I’ve tried my best to create a custom high school for each of my kids. I let them find ways to pursue their passions. With my tech kid, we’ve tried lots of different ideas to find what worked best for him. Here are my tips to help your kids pursue their passions in homeschool.
(this is a sponsored post, I was compensated for my time, and received 1 month of MYTEK LAB Coding Classes free, my son was already enrolled, so it just saved me one month’s tuition)
Figure out where exactly your student’s passions lie
We have tried out several different technology classes. We’ve tried some mechanical engineering kits. We’ve tried out a combination of coding classes and mechanical engineering kits.
They were all interesting to him, but it was not his passion.
The MYTEK LAB Coding Classes are Superman’s passion. It’s the only one of the various technology education he asked to continue for another year. You can see that in my 11th Grade Curriculum Picks.
For a less techy example:
Batman was interested in being a chef. For years I helped him pursue that passion, but the more he worked on it, the less interested he was in being a chef as a career. Looking into that passion, helped him narrow it down.
Follow up after the class, is it still a passion?
I’ve looked at several different types of technology education, including some more free-form classes. That were generic coding.
Superman was vaguely interested but didn’t make sure he completed the assignments.
Superman makes sure he completes his MYTEK LAB assignments. He pulls me over and says, “Look at what I learned this week, it’s really cool.”
He loves his coding class, and always gets his work done.
He asked to take the classes again after taking them last year.
Non-techy example:
The Artist wanted to be an author. We completed One Year Adventure Novel together, and she enjoyed it, but she figured out it wasn’t what she wanted to do. She loved the curriculum, and figured out she loved writing, but did not love editing. Any author will tell you editing is a large part of being a published author.
Writing is no longer her driving passion, it’s a hobby, but not what she wants to do as her career.
However, she got interested in counseling and mental health, and took a psychology class at our local community college, and loved that. She is eagerly looking forward to taking more classes on that.
Find the type of classes that work for you: Superman loves online coding classes
My kids hate in-person classes. They like online classes, but you know what they super love, they love at your own pace online classes. That’s why Superman loves MYTEK LAB coding classes because the classes are recorded.
With MYTEK LAB classes you pick a particular class time, and you can go to it live. Superman has once or twice, but he loves watching the recordings.
Non-techy example:
All of my kids are taking dual-enrollment classes at our local community college. Batman accidentally signed up for a class with a specific time, and in particular, it’s over lunchtime. That’s been a challenge as he sits through anatomy over lunch and struggles to pay attention as he gets more and more hungry.
They’ve all commented they don’t want to take any in-person classes until rules aren’t constantly changing because of Covid.
Follow up with how they’re doing in class
Most of the suggestions I’ve brought up are fairly fire and forget with the parents. Even with MYTEK LAB being hands off for me, I do occasionally check in at the parent page to make sure on the weeks he’s busy still gets the work done.
For our family, something that is fairly hands off for me, but I have ability to check in from time to time and see how he’s doing is amazing.
Non-techy example
I don’t have an example that works quite as well.
Our attempts with cooking was not at all formalized, and this was one of the attempts at pursuing my teen’s passion that convinced me I needed more structure.
So, figure out how much structure you need.
With The Artist’s passion project, we had to get together semi-regularly to watch the videos, so I knew she was always making progress.
Batman’s new passion project is taking college classes. He’s taking classes that will help towards being a firefighter.
Passion ideas we’ve done
- One Year Adventure Novel
- MYTEK LAB (my review from last year)
- Mechanical Engineering for middle school
- Cooking Around the World
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