Even pre- COVID there were a variety of reasons why people homeschool or home educate. We work with them all, across all the ages. Now more than ever we are seeing the fall-out of a collective trauma event such as the pandemic.

 

  • Due to school refusal brought on by bullying, stress, anxiety and depression. 
  • Due to health situations or traumatic events.
  • Due to creativity and innovation. Inability to find a home in conventional education. I joke we provide a home for all the outliers who are going to find solutions to our current challenges. 
  • Due to learning difficulties which often lead to the pattern of school refusal. 

 

This can be a long term or short term solution. One way or another it offers a stepping stone route on to the rest of your educational life. Often when you feel you have run out of road elsewhere. 

Now it offers an alternative to the stress and worries in the current climate. 

We currently have students homeschooling in Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and America. But we are always open to new locations. We support students and clients in other ways in many more.  

 

My biggest concern in this still remains the mental health of many young people who feel they are missing every ‘normal’ milestone.

But now when we are going through so much upheaval does this mean educational life has ended too? Or is there a golden opportunity in all this to find balance, pursue your passions, learn to be flexible – and in fact be what the younger generations have been demanding before the world had to react?

And not to mention the environment – we need this change. There will be no future if we don’t’ start to seriously rethink life, work, balance, travel and what our role is on the planet.

I’ve joked since the beginning that I’m watching the world catch up with us! For the last 7 years, my speciality has been working with teens who self isolate in their bedrooms – now everyone else is doing the same… This is what fall education looks like across the globe. From Primary to University – we are self-educating at home.

Many of those who have chosen to step outside the system have had the concerns that others are only now starting to see. They care about the environmental impact of the hamster wheel. They know more is possible…

The reality is I work in 12 countries across the globe online (I have done since 2012) I’ve never set foot in many of them. Yes, I can tell you everything about your child from working with them online which many have now experienced. I work with students currently from 5 years age to early 20s in this way (adults too).

The object for me is to always create a personalised plan. At the end of the session for the students to understand who they are, how they learn best, how they work best and most productively. What sort of areas they would excel at working in the future. How to create calmness and good mental health – Which currently is critical given the stress of mass media, the anxieties present for everyone and the massive upheaval to everyone’s lives. I and the team have joked we are all set for this – but many of us are natural introverts too!

I’m keen from the outset to clarify that we are not an online ‘grind’ service. There are many of these services out there but not sites offering our support, approach or knowledge. I’m a much bigger fan of independent learning. I will, of course, aim to have students where necessary work with our teaching team online. But we always do this in a personalised way.

I always aim to share as many resources as possible with my students. But also for them to be tailored to who they are! There is a lot out there if you know where to look and many free options.

So the service includes; the usual personality profile of the learner, the study ways, the plan, the resources (variety is crucial), the ways to relax & have balance, the career plan, and my speciality ongoing continued contact so you all have someone to talk to and help you navigate. There is no point just dumping lots of information into your inbox if you don’t have a guide. I pride myself in still being in touch with the very first student I took on 11 years ago!