Shifting the paradigm
So the idea is this: rather than teach, lead. Rather than talk, act. Rather than following the curriculum or opening the book, express what it is you wish to be known.
The secret of a vibrant homeschool is not in a book. It’s you.
You are the secret weapon.
Gorgeous, compassionate, expressive, curious, smart, creative, determined YOU!
You don’t have to be a good teacher. In fact, it may help if you are not. It’s better if you are an enthusiast—someone for whom the feast of ideas is so compelling, you sneak time to follow up on the material you read to the kids to get the adult perspective. You are the best home educator when you can’t wait to make dinner because that’s when you park the kids in front of PBS to watch Arthur while you listen to Jane Austen on Audible.
This is the magic: the contagious energy that oozes from your engaged, fascinated mind! This is why home education actually works! It’s why you don’t need teacher training. Yes, you might learn something about how to impart the mechanics of writing or the formulas of math. Of course! But you don’t need to know how to give lectures or prepare worksheets or organize data into incremental chunks to be mastered through quizzes and grades.
You get to lead by passionate example. You get to care and share.
Your hunger to be the best home educator you can be (according to your lights) will take you a good long way. And all of us together will help you make it the rest of the way.
Deep breath—who you are? Enough! More than a generous plenty!
Image by Dhinal Chheda (cc cropped, tinted, text added)
