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My Teens' Self-Directed Scholar Contracts for Jan-May 2026

  • Writer: Sarah
    Sarah
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

Teaching kids to become independent learners is one of the foundations of our homeschool philosophy. For my two high schoolers, this means that, in addition to our 3x/week all-together schooling time, they also pursue their own studies independently. Here's a snapshot of independent study plans for 18yo Alina's last semester of high school and 15yo Ian's spring semester of his sophomore year.


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Scholar Contracts for My Teens

Each semester, I meet with the kids to develop their Scholar Contracts. The purpose of the Scholar Contract is to document the teen's learning goals, any changes to the overall list of responsibilities, and the plan for achieving the self-directed Scholar goals. There is more about how to create a Scholar Contract in Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning.


This semester, Alina is aiming for 15 hours of Scholar Time weekly. This is in addition to our 3x-week all-together school time, which includes math, history, physics, etc. Additionally, Alina will be taking a dual credit Geology class at New Mexico State University.


Alina loves books and aims to be a fantasy author someday. She met her goal of reading 52 books in 2025 🥳 and is planning to do the same for 2026. She also periodically participates in online writing workshops and competitions. She needs plenty of uninterrupted time when she can read and write.


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Ian is aiming for 10 hours of Scholar Time weekly, in addition to our 3x/week Smith School time. He will also be participating in a time-intensive robotics competition team and working on car-related projects. We will renegotiate his Scholar Contract in April after robotics season is over.


Ian has a goal to take automotive classes at the community college in Fall 2026. He also plans to take the SAT in spring 2027, so that he can take Dual Credit classes at New Mexico State University in Fall 2027. Ian will continue to pursue his passion towards all things car-related by working on vehicles here at home and with friends. My husband Ryan is teaching Ian how to perform maintenance and repairs on our cars and 4-wheelers, such as replacing spark plugs, changing oil and transmission fluid, changing coolant, changing batteries, servicing carburetors, replacing engine mounts, etc.


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Liberty Scholars Program for Local Teens

Both Alina and Ian are excited to continue participating in my Liberty Scholars program. I created this program for my kids and local teens at the beginning of 2025. My goal with this program is to help kids be prepared for adulthood and leadership, with a solid foundation in US constitutional principles.


Class is full with 11 teens enrolled. Overall, the program consists of:


  • Reading two classic books per month (generally one non-fiction and one novel)

  • Participating in online discussions about our readings in a private discussion forum

  • Attending in-person book clubs twice a month

  • Fun group activities such as field trips, movies, and hikes


Here's a snapshot of our readings and activities for the coming semester.


January

February


March


April

 

May


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I hope this gives you some ideas for successful high school homeschooling!



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