The Homeschool Alliance is here!
Have you ever asked yourself:
Am I doing a good job homeschooling?
How will I know?
What if I’m failing my children?
A fantasy homeschool lives in our imaginations-happy children, learning in a pool of light. We envision creative, self-starting, curious beings who relish the chance to improve their minds. We imagine furrowed brows of dedication to mastering the multiplication tables and smiles of achievement when successful. We picture proudly created handwritten stories and energetic passion for Ancient Greek history.
Instead we find ourselves arguing about time limits on the computer. We have to remind the 10 year old to finish the page, not to play with the toddler…again. We face learning disabilities, temper tantrums, and the flu. The program everyone raved about doesn’t work for us and we think it’s our fault. We try to let go of canned curriculum only to feel like we are doing nothing worthwhile except pacing the house in search of snack foods and toys.
Discouragement flourishes. Desperation follows. We cling to any and all advice-swinging from freedom to strict schedules, textbooks to online classes.
I remember those days. I remember messes that had nothing to do with creativity. I switched math programs every year at one point.
Unscheduled schooling looked like parental neglect, and scheduled schooling felt like prison.
I felt batted about by philosophical discussions, sometimes derided and unheard when I risked sharing my failures and fears.
- I wanted support-someone who knew me and wanted me to find my own way, tailor made to my children.
- I wanted ideas-fresh ways to make my vision come true without exhausting me or our family budget.
- I wanted affirmation-someone to notice when it all went right that one day last fall.
When I look back, what I wanted was a “coach”!
I wanted another homeschooling mom, a bit further down the path, to shout back warnings and encouragements. I wanted someone to comfort me in my panic and to support me in my risk-taking choices.
Enter The Homeschool Alliance!
Opens Today, September 1, 2014
I want to be that coach for you and I want to offer you the chance to be in a community of like-minded home educators who will cheer you on.
We all want the same things, essentially, don’t we? Close family relationships, quality experiences, wonderful memories, and more than adequate academics.
It’s time to cut through the Internet explosion of information and drill down to who you are and what you really want.
What you can expect: ME!
I’ve invested thousands of hours researching home education philosophies. Eventually, my family created our own homeschool blend…a customized cocktail of love and learning! That journey continues-the lifestyle of love and learning goes well beyond the homeschooling years when your family finds its groove.
I’m excited to create a space that is safe for that risk-taking and exploration for you, in your family.
I want to share with you the insights I’ve gleaned through 17 years of homeschooling five kids, and then working with thousands of homeschooling families for 20+ years. I want you to have the benefit of all that experience.
The Homeschool Alliance is about creating the homeschool life that takes all of you into account (your children, YOU, and even your spouse, if you have one). Your homeschool should look like your family, and it should satisfy you-that progress is being made, that lives are being enriched, that everyone’s needs are being met.
Tall order. Easy to get side-tracked and discouraged.
We all need support and mirrors to help us see beyond our blind spots. We need new ideas and other people’s experiences. We don’t need lectures or guilt trips.
The Homeschool Alliance is the one-stop Internet community sandbox for home education.
We’ll do it together, one month at a time, one subject or child at a time, making sure that you can see and measure your progress. By the end of the school year, you’ll know how successful you’ve been! We’ll be there to celebrate with you!
Here are the components of the Alliance:
Master Class in Learning
Each month, we’ll look at one reading and discuss it. We’ll examine various learning theorists and consider their opinions and how to apply their findings to your life at home with your kids. The readings will be provided to you. Reflection and discussion questions supplied. Guided interaction will follow.
Monthly Parenting Interventions
You are not alone! We’ll solve your problems together:
- Troubleshooting your peskiest parenting issues (video games, sibling rivalry, squirreliness, picking fights, chores, food, bedtimes, creativity, playing outdoors, rules, consequences, managing multiples, creating transcripts)
- Exploring your anger (what it is, how to manage it, what to do with it)
- When you and your spouse disagree…
- Managing multiple changing ages every year
One Thing Practice
We’ll apply the famous Brave Writer “One Thing Principle” to your life and homeschool! Learn how to implement the “one thing principle” and be rewarded for it! We’ll each set goals, we’ll share them, we’ll “timestamp them,” and then you’ll be rewarded for your progress (the reward system will be fun for you AND your kids-can’t wait to share what it is)! You’ll be inspired by each other and also gently held accountable to meet your own expectations for yourself.
Creating Your Dream Routine
Using tools designed by me, we’ll work through a set of processes that help you know your children in brand new ways. Then we’ll work together to help you custom-design a set of educational practices that will facilitate your child’s greatest success and joy in home education. You’ll be surprised at what you learn about your children and yourself when you set aside the time to open yourselves to thinking about them using your parental intuition and daily observations.
Community Sharing
You’ll have a place to share photos, writing, projects completed, and your daily joys (and struggles) while getting support from Brave Writer families. You know what that means. The support will be real (gentle, sincere, affirming) and useful (tailored to you, taking the whole family into account, practical). The Homeschool Alliance is THE PLACE you can count on being known as you are, without any need to pretend to be different in order to participate.
There are no “taboos” you must avoid, no trap buzz words.
Rather, you get to be you.
I will help you one step at a time to be an even better, more confident, less frazzled version of you.
And a Side of Selfcare
We’ll ensure that you are taking good care of you. Teacher-time off is critical to a healthy imagination, to your creativity as an educator, and to your own well being (sense of fulfillment and joy as a person). Practices and suggestions for how to take good care of YOU will be provided by me and also the others in the community.
Monthly Webinar
Each month, I will give a “teacher-in-service” webinar. We’re working out the details of how it will look, but I promise you a little monthly dose of “me”-similar to what I do when I speak at conferences, but more intimate and directed to the community as you share yourselves with me.
Brave Writer Bucks
Members will get a site-wide 10% discount on all products (classes not included)!
Premium Option
I am offering a premium option for those who want more personal contact with me to discuss their particular families (private coaching consultations).
Monthly subscribers can pay for one hour one-on-one consults with me via Skype during two weeks each quarter. Those prices will be announced once we get the community up and running and the time slots will be offered on a first-come first-served basis.
The Alliance opens today.
Change your homeschool, change your family, change your life!
Looking forward to it!
Julie
