Jodi Guerra Archives - Excelsior Classes

The Most Common Complaint in Homeschooling (and What to Do About It)

Nov 4, 2020 | Engaging Education, Jodi Guerra

I have been homeschooling for over twenty years now, and I’ve been involved in teaching homeschooled children (other than my own) for that same amount of time. There have been a number of trends noted in the changing demographics of the homeschool community including...

Dual Credit for Free: Why That Might Not be the Best Idea

May 21, 2019 | Jodi Guerra, Online Homeschool

Now that I am approaching my mid-50s, I find myself in a strange situation. I have become an experienced homeschooler and an experienced educator. In a blink of an eye, I have become a homeschool parent who has graduated three students as well as a teacher of hundreds...

Instant Homeschooling: Five Steps to Take When You Bring Your Teenager Home for School

Jan 28, 2019 | Jodi Guerra

One of the things I find most inspiring about homeschooling is the bravery of moms and families to go a different route. Let’s be honest: homeschooling requires some courage. It requires sacrifice of time and finances. It means that you are taking on ALL the...

Set Your Kids Up for Failure: How to Reset Those Expectations and Create Resilient Learners

Sep 27, 2018 | Jodi Guerra, Rigorous Courses

This is a love note to all my fellow homeschool moms out there. It may come across as harsh or judgmental, but I hope you will at least consider the message. It’s a lesson that was so difficult for me to learn, and now that my kids are older and in college, I can see...

Checklist-Schmecklist: Why IEW Is Not the Perfect Curriculum for Teaching Composition

May 24, 2018 | Jodi Guerra, Online Homeschool

Most of the time I write just to express a thought or communicate with others. Sometimes, however, I write because I have a dire need to process, to have a cathartic experience. That is what this blog is for me today. I hope you will indulge this cranky English...

I’m Tired and They’re Bored: How to Use Virtual Clubs

Jan 29, 2018 | Jodi Guerra, Rigorous Courses

It’s no secret, at least among homeschoolers, that socialization is not a problem. I remembered chuckling and nodding my head in agreement when one parent responded to the perennial query “What about socialization?” by stating, “Oh. Yes. We have way too much of that....