Homeschool!

So I think my first blog will be about homeschooling.

I have the priviledge of being a stay-at-home, homeschooling momma. For you skeptics of homeschooling, fasten your seatbelts because I also have a degree and prior to starting our family I was a school teacher. I do believe a blog is a place where we can "toot our own horns," so I will also let you know that I was not just a school teacher but I was the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year at the school where I taught. Because I went on maternity leave half way through that year I didn't really get to enjoy the limelight of being TOY so every once in a while I do like to talk about it. I mean, it's every teacher's dream to be called the Teacher of the Year, right? At least it was for me. That was a goal I had set before I had started teaching. Back in high school I had a favorite teacher, Mr. Hines. He got Teacher of the Year when I was in 10th grade and that was when I said to myself, "if you are ever a teacher you are going to be the Teacher of the Year too, just like Mr. Hines." Well, because I have this all or nothing attitude I determined in my heart right then and there that I would have that honor one day.

So back to the point of this entry. Homeschooling. I do not believe you must hold a degree or be a certified school teacher in order to homeschool your children. I believe you must hold a desire to see that your children are given every opportunity to succeed. There are many days where I am so overwhelmed by the responsibility to educate my children but then realize that it's always our responsibility to educate our children, even if they are in a public or private school somewhere. That is where our society has gone wrong concerning education. We have accepted this belief that it is someone else's responsibility to make sure our children are being given a sound education. The classroom should not be the sole source for our children's learning opportunities. Humans have the capacity to learn every moment their eyes are open and they are still breathing. And you've heard the expression that children are like sponges? Well, it's time parents take back the responsibility of making every moment with their kids a teachable moment. Our kids learn from our behavior; kids learn while they watch mom make the beds; kids learn sportsmanship by watching dad play on the Wii. I don't necessarily think everyone needs to homeschool their children but I do think we need to take a bigger part in the responsibility to educate and stop expecting the school system to do it for us.

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people."

~Luke 2:52