My Experience
I have always loved the academic environment. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a school teacher. Inspired by Mrs. Hughes, who was both my fifth and sixth grade teacher, the academic world was a comfortable, inviting, and exciting place. Growing up, much of what I loved about school related to social opportunities. School was a place where leadership skills were developed, where social constructs were practiced, and where character was rewarded. It was public school in the 60’s and 70’s, when traditional family values were still intact.
When I graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in education, I wanted to teach in a Christian school where I could share my faith and teach more than the textbooks would offer. Teaching was such a joy that after seven years, I wondered how I could put my classroom behind me when our first child was born. I returned after six months, making an effort to teach Remedial Reading part time. However, it was not long before my heart pulled me home to be with our son. It was a decision I never regretted.
Once our first child started school, I was able to return to the classroom as a parent, and helped as a room mom for four years. During that time a cloud hung over my head. God was calling me to homeschool but like Jonah’s refusal to go to Nineveh, I argued with God about all the things my children would miss in the traditional classroom. It was more than a year before I surrendered to that call from God. Part of the motivation came from the academic boundaries of the school program. My son had a great deal of free time because he finished his work quickly. Hence, I decided it was time to teach our children at home.
Another factor and catalyst for making an educational change was an incident that revealed at the core, a fundamental difference in educational philosophy. Not an idler, I started a home business after I stopped teaching. I took up calligraphy, studied with professionals, and began producing work that was exhibited in local art shows and sold to gift shops. Then one year I had a Christmas Open House- a home show to exhibit my work. I invited other artists and crafters to participate. At its peak, there were as many as 45 artists who filled my home and backyard with tents full of their work. More than 700 people came through our home to enjoy the stained glass, jewelry, pottery, calligraphy, wood working, seasonal crafts, and baked goods during this two day show. This enterprise became a tradition for our family which was repeated for 19 years. Our children made pickles and other products, learning how to package, market and sell them.
There was value in the things they learned through this experience: marketing, sales, economics, hard work, and stewardship. They were involved in the displaying of merchandise and learned how to approach people. When I was told the children would lose credit for the day they missed at school for this event, it was difficult to accept such a short sighted view of education. This helped to make the decision to homeschool easier. Once the decision was made, I had an overwhelming joy for the task ahead. I read every book related to home education, which in the early 90’s was limited. I poured over volumes of curricula books like syrup on pancakes, absorbing everything I could.
Looking back on our homeschooling years, the most precious time with my children was the first two hours of the day. After a devotional time I would read a book related to history and would squeeze out as much biblical application and worldview as possible. It did not take long to begin inviting other homeschool children to join us for a unit study in history, a special book making project or 4H. We were experiencing a rich time of learning, loving the process, and building a frame of knowledge that I did not experience as a child. Enthusiastic about the results in my own children’s learning and at the request of other homeschool families, I began to offer classes for other homeschooling families. This was eventually formalized as H.O.P.E Academy (Helping Our Parents Educate) which operated one day a week for students 5th-10th grade.
Qualified teachers taught core subjects. Students were given assignments to complete at home during the week. This experience revealed the effects of peer influence. The students worked harder at H.O.P.E. and performed beyond the expectations of their parents. While the work was demanding and the expectations high, the students rose to the challenge. A few years later, I was approached by a family to help start and direct a University Model® school (UMS). Hence, H.O.P.E. rolled into a more formalized program as a UMS. Presently, I am the administrator of Covenant Academy, a UMS that offers a challenging academic program on a collegiate schedule and promotes family centered learning.