our journey to homeschooling
April 5th, 2022 This weekend was one of the most inspirational I have had. Our family attended a homeschooling convention, our first of many, I hope! We walked in timid and unsure of our abilities. We walked out feeling empowered and renewed in purpose, for homeschooling and as Christ-followers, a married couple, and family. Our road to homeschooling began years ago before we even realized it. When I look back at my life, I can see that I was called to many paths rather than having chosen them. And my callings were the culmination of years of direct and indirect exposure and friendships that became mentorships. The move to homeschool was no different. At the top of this article is a summary of our path. Approximately one year before we planned to begin homeschooling, I visited local educational co-ops. As I had heard great things about Classical Conversations and admired the classical education model, I focused on these groups and found one close to our home that felt like the perfect fit. However, as the possibilities of slow travel and engaging in mission-related work as a family began to unfold, I thought it would be better to join an extra-curricular co-op for the community and pursue an eclectic curriculum. My friends encouraged me to consider the idea of education through living books, nature, doing, and seeing – even when we were not traveling. I learned that if I focused on english (including phonics, reading, writing, spelling, and eventually grammar) and math, the rest of my children's education at this stage in their lives could revolve around lots of reading, play, and engagement in the home, in nature and our community. I became excited about what some may call a partial unschooling approach, world-schooling, or road-schooling. We don't yet have a written schedule, but I'm sure we will create one in a few months with my OCD tendencies! It should look something like this: Daily: Bible study, 30 minutes to one hour of english and math, hours of family reading, play, outdoor activities, and home involvement (cooking, cleaning, planning). Weekly: Homeschooling co-op half-day, museums, zoo, group activities (theater, foreign language classes), team sports, grocery shopping, and other errands. At the convention, we were encouraged to begin with our end state and define it on paper – Who did we want our children to become? Drew's and my lists were similar but different. Together, we agreed on the following and plan to structure our homelife and, subsequently, their education around these goals: 1) Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ 2) Realizing the importance of family at all stages of life 3) Living as kind-hearted individuals who know themselves and their beliefs but are tolerant of others 4) Being resourceful and hardworking 5) Possessing a thirst for knowledge I believe I have covered four of the five W's but perhaps not the most important one: Why? Why are we choosing to homeschool? I want to express that it's not because we are unhappy with our preschool or elementary school experiences. Both of our kids attended a Montessori preschool, where they had a fantastic experience. From the early toddler years, their curriculum included "tools," problem-solving, Spanish, and yoga, to name a few. The staff has always been loving and excellent. We knew homeschooling was on the horizon, but we couldn't begin until Abby was in first grade due to our work schedules. As we looked for a school, Bible study, a focus on Christian values, and a conservative curriculum were non-negotiables. We chose her school because of its welcoming staff and faculty who sincerely loved teaching there and the many extra-curriculars they offer. The school's mission is to be accessible to all economic levels, and we admired that and their willingness to fight controlling local mandates during the COVID lockdowns. We have been no less than impressed with her educational experience. I suppose I am an excellent procrastinator, so here is the Why! Homeschooling will allow us to spend many more hours together as a family, as an extended family, too, by visiting family and friends across the country. Additionally, it will allow us the freedom to travel around the world on our time, slow travel as I like to call it. We hope that our kids will grow through their experiences and relationships formed in the communities with which we engage. Service will be a part of their education, at home and abroad, and hopefully, they will grow to love it as Drew and I do. If I had never met my friend Conoly, we might not be here today in these shoes. Though we don't know what the future holds, we stand together as a family, excited about our vision.
