Improve Your Homeschool Lifestyle with These Interview Questions
I want our home to be a place where my kids feel free to be themselves. It is my desire that each of my children feel known and celebrated for who they are.
When it comes to homeschooling, I want our annual plan to reflect each of my children’s unique set of strengths and their own personal goals. It is my desire that they feel like an important part of the decisions made about their education.
There are lots of ways to achieve these goals but most will require a parent who is committed to communication and willing to change and grow.
In that spirit, I created a survey that I offer my kids 1-2 times a year so I can touch base with their feelings about our home and our homeschool.
Interview Questions for Homeschool Families
This set of questions was designed to help homeschool families include their kids in the planning process. The questions will help you check in with their desires for the coming year and how they are feeling about life at home.
Your Experience of Home
The questions included in “Your Experience of Home” are designed to help me understand how my kids feel in our home while discovering ways to improve their experience.
In the “Your Experience of Home” section I ask questions such as:
- What are the best things about being part of our family?
- What is difficult about being part of our family?
- List 3-5 of your favorite small surprises. (small gifts, time out, notes, etc)
- List 3-5 words that describe our home.
- What do we say or do that makes you feel encouraged and supported?
- Are there things we say or do that make you feel sad or ashamed?
and more.
It isn’t always easy to read (or listen to) their responses. It puts me in a vulnerable place but it is important for my kids to know that I am willing to go there with them.
and I am willing to listen.
and most importantly that I am willing to change and do better.
Now that my kids are old enough to write their answers, I read their responses on my own and take time to process the responses.
When they were younger, I recorded their answers as they spoke and assured them that they were safe to speak honestly. I accepted their responses without providing a defense or challenge to their comments.
When necessary, I followed up later to affirm their thoughts and ask more questions.
Your Experience of School
The second section contains questions related to our homeschool life. I want to keep up with their changing interests and goals so I use these questions to guide our curriculum choices and outside of the home pursuits.
I ask them questions such as:
– List your 3 favorite (and least favorite) subjects in school
–What do we do during the school day that you’d like to do more often? less often?
–Is there an activity or routine that you’d like to add to our school day?
–What is the most important thing to include in your school day?
–What are you curious about learning or trying this school year?
and more.
This section offers more straightforward material for me to work with as I plan our year.
Additional Questions
The final page of the interview contains ideas for additional questions to include. There are blank boxes to write your own original questions or additional questions provided on the last page.
This interview has been a fantastic tool in our home even when the information has been hard to hear. Sometimes ESPECIALLY when the information has been hard to hear.
Grab your copy today:
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She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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Thank you! This is a great idea. I have done something similar in the past, but not with any formality. This is a great way to get feedback from the kids. It will be interesting to read what comes back! agh!
Hope it goes well! I always enjoy reading their answers.
Thank you for this! Sometimes, i get too involved in what *I* want our homeschool to be. I have an idea of what some of their answers will be, but I know I’ll be surprised, too!
I hope it goes well. I can often predict some of the responses as well.
Love this!! Thank you for sharing to the community <3 It inspires me to share our list <3
You are welcome. So glad they inspired you 🙂