i think she really means it…

An Open Mind

Thursday, March 10th, 2011 | Sara the Mommy, Sara the Teacher

I’ve been reading about homeschooling lately. Yeah, I kinda surprise myself sometimes. Various conversations and people have brought this topic to mind lately. I’m simply reading about homeschooling as an educational option in general, not specifically for our family (necessarily).

Homeschool versus public/traditional school…it’s always been an “us versus them” mentality. As a public school teacher (and a graduate of both private & public schools) I tend to land on the side of “traditional schooling.” I’ve just started researching lately. Not because there was anything wrong with my own schooling or because I want anything different for my family, but simply to open my mind to other families and methods of school. Notice I say “school” and not “education” or “learning.” Above all else, I am a supporter and proponent of life-long learning and education. We are our children’s first and most influential teachers no matter where they attend school.

I definitely have my reasons for “traditional” schooling. Among them are:

• There are awesome teachers in our community; I really don’t want to rob my children of the opportunity to be influenced by other great people.
• I want my children to have opportunities to be independent from our family. I want the independence process to be developmentally appropriate, of course, and gradual.
• I want my children to have opportunities to explore topics/interests that are different from my own. I don’t want to limit their exposure to everything they can learn based on my limited intellect and personal interests.

But above all else…

• I want my children to be “salt and light” to our community. I want them to shine brightly for Jesus in their classrooms for their teachers and their peers. I know, without a doubt, that God, who walks with me each day, will walk with my children every step of their educational journey and beyond.

This is where I stand on schooling right now. Could my mind change? Perhaps. That’s why I want to approach my research and readings with an open mind. Schooling looks different for different situations and families. It shouldn’t be an “us versus them” argument. Learning can be, and often is, just as important and intentional to traditional schooling families as it is to homeschooling families.

We have several years before Molly begins school. We already started learning together seven months ago. We shall see where our education takes us.

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