homeschool in-service

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding"
Proverbs 2:6

One of our new adventures this year is that we'll be homeschooling. In honor of all my teacher friends (both in the classroom and at home), who are saying good-bye to summer and hello to a new school year, I'm sharing what my homeschool in-service day looks like. Yes, even homeschool moms need "in-service" days to organize, plan, prepare and pray. 

I've talked to several moms over the summer who were considering, praying or starting to homeschool for the first time.  In the hand full of weeks I've been homeschooling, I've already learned that being a homeschool mom is similar to motherhood in that you know you're not the only one doing it, yet you can feel very alone. Classroom teachers have in-service for a reason, to train, equip, and encourage teachers. I hope I can share something that will be helpful or encouraging for any teacher preparing for the new school year ahead.  

First thing I do is pray. My love for teaching and Type A personality wants to I dive right in to all the planning, researching, purchasing curriculum and so on, without first considering what the Lord might want me to do. Then, of course, I become completely and totally overwhelmed and frustrated. I want to throw in the towel before we even get started. Not a great way to start a new school year. I have to remind myself that God is the authority of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He's also the source of endless creativity and perfect order. So who better to ask for wisdom, discernment and direction to guide us as we teach our children then the One who knows them best.

After I spend significant time praying, I start making an outline of goals, concepts and themes I would like to cover over the course of the school year. Keeping in mind that if we don't cover everything it doesn't mean we didn't have a successful year. I simply use it as a guide when lesson planning. 

The Lord gave me three words to consider during our first year of homeschool: Simple, Slow, and Specific. 

Simple. This is not easy for me. I tend to over think and over plan. My oldest is five and she has three younger siblings that require a lot of my time, energy and attention. School needs to seamlessly flow into the daily routine we've already established as a family. Keeping it simple will help me maintain a healthy balance while meeting everyone's need and keeping my sanity. I'll be sharing more about our daily routine in a future post. For me, it's helpful to see how other homeschool parents structure their school days. 

Slow. Probably my favorite thing about homeschooling is having the flexibility to take our time. We're not doing a particular curriculum, workbook, or system. Our curriculum, so to speak, will be based on books and themes. This is similar to how I preferred teaching in the classroom so I feel comfortable with this style. I'll supplement with resources I've collected over the years as a classroom teacher, most of which I'll be sharing in future posts as well.

Specific. Meaning to teach to your child's interests. In all my years of teaching, the one thing I've learned for sure is that children will learn best when they're able to make a personal connection to the material or concept. Specific also means that what I'm teaching at home reflects what is important to us as a family. 

As far as training, there's a beautiful community of moms coming together to encourage and equip one another on their homschool journeys. Internet or e-courses are one example. I did an e-course this past Spring called Learning Well: An Essential Course for Homeschooling. It was excellent! I would highly recommend it especially if you are new to homeschooling. There is a registration fee but then you have unlimited access to the content. Wild + Free is another community of homeschool moms that provides a wealth of resources, information, and encouragement. And it's not just for homeschool moms. It's a great resource for any mama! Wild + Free just announced their next conference will be in Virginia in November and registration is open now. Lastly, if you haven't heard of Kiwi Crate you need to check it out. My kids absolutely love it! Again, these resources are not just great for homeschooling moms but any teacher or mama. 

Whether your learning environment is in the classroom or at home, teaching is hard. There will be challenges, struggles, obstacles, frustration and often tears. Encouragement is key. Social media is one way to feel connected. It's refreshing to see other mamas who are also deep in the trenches of homeschool and motherhood, even if its in tiny little squares on Instagram. I'll be sharing some of my favorite homeschool moms and hashtags I follow on my Instagram page. If possible, try to join a local homeschool group like C.H.E.M.P.A. It's an excellent way to connect with other mamas in the flesh. Additionally, many communities have co-ops. A co-op is designed to be an enrichment program but it's also a great support system for homeschool moms and dads. I'm very fortunate that Mount Pleasant has an excellent co-op and very  much  look forward to being apart of this community in the future. But first, I have to graduate a few nappers.   

Since we're not doing co-op yet, we'll be exploring other activities like story time at the  Mount Pleasant Public Library. Check out the website for other activities and programs. Something else my daughter and I have been doing over the summer is going to the The Farmer's Wife. A speciality food store and farm market that supports local businesses in downtown Mount Pleasant. One day a week my daughter and I plan dinner together. We look up the recipe, make a grocery list (she writes out the ingredients), and go shopping together. In the evening, she helps me prepare the meal for our family. And that's what school looks like for the day. The educational applications are practical and limitless.  It's been my favorite thing we've done all summer!

By the way, all the resources mentioned above were given to me by my SIL and friend, Beth. She's a veteran homeschool mom with an abundance of experience, encouragement and support. She prays for me and even lives across the street. Seriously! She's a gift from The Lord and I sincerely pray you all have a "Beth" in your life. If you don't yet, pray for one. He will provide. 

My last bit of wisdom is not mine but the Lords. It's a familiar scripture many of us have heard so many times, but I pray it will breath new life over you as you prepare and enter into a new school year, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding"… and above all else, "take hold of my instructions; don't let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. (Proverbs 4:13 and 3:5). I love the saying "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called."  Whatever your calling is, whether it's teaching in the classroom or at home,  He will surely provide the grace, time, energy, and resources you need. Before you open the school books, open His book and spend time in His presence. For only there will you receive the patience and love it requires to teach our children in every season of life, whether at home or in the classroom. 

How do you prepare for the new school year? I would love to know.

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