From the title of this post it may seem as though I’m going to list off the reasons why I’m choosing to homeschool- as if I sat down with a two column sheet of paper labeled “pros” and “cons” and made my decision accordingly. I’ve actually never made that list.
I arrived at the dawn of homeschooling not from a logical thought out thinking session, but from a path that led me here. No surprise since this is “A Joy-Filled Journey” after all!
So what did this path look like? I’d like to start at the very beginning…
My Educational Background
I attended a rural K-8 public school that fed into a rural public high school along with six other feeder schools. For the most part I had wonderful teachers who genuinely cared about me. Even so, I struggled. Now I always made straight As, but it didn’t always come naturally. Both of my parents worked tirelessly with me on homework. One year my mom even purchased the history textbook so we could have a copy to study at home.
My Parents’ Influence
As you can tell, my parents were very involved in my education. I would say that frequently my teachers introduced a subject and my parents made it stick. My parents’ influence reached beyond formal academics. They were great examples of readers. We had access to many books at home and took frequent trips to the library. They also enjoyed being outdoors and some of my favorite memories are hiking to see waterfalls.
My love of learning came from my parents. If we watched TV it was usually an educational program on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel. Or the Chicago Bulls, because who didn’t watch the Bulls in the ‘90s!? On vacation we would visit museums and our favorite family outing was to the bookstore.
My Introduction with Homeschooling
I didn’t actually know many homeschoolers growing up. There were a handful at our very large church, but I didn’t know them well. There were two sisters in our community that homeschooled, but again I didn’t know them well. Even so, I still had a brush with homeschooling and it occurred in my home.
In third grade I had a friend who was struggling in school. My mother who frequently volunteered in my class decided she would tutor her after school each day. So I watched her tutor her that year, often sitting with them at the table and following along.
Another year, a family my parents often helped had a son who had failed 1st grade. My mother spent the entire summer and the following school year homeschooling him. He caught up to his peers (and even surpassed them in some areas) and was able to rejoin them at the public school.
I Chose to Major in Education
When it came time for me to go to college I was undecided on a major. I knew I wanted to help people. It was probably the example of my parents that fed this desire. My greatest desire though, was to be a mom. I also had a love of learning. So with these three traits I chose to major in early childhood education. I knew that whatever I learned for my degree would prepare me to be a mother. Even as a young college student I planned to stay home with my children at least until they entered school. Once they began school, I planned to teach, ending my workday when the school day was over and spending the summers at home with my kids.
As an education major I often dreamed of having my own class and instilling in them this love of learning I had. I dreamed of making learning real for my students. I wanted to bring the subject matter to life, showing the relevance of each fact, formula, and concept. I viewed the world as a classroom and didn’t want to limit learning to compartmentalized subjects.
When studying about educational philosophers I gravitated toward:
- Rudolf Steiner (founder of Waldorf Education), who aspired to feed children’s imaginations enabling children to connect deeply with subject matter through art and story-telling
- Loris Malaguzzi (founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach), who valued self-directed discovery, relationship-driven environments, and experiential learning
and
- John Dewey who said, “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”
I dreamed of a classroom that ignited imaginations, inspired life-long learning, and provided rich educational experiences.
My Career in Education Began
Upon graduating with my degree in Early Childhood Education I was hired to teach nearly 50 4th graders history and language arts.
I meticulously designed my classroom to feel like home placing rugs, lamps, and plants among the books and desks that filled my room. I even diffused essential oils to create a calming atmosphere. I was ready!
Or so I thought.
I was not ready for that early confrontation with the principal for not using the textbooks that the district provided. I was not ready to struggle as I sought to please my administrators and still bring learning to life in an experiential way. I was not ready for my student-centered paradigm to be confronted with a results-centered system.
I remember telling my husband, “This isn’t what I thought it would be like. This is not my ideal job.” Then I thought, “What is my ideal job?” I decided that the ideal job for me was to teach the children of missionaries overseas. I could teach while the parents were busy with mission work. I knew resources would be scarce, but I felt that education didn’t need a lot of “stuff” to be successful. I doubted this dream would ever become a reality, but it was a fun idea to consider.
I’m not saying it is impossible to create the atmosphere of learning that I described in a public school. I am only sharing my personal experience of difficulty.
After teaching 2 years in 4th grade I moved schools, districts, and grades due to my husband’s change in career path.
At this point in my career I still did not plan on homeschooling.
At my new school I faced another challenge in teaching. In my 3 years teaching 2nd grade I encountered students with many challenges. One was severely affected by an oppositional defiance disorder. I checked this student’s backpack daily for a weapon I fully expected to see. Another student was eventually sent to a behavioral correction facility. While I dearly loved these students and even enjoyed the challenge of meeting their unique needs, there were times when I thought to myself, “I would never want my child in this classroom-MY classroom.”
The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary occurred during these years and I began to wonder if I wanted my child in ANY classroom.
My husband was hired to work in a new city. I had just become pregnant and I left the classroom to pursue my original dream of being a stay-at-home mom.
At this point I still had no intention of homeschooling, although the thought had now entered my mind.
I Became a Mother
My son was born and I was in awe by the learning that was taking place before me. Watching my son learn was the greatest joy.
At this point I realized homeschooling doesn’t start when a child enters school. I was already doing it and I didn’t want to stop.
I imagined sending my son off to school and I couldn’t fathom a teacher getting to witness his light bulb moments in my place.
I also realized that I had been homeschooled. Not full-time like we think of when we use the term homeschooling. But I think in a sense all parents homeschool- just to different degrees.
When my son was just a toddler God placed an amazing group of women in my path who invited me to join their weekly Bible study. I craved the friendship and camaraderie. It just so happened that many of these women were homeschooling moms. I was able to witness another aspect of education that I had not considered before.
Rather than a results-centered education, or even a student-centered education, these moms were providing a God-centered education. The mysterious world of homeschooling now had flesh to it. Meeting these mamas who took me into their fold provided a resource, a support group, and an example before me.
I always had the love of learning, the desire and dream to share it, and now I had a mode to do it- and with the child (now children!) I love the most.
I think it’s important to point out: my desire to homeschool is not fueled by what the public school is not, but rather what homeschooling can be.
I long for my children what those educational philosophers, that I studied and admired when my teaching days were approaching, valued for their students. And I know that with God’s help, I can provide that for them- hinging all of it on Christ himself.
As a teacher I had designed my classroom to feel like a home. I had dreamed of teaching a group of students apart from the school system on the mission field. I can see now that these were just a foreshadowing of my choice to homeschool.
How about you? What drew you to homeschooling?