Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “The Homeschooling Educator”
In some circles the word “curriculum” is anathema. It is far better, this thinking asserts, to take a relaxed approach to education, to teach a la carte, or to let the child decide what and when to study. We must not be “dogmatic.” Different children must study different things—or so we begin to believe. We should not determine what is …
“Growth mindset.” It’s not a term that is used in my home-educating circles, and I personally didn’t know anything about it, so I had to make a choice: Do I think that I am a failure for not knowing what that is, or is this an opportunity to learn about something? (I’m actually giving you the punchline to a little …
Homeschooling is hard sometimes. Parenting is already a challenge because in our fallen states, both we and our children war within ourselves to do what is good and right every day. When we decide to homeschool, we may feel as if we have added another heaping load onto our shoulders. Our own failings, the relentless temptations of the world, and …
What does a Lutheran education look like? That question has as many answers as there are Lutherans.
The one thing that should tie them all together, however, is the presence of Lutheran catechesis. Whether our children attend a public, private, parochial or home school, we as parents have the primary responsibility for bringing them up in the faith. We may seek and receive assistance along the way from teachers, pastors, godparents and others, but ultimately the handing down of the faith begins with us.
Our circle of homeschooling friends includes children who endeavor to become saints through meritorious works and sacrifices, who pray to saints, and who are named for saints. When my own children struggle, suffer, or even lose a familiar item, these homeschooling friends can advise precisely which saint should hear their prayer for help. All of this seems odd and unfamiliar to my own children, yet as if by instinct they know that the Christian saints serve some purpose in a life of faith. “Mom, what are we to do with the saints?”
If only homeschooling were like a Harry Potter novel. Having made the choice to school at home, we would put on the sorting hat and immediately discover our educational style: classical, Charlotte Mason, unit-based, online, unschooling . . . the list could go on. After charting our path, we would shop for the perfect curriculum. There would be no nagging doubts about whether …
In the Lutheran homeschooling family’s toolbox, there is no more important item than the Lutheran parish. In fact, it might be more accurate to compare the parish to the toolbox itself. Without it, there is no way to keep all of the other tools in the box in good condition. As a toolbox protects and organizes a variety of useful …
This article is intended to be descriptive of one type of homeschooling. There are hundreds of different ways to homeschool and there is not one prescription for any family. Homeschool is life together—exploring the good, true, and beautiful of God’s creation and order. Trust me, we do thrive with order. Routine helps my family work together most joyfully and efficiently. Savoring …
