Witt Homeschool Evaluations

It’s that time of year again ….

Very well said!

GRADES: WHAT’S THE POINT? For homeschoolers, grading is pretty irrelevant. Grades were designed to help a teacher communicate with a parent who isn’t present in the classroom to know if their child is doing a good enough job keeping up with the class content. At home, you know how your child is doing. Who is the grade for? If you give grades because you want to build a transcript for admission to a school, just know that most universities and high schools don’t trust your grades anyway! There’s no way to “norm” the grades a parent gives. Sometimes the parent is generous, sometimes punitive. How can a school rely on parent-generated grades? They can’t! What sets your kids apart is their unique interests, the overall composition of their coursework (what they studied and how), and their personal narrative essays where they demonstrate that learning. Colleges, in particular, are looking for a diversity of experiences in their freshman classes. They want kids who care about learning and have shown that passion. The bottom line is: don’t sacrifice learning for the standardized education that drew you to homeschooling in the first place! If you want that standard education, send them to school! Otherwise, take advantage of the opportunity to live a rich life of learning that is not demonstrated by grades but by mastery, passion, and depth! . . .

I don’t know what parent/guardian needs to hear this, but in 4th grade I took ~The Test~ to see if I could join the accelerated classes (aka “the smart kid classes”).

I failed.

One of the questions I missed -> I didn’t know the difference between a microscope and a telescope.

I remember crying in that test room because I felt so nervous and embarrassed.

I never did test into the smart kid classes. I had a teacher even suggest I wouldn’t be a good fit for Honors Science in high school.

Anyway, I ended up earning a Masters of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.

No single test defines your child. I kept trying and I kept pushing because I had parents who believed in me. They weren’t scientists or engineers themselves but they believed I could do whatever I set my mind to.

Love your child - make them know that YOU believe they are smart and capable (even when a silly test suggests otherwise). Everything else will fall into place. ❤️

What a relief!
Enjoy the journey!

A fun story for this Monday morning ….

A funny and true story about the Queen:
Around 2005, the Queen and her Personal Protection Officer, Dick Griffin, were walking alone one afternoon in the hills near the Scottish royal castle, Balmoral.
Two tourists approached them, and engaged in conversation. Griffin recalls:
"There were two hikers coming towards us, and the Queen would always stop and say hello.
"They were two Americans on a walking holiday.
"It was clear from the moment we stopped that they hadn't recognised the Queen, which was fine.
"The American gentleman was telling the Queen where they came from, where they were going next, and where they'd been in Britain.
"I could see it coming, and sure enough, he said to Her Majesty: 'And where do you live?'
"She replied: 'Well I live in London, but I've got a holiday home just the other side of the hills.'
"He said: 'How long have you been coming up here?'
"She replied: 'I've been coming up here ever since I was a little girl, so over 80 years.'
"You could see the cogs whirring, so he said: 'Well, if you've been coming up here for over 80 years, you must have met the Queen.'
"Quick as a flash, she said: 'I haven't, but Dick here meets her regularly.'
The hiker then asked Griffin what the monarch was like in person.
"Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I said: 'Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humour.'
"The next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera, GIVES IT TO THE QUEEN, and says: 'Can you take a picture of the two of us?'
"Then we swapped places, and I TOOK A PICTURE OF THEM WITH THE QUEEN.
"And we never let on, and we waved goodbye.
"Afterwards, Her Majesty said to me: 'I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to his friends in America, and hopefully someone tells him who I am'."
RIP, Your Majesty

Enjoy the journey ….

Summer is on its way … get that portfolio evaluation out of the way! Contact me now!

FYI - for upcoming FL college bound students …. There is an actual practice test, quizlet, etc. in the resources.

LibGuides: Preparing for the Florida Civic Literacy Examination: Civic Literacy Assessment Options This guide provides resources and study materials for Florida's Civic Literacy Competency Requirements.

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