert in
Latin. I never learned it. And Ireally didn't wanna give my kids
a half baked learning experiencebecause I was stretched too
thin. So I made the decision tooutsource Latin to an instructor
who actually knew Latin insideand out.
An expert who could teach itbetter than I ever could. And
(11:55):
you know what? It was one of thebest homeschooling decisions
I've ever made. Not only did mykids benefit from learning Latin
from someone who loved thesubject, but it also took a huge
weight off of my plate. Thepoint, sometimes you have to
know when to step aside and letan expert take the reins.
Now does this mean that you'reonly half homeschooling or
you're not really ahomeschooler? Not at all. This
(12:16):
is homeschooling. This isn'tabout giving up. It's about
recognizing that you don't haveto do it all yourself, and
outsourcing a subject thatyou're not an expert in can
benefit your kids more than youtrying to juggle it all.
Now I know a lot of homeschoolmoms that are excited about some
of these because they wannalearn it alongside their kids,
and I love that. It's fantasticand a huge benefit to
(12:38):
homeschool. For me though, Idon't wanna do that with every
single subject. Plus, I'm aworking homeschool mom, so I
gotta figure out ways to makethis work for my family. So I
handed off Latin, not because Iwas failing, but because I was
doing something even moreimportant, protecting my energy,
my time, and my sanity.
I've got multiple kids, a busylife, and obviously a healthy
(12:58):
respect for dead languages. Andthat brings me to something
homeschool parents really needto hear, and we'll get into that
right after this. Before wecontinue, I wanna share with you
a program that's been a gamechanger for our homeschool. At
our center, we instructed andhelp kids through pretty much
every math program on the marketand know firsthand just how
important a solid mathfoundation is for our kids'
(13:20):
futures. As a career educatorwith high standards, finding the
right program that checked allthe boxes felt like too tall of
an order until one day I triedCTC Math.
CTC Math is an online mathcurriculum for k to 12 students
with motivating interactivelessons that allow kids to learn
at their own pace. It does allthe teaching and grading so you
don't have to and their adaptivelessons adjust so your child is
(13:42):
progressing confidently. WithCTC Math, your child is getting
a top notch education and youjust made your homeschool life
easier. Visit ctcmath.com tostart your free trial today or
click the link in the shownotes. I've got some news.
There's a new reading curriculumthat ditches workbooks and
drills for fun and games. Ifyou're thinking fun and games
sounds a little too good to betrue, it's not. Ninety eight
(14:05):
percent of children improvedtheir reading test scores in
just six weeks with the readingskill set by Love Every. It's a
phonics based program thatfollows the science of reading,
but makes learning to read fun,motivating, and confidence
boosting because it happens byplaying games and then
practicing with just right skilllevel books. Kids love it and
(14:26):
parent educators love it, and itworks.
Visit lovevery.com/christyfaithtoday and use code Christy 10 to
get 10% off your purchase of thereading skill set by Love Every.
That'slovevery.com/christyfaith. Look.
We don't win gold medals forburning out or trying to explain
(14:47):
topics that we barely survivedourself in high school. Nobody
is mailing us a trophy for whiteknuckling our way through
physics formulas while our eyestwitch and our kids cry.
I'm speaking the truth rightnow. You don't need to teach
what you do not know, and thisis not a failure. You know what
it is? It's a model. It's okayto teach just what you're
(15:08):
confident in and what you enjoyand source for the other things.
You're still there supportingyour child, holding them
accountable, and honestly, it'sgonna give your kid a better
education, a deeper, strongerfoundation. You're showing them
that learning is about problemsolving and pivoting and it can
be exciting. When things aren'tgoing right, you look at other
options, and you can involvethem in this process too. And
(15:30):
let's be real. Our publiceducation system didn't do most
of us any favors here.
If you were homeschooledyourself, you might already have
an instinct for how to navigatelearning gaps, how to think
critically, and how to exploreinformation without spoon
feeding. But if you're a productof the traditional school system
like I was, you might beexperiencing this weird
disorienting moment where yourealize they never actually
(15:53):
taught me how to learn, just howto pass tests. So now here you
are homeschooling moms and dadswith a teen asking about
macroeconomics and mitosis, andyou're blinking back at them
like, I need help. Good. That'sgrowth because this, that
moment, that's where you modelsomething powerful.
(16:14):
Lifelong learning. You show yourchild that learning doesn't stop
at graduation, that smart peopleknow their limits, and that
asking for help or bringing inexperts isn't a weakness. It's a
superpower. So here you go. Ilove history.
I could teach history whilemaking dinner and folding
laundry and quoting Hamilton.But math? You guys already know.
I have no interest in relivingcalculus. But math, it's not
(16:37):
that I was bad at it, but Idon't really wanna teach it
anymore.
I will absolutely lead the nextrevolution, but someone else is
gonna need to do the quadraticequations. Same goes for high
level science. A lot of us don'thave degrees in microbiology,
but yet it's pretty amazing thatour kids can still learn about
plankton ecosystems like tinylittle Jacques Cousteau's. Why?
(16:59):
Because we're finding reallycool people to teach it for us
and no guilt required.
And here's a bonus stat becauseyou know how I love my receipts.
Parents without teachingcertificates still homeschool
students who outperform theirpublic school peers on
standardized tests. Homeschooledstudents typically score 15 to
30 percentile points above thepublic school average regardless
(17:21):
of the parent's formal educationlevel. So you can officially
stop googling, do I need to becertified to homeschool high
school? Because the data saysyou're good.
The takeaway? Not only do younot have to do it all, but you
shouldn't have to do it all.Instead, teach what you love,
model curiosity, and outsourcethe rest like a homeschool CEO.
Because homeschooling isn'tabout checking every box. It's
(17:43):
about raising capable,confident, lifelong learners.
And once you embrace thatmindset of leading where you
shine and delegating where youdon't, something surprising
happens. The upper grades stopfeeling like a burden and they
start feeling like the gift thatthey are. Really? Because
despite what the fear mongeringInternet might tell you, these
(18:03):
years, they're actually thesweet spot of homeschooling. And
I know that sounds crazy,especially if your current
reality includes slamming yourhead against a stack of biology
worksheets or googling how toexplain Shakespeare to a
hormonal 13 year old.
But hear me out. These years,they're the best kept secret of
homeschooling. You finally getto have real conversations. Not
(18:25):
why is the sky blue, but whatdoes it mean to live a good
life? Do you think we're toodependent on technology?
What would you have donedifferently if you were in that
historical moment? Because inthese years, we're not just
teaching facts anymore. Well,hopefully, we never were, but
this is where we're shapingthinkers. You've done all the
hard work of teaching them howto read and to tie their shoes
(18:46):
and to not lick the scienceexperiments, but now these upper
years, they can run with it.Assignments become projects.
Interests become rabbit holes.You move from teacher to mentor
and it's a beautiful thing. Thisis the time to lean into what
makes your kid light up. Andwhat's so cool about
homeschooling is thathomeschooling the high school
years can be done in such fewerhours than the system. Our kids
(19:10):
have time for the internshipsand the jobs and the exploration
of their interests.
Coding, creative writing, marinebiology, Japanese history,
whatever it is. You can create acustom road map. These are the
really cool years where you'repreparing for real life, not
just tests. Because look, whyare we homeschooling? We're not
just doing this to help themprepare for the next Scantron.
(19:33):
It's to help them stepconfidently into adulthood
knowing how to learn, how toadapt, and how to take ownership
of their education. And thatstarts now in your house with
you. So we don't need to know itall. We just need to know how to
find it. And we have world classresources at our fingertips that
rival the best of the bestschools.
(19:54):
As always, if you want moreguidance, more mentorship, or
just a community that gets you,we would love to have you in
Thrive Homeschool Communitybecause you do not have to
homeschool these teen yearsalone. And there's a lot of us
making it all the way to thefinish line and loving every
second of it. See you next time.Bye.
If there's one thing that seems to be weirdly
(00:02):
absent on social media, it's thecontent on homeschooling middle
schoolers and high schoolers. Italmost feels mythical, like
teens just vanish fromhomeschool Instagram the minute
they hit puberty. Meanwhile,your feed is packed with
preschool crafts and phonicsflashcards. But what about
algebra, chemistry labs, andessay writing? Right?
(00:23):
Not as glamorous. There's areason why this stage gets a wee
bit quiet on social media. It'swhere families start to feel in
over their heads. And sadly,it's also a time where a lot of
people stop homeschooling. Buthere's the truth.
The upper years aren't the endof the homeschool story. They're
actually pretty sweet andamazing. And in my opinion, when
(00:45):
it starts to get fun. Navigatingthe junior and high school years
in homeschooling can feel likediving into uncharted waters.
Whether you're a seasonedhomeschooler or just getting
started, I wanna explore how tothrive during these crucial
stages with outsourcing,pivoting, and zero pressure to
fake a degree in quantumphysics.
(01:05):
In this episode today, we'regonna dive into why people panic
or peace out when the uppergrades begin, how the successful
homeschoolers do it, which isconfidently homeschooling
without teaching everythingyourself, what to do when a
subject feels out of our depth,and practical resources to make
it all doable, and dare I say,enjoyable. Stick around. This is
(01:26):
gonna be a fun if you're a firsttime listener or welcome back.
Hi. I'm Christy Faith, author ofHomeschool Rising, speaker and
founder of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, a place where you can
(01:48):
find real connection, solidmentorship, experts, and support
from parents who really careabout being the best
homeschoolers they can be.
So let's talk about it. Whydon't we see the upper years
represented as much online?Well, it's because this is where
a lot of people quietly tap out.Middle school hits, high school
(02:09):
looms, and suddenly thehomeschool dream starts feeling
like a science fair gone wrong.Let's just go ahead and
normalize the panic right now.
You thought it was hard whenthey were learning to read. Now
granted that actually can bedifficult or a breeze. It really
does depend on the kid. But nowyou're being asked to explain
the periodic table in Latinwhile also teaching geometry
(02:31):
that you barely survivedyourself. It's understandable
that the idea of homeschoolingthe upper levels is daunting and
overwhelming.
A 2024 study published in theJournal of School Choice found
that while over a third ofhomeschool students continue
through eighth grade, nearly onethird of them switch to
traditional school for ninthgrade. So, yes, there is a clear
(02:53):
drop off when the high schoolyears hit. But this doesn't mean
homeschoolers are failing. In myopinion, it means that a lot of
us have reached the part ofhomeschooling that no one really
prepared us for. Now if you werehomeschooled all the way
through, this stage probablyfeels a little bit more
familiar.
You might have a rough mentalmap of how the upper grades
look, how to build a transcript,and the general homeschool
(03:13):
setting. But if you came throughthe traditional system,
especially the modern publicone, you're likely realizing
that you were never actuallytaught how to learn. You were
taught how to memorize, how topass a test, how to follow a
system. So now being in chargeof said system, it's
disorienting. But hear me out.
This is not a you problem. Thisis a systemic problem. And lucky
(03:37):
for you and for me, we can nowdo things differently, and we're
free to do so. Because I hopeyou know that you don't need to
teach everything yourself. Theninja skills we do need though,
it's how to source well, pivotwhen needed, and build a plan
that supports our values and ourteams, not someone else's
agenda.
Alright. So now that we face thepanic head on, let's talk about
(03:58):
the part that makeshomeschooling in the upper
grades actually doable, and itis you don't have to teach
everything yourself. That's notwhat we're doing over here. Let
me say it again for the mom inthe back currently googling how
to explain DNA replication witha whiteboard and no will to
live. You don't have to teach itall.
You don't have to have a degreein biology, And yet my kid's
(04:19):
learning it and really wellmight I add. How? I source
really well. That's the beautyof homeschooling in the twenty
first century. We're not limitedto what's inside our own head or
the dusty stack of textbooksfrom 1997.
Here's what smart sourcingactually looks like. Online
courses. There are self paced,live taught, and hybrid options
(04:40):
for nearly every subject underthe sun. Some even grade the
assignments for you, aka mypersonal love language. Dual
enrollment.
If your kid is ready, they canearn college credit and high
school credit at the same time.And bonus, someone else is
teaching them how to write acollege level paper. Co ops.
Whether it's a formal academicco op with labs and deadlines or
(05:02):
a casual group of families doingbook clubs and history projects,
co ops can help cover yourweaker spots. Tutors.
Tutors can do classes. You canmeet with them several times a
week, once a week, once a month.It doesn't matter. There are
some pretty amazing teachers whoare also tutors out there, who
are fantastic. YouTubeprofessors.
(05:22):
Honestly, some of these YouTubeteachers are better than the
ones I paid thousands for incollege, and they're explaining
trigonometry with a whiteboardand a cheerful Australian
accent. It's actually oddlysoothing. The point, you do not
need to pretend to be an expertin every subject to give your
teen a rich, well roundededucation. And here's the thing
that's super amazing is weactually have world class
(05:45):
resources and instructors at ourfingertips. We are not limited
to our particular school or ourparticular district and stuck
with only the instructors there.
We literally have our choice.The education that I've been
able to provide for my childrenby sourcing really well is
better than the education thatthe kids were getting that we
taught who were going throughthe best of the best private
(06:08):
schools in our country, and I'mdoing it for so much less too.
Now we all have that momentwhere we're sitting at the
kitchen table and the content isstarting to feel like out of our
pay grade. For me, it's thirdgrade math. After third grade,
I'm out.
A lot of people take this as asign that maybe their homeschool
days are gonna come to an end,but it's not a sign that you're
(06:29):
failing. What it means is thatit's time to pivot. Because
here's the deal. In the uppergrades, successful homeschooling
isn't about doing more. It'sabout knowing when to shift your
approach and embrace the factthat you don't have to do it
all.
So what do these pivots actuallylook like? I'm gonna give you
real life examples right afterthis. As a homeschool mom who
values a family togetherapproach and leans towards the
(06:51):
classical and Charlotte Masonstyles, I often struggle to
bring my educational vision tolife with my kids' diverse ages
and learning needs. With all ourinterests and super packed
schedule, bridging that gapbetween the dreamy homeschool I
want and reality, I gotta behonest, it's a challenge. Now,
yes, I know perfection isn't thegoal.
But if you're listening and youcould use a little easing of
(07:12):
your mental load in your day today, I found a resource that has
become the quiet hero of ourroutine, and it could be a
really great option for you too.BJU Press homeschool curriculum.
Now many think that BJU Presshomeschool is solely an all in
one option, and though it doesexcel in that role, did you know
you can also opt for specificcourses and tailor them to fit
your family's needs just as Ihave? BJU Press Homeschool
(07:34):
provides the perfect balance ofstructure and flexibility and
easily complements my family'smixed age family together on the
couch learning style. They aresecond to none in integrating a
biblical worldview, stimulatingcritical thinking, and offering
tons of hands on activities inthe lessons.
To find out how BJU PressHomeschool can come alongside
you in your homeschooling goalstoo, visit
(07:57):
bjupresshomeschool.com or clickthe link in the show notes.
Sometimes it looks like changingyour curriculum. Here's the
scenario. You've tried it all.The box sets, the planners, the
systems, and yet your teen isstill staring at you like you're
speaking a foreign languagewhile you go over the periodic
table for the fifth time thisweek.
Sometimes it's not you. It's thecurriculum. It's time for a
(08:19):
change. It's okay to let go ofwhat's not working. This is what
the public school and privateschools can't do, but this is
our superpower.
Curriculum isn't sacred. It'sthere to serve your family to
help you reach your goals, notthe other way around. You may
need to take a hot minute andfigure out what clicks with your
teen. It may be an onlinecourse, a more interactive
(08:39):
workbook, or even a completelydifferent style of learning. If
something's broken, don't beafraid to fix it even midyear.
But here is a word of caution.If you are in the middle of a
year, particularly in theJanuary and February months,
sometimes it's not aboutswitching the curriculum. It's
about taking a break too becausethis is the time of year where
the homeschooling blues canreally start to settle in for
(09:00):
many of us. If you're feelingburnt out or unsure if
curriculum is the problem, itmight just be that your family
needs a little bit of breatherand a little recharge. And if
you aren't sure what's going onand you need a little bit of
guidance, I highly recommendjoining Thrive Homeschool
Community.
It's where I offer monthlymaster classes taught by
experts. We have five liveoffice hour sessions per month.
(09:22):
Yes. One even dedicated just tohomeschooling teens and tons of
other resources and camaraderieto help you get through the
rough spots of homeschoolingbecause we all have them. The
point is you don't have to dothis alone.
Sometimes just having someone totalk things through with can
make all the difference. Everymonth, we have quite a few
Zooms, but three in particularthat the listeners of this
(09:43):
episode might be interested inattending are our homeschooling
teens Zoom, our seasonedhomeschool mom Zoom, and our
special needs homeschoolingZoom. Thrive is where you get
experts at your fingertips.Moving right along. Besides
reevaluating curriculum, it canalso look like leaning into your
kid's passions.
Remember those Pinterest boardsfull of perfect schedules, every
(10:05):
subject listed? Throw it out,girl. The beauty of
homeschooling at the upperlevels is that you get to follow
the spark. If your kid has aburning passion for graphic
design, guess what? Math,science, and even history can
live there.
Let them dive deep. If they'refascinated by filmmaking, guess
what they're gonna learn?They're gonna learn project
management, writing, techskills, and even physics as they
(10:28):
create their own films. We canstop worrying about checking
every box. We can focus on deeplearning and real world skills
instead because not everylearning moment has to come from
a textbook.
And yes, even if your student iscollege bound, we actually have
a lot more freedom than peoplethink. Another real life pivot
can look like utilizing outsidementors and self paced learning.
(10:51):
Now this is a game changer. I'vealready covered that you don't
have to be an expert ineverything. If your teen is
struggling with chemistry, whynot hand it off to someone who
really loves it?
That might mean hiring a tutoror finding an online course.
Mentors, whether through co opsor tutors or even YouTube
professors can teach trickystuff in ways you might not be
able to. And your kid willprobably enjoy it because these
(11:13):
people are passionate about thesubject, and that's contagious.
Plus self paced learning, whichby the way, are courses where
the kids can go through thelessons according to their own
schedule, helps kids buildindependence and time management
skills. In my own homeschoolingjourney, I realized that trying
to figure out how to teach Latinalongside everything else that I
was doing was just too much.
(11:34):
With multiple kids to homeschool, I knew I needed to make
sure I wasn't wearing myself toothin. Also, I'm not an expert in
Latin. I never learned it. And Ireally didn't wanna give my kids
a half baked learning experiencebecause I was stretched too
thin. So I made the decision tooutsource Latin to an instructor
who actually knew Latin insideand out.
An expert who could teach itbetter than I ever could. And
(11:55):
you know what? It was one of thebest homeschooling decisions
I've ever made. Not only did mykids benefit from learning Latin
from someone who loved thesubject, but it also took a huge
weight off of my plate. Thepoint, sometimes you have to
know when to step aside and letan expert take the reins.
Now does this mean that you'reonly half homeschooling or
you're not really ahomeschooler? Not at all. This
(12:16):
is homeschooling. This isn'tabout giving up. It's about
recognizing that you don't haveto do it all yourself, and
outsourcing a subject thatyou're not an expert in can
benefit your kids more than youtrying to juggle it all.
Now I know a lot of homeschoolmoms that are excited about some
of these because they wannalearn it alongside their kids,
and I love that. It's fantasticand a huge benefit to
(12:38):
homeschool. For me though, Idon't wanna do that with every
single subject. Plus, I'm aworking homeschool mom, so I
gotta figure out ways to makethis work for my family. So I
handed off Latin, not because Iwas failing, but because I was
doing something even moreimportant, protecting my energy,
my time, and my sanity.
I've got multiple kids, a busylife, and obviously a healthy
(12:58):
respect for dead languages. Andthat brings me to something
homeschool parents really needto hear, and we'll get into that
right after this. Before wecontinue, I wanna share with you
a program that's been a gamechanger for our homeschool. At
our center, we instructed andhelp kids through pretty much
every math program on the marketand know firsthand just how
important a solid mathfoundation is for our kids'
(13:20):
futures. As a career educatorwith high standards, finding the
right program that checked allthe boxes felt like too tall of
an order until one day I triedCTC Math.
CTC Math is an online mathcurriculum for k to 12 students
with motivating interactivelessons that allow kids to learn
at their own pace. It does allthe teaching and grading so you
don't have to and their adaptivelessons adjust so your child is
(13:42):
progressing confidently. WithCTC Math, your child is getting
a top notch education and youjust made your homeschool life
easier. Visit ctcmath.com tostart your free trial today or
click the link in the shownotes. I've got some news.
There's a new reading curriculumthat ditches workbooks and
drills for fun and games. Ifyou're thinking fun and games
sounds a little too good to betrue, it's not. Ninety eight
(14:05):
percent of children improvedtheir reading test scores in
just six weeks with the readingskill set by Love Every. It's a
phonics based program thatfollows the science of reading,
but makes learning to read fun,motivating, and confidence
boosting because it happens byplaying games and then
practicing with just right skilllevel books. Kids love it and
(14:26):
parent educators love it, and itworks.
Visit lovevery.com/christyfaithtoday and use code Christy 10 to
get 10% off your purchase of thereading skill set by Love Every.
That'slovevery.com/christyfaith. Look.
We don't win gold medals forburning out or trying to explain
(14:47):
topics that we barely survivedourself in high school. Nobody
is mailing us a trophy for whiteknuckling our way through
physics formulas while our eyestwitch and our kids cry.
I'm speaking the truth rightnow. You don't need to teach
what you do not know, and thisis not a failure. You know what
it is? It's a model. It's okayto teach just what you're
(15:08):
confident in and what you enjoyand source for the other things.
You're still there supportingyour child, holding them
accountable, and honestly, it'sgonna give your kid a better
education, a deeper, strongerfoundation. You're showing them
that learning is about problemsolving and pivoting and it can
be exciting. When things aren'tgoing right, you look at other
options, and you can involvethem in this process too. And
(15:30):
let's be real. Our publiceducation system didn't do most
of us any favors here.
If you were homeschooledyourself, you might already have
an instinct for how to navigatelearning gaps, how to think
critically, and how to exploreinformation without spoon
feeding. But if you're a productof the traditional school system
like I was, you might beexperiencing this weird
disorienting moment where yourealize they never actually
(15:53):
taught me how to learn, just howto pass tests. So now here you
are homeschooling moms and dadswith a teen asking about
macroeconomics and mitosis, andyou're blinking back at them
like, I need help. Good. That'sgrowth because this, that
moment, that's where you modelsomething powerful.
(16:14):
Lifelong learning. You show yourchild that learning doesn't stop
at graduation, that smart peopleknow their limits, and that
asking for help or bringing inexperts isn't a weakness. It's a
superpower. So here you go. Ilove history.
I could teach history whilemaking dinner and folding
laundry and quoting Hamilton.But math? You guys already know.
I have no interest in relivingcalculus. But math, it's not
(16:37):
that I was bad at it, but Idon't really wanna teach it
anymore.
I will absolutely lead the nextrevolution, but someone else is
gonna need to do the quadraticequations. Same goes for high
level science. A lot of us don'thave degrees in microbiology,
but yet it's pretty amazing thatour kids can still learn about
plankton ecosystems like tinylittle Jacques Cousteau's. Why?
(16:59):
Because we're finding reallycool people to teach it for us
and no guilt required.
And here's a bonus stat becauseyou know how I love my receipts.
Parents without teachingcertificates still homeschool
students who outperform theirpublic school peers on
standardized tests. Homeschooledstudents typically score 15 to
30 percentile points above thepublic school average regardless
(17:21):
of the parent's formal educationlevel. So you can officially
stop googling, do I need to becertified to homeschool high
school? Because the data saysyou're good.
The takeaway? Not only do younot have to do it all, but you
shouldn't have to do it all.Instead, teach what you love,
model curiosity, and outsourcethe rest like a homeschool CEO.
Because homeschooling isn'tabout checking every box. It's
(17:43):
about raising capable,confident, lifelong learners.
And once you embrace thatmindset of leading where you
shine and delegating where youdon't, something surprising
happens. The upper grades stopfeeling like a burden and they
start feeling like the gift thatthey are. Really? Because
despite what the fear mongeringInternet might tell you, these
(18:03):
years, they're actually thesweet spot of homeschooling. And
I know that sounds crazy,especially if your current
reality includes slamming yourhead against a stack of biology
worksheets or googling how toexplain Shakespeare to a
hormonal 13 year old.
But hear me out. These years,they're the best kept secret of
homeschooling. You finally getto have real conversations. Not
(18:25):
why is the sky blue, but whatdoes it mean to live a good
life? Do you think we're toodependent on technology?
What would you have donedifferently if you were in that
historical moment? Because inthese years, we're not just
teaching facts anymore. Well,hopefully, we never were, but
this is where we're shapingthinkers. You've done all the
hard work of teaching them howto read and to tie their shoes
(18:46):
and to not lick the scienceexperiments, but now these upper
years, they can run with it.Assignments become projects.
Interests become rabbit holes.You move from teacher to mentor
and it's a beautiful thing. Thisis the time to lean into what
makes your kid light up. Andwhat's so cool about
homeschooling is thathomeschooling the high school
years can be done in such fewerhours than the system. Our kids
(19:10):
have time for the internshipsand the jobs and the exploration
of their interests.
Coding, creative writing, marinebiology, Japanese history,
whatever it is. You can create acustom road map. These are the
really cool years where you'repreparing for real life, not
just tests. Because look, whyare we homeschooling? We're not
just doing this to help themprepare for the next Scantron.
(19:33):
It's to help them stepconfidently into adulthood
knowing how to learn, how toadapt, and how to take ownership
of their education. And thatstarts now in your house with
you. So we don't need to know itall. We just need to know how to
find it. And we have world classresources at our fingertips that
rival the best of the bestschools.
(19:54):
As always, if you want moreguidance, more mentorship, or
just a community that gets you,we would love to have you in
Thrive Homeschool Communitybecause you do not have to
homeschool these teen yearsalone. And there's a lot of us
making it all the way to thefinish line and loving every
second of it. See you next time.Bye.
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