I was upset on Sunday, pacing back and forth and talking to God in my normal forthright (and possibly offensive) way. Then I got in a spiral of anger and depression and started saying that I don’t do anything well.

Silly that. Of course I do.

I finally told myself I teach college well. Then I asked why, if I did that well, couldn’t I homeschool just as well? And I figured out the answer. College English is something I’ve taught at least twenty different times. And if my students don’t do their work, I flunk them. I don’t like doing that, but the answer is simple. If they turn it in, grade it. If they don’t, they fail.

But with homeschooling it’s not the same class over and over again. And the two students I have are very different. And they’re my children who, though they love me, probably get very tired of me. I know I get tired of them sometimes. So we’ve got personalities in the mix that aren’t really there for the college class.

I am trying to do well, though. I hope that counts for something.