Homeschool Fever

Hello!  And welcome to Homeschool Fever’s “Mom’s in the Spotlight” interview.  Today I interviewed a veteran homeschooling mom, Amber from Classic Housewife.  Some of you may know her from her former blog, Bringing Good Home.  If not, head over and meet this wonderful lady!

And without further adieu…

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HF:  Hello Amber!  Thank you for doing this interview!  First off…How long have you been homeschooling?

Amber:  We’ve been homeschooling for over 5 years. We began when our oldest was 3, doing some preschool work with her. (But you know, I remember that even when she was an infant we’d read books together and I’d explain the names and the colors and count the items - does that count?) =)

HF:  How many kids do you homeschool, and what are their ages?

Amber: We have three children. Our 8 yr old is in 3rd grade. Our 5 yr old is kinda between Kindergarten and 1st grade - she could do it, but she’s not quite mature enough to go for it, I think. Our youngest just turned 3 and I give him preschool-ish activities to occupy him when he feels like participating, which he often does.

HF: What method(s) do you follow?

Amber:  I don’t really follow any main schools of thought. I’m an eclectic homeschooler, who dabbles a little in classical education with a flair for flexibility and a love of workbooks.

What curriculum has worked best for your children and why?

Amber: My oldest does well with workbooks and worktexts and she always has. This year we’ve tried some A Beka stuff for the first time, and she likes that a lot. We’re using the Saxon math, though, because it’s an area she struggles in and it has a good format for her.

My middle child is very hands on, and doesn’t sit still for very long. We’re still experimenting with her, trying to find ways to meet her needs and help her learn. So far, learning on the computer seems to be the best for her. The learning software her older sister had is too out of date for our system though, which means most days, we’re trying to get creative with what we have. The internet helps!

HF: How has your view of homeschooling changed since you began?

Amber:  Hm, wow. I’ve learned to be a lot more flexible, and yet I’ve learned (and am still working on) more discipline at the same time. I’ve learned that it’s hard, but I’ve also been reminded that nothing worth doing is easy. I’ve learned that homeschooling life is NOT perfect, but I’m reassured by friends whose children are older that more order is gained as the children grow - and I’m hanging on to that hope!

HF:  Where is your favorite place to get homeschooling supplies (curriculum, worksheets, notebooks, etc.)?

Amber: I belong to several homeschool curriculum yahoo groups, and I purchased a lot of our curriculum there over the course of the summer. I mapped out a pretty good idea of what we needed and kept an eye out for good deals to come along. I also like to shop online at Amazon.com and Christianbook.com. Boring, huh? I’ll also tell you that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to take a blank check to staples and GO NUTS in their school supplies section - stocking up on everything from crayons and markers to post-its and folders to flash cards, workbooks and bulletin board supplies. I don’t even HAVE a bulletin board.

Who is your homeschool rolemodel?

Amber: My friends. I have several friends who each inspire me in their own ways. One reminds me of the grace God provides to cover over our weaknesses and impurities. Another reminds me to seek him each day. One reminds me that we don’t have to reproduce a public school setting, or try to reproduce the school setting of other homeschoolers, but that we need to find what is best for our family and our children.

Which homeschool websites do you visit often?

Amber:  I bounce around a lot. GOOGLE IS MY FRIEND. I feel like a pro when it comes to scouring the internet. When I need something specific, I’ll turn to the internet, send out the little Google ‘bots’ and see what they come back with.

What is your favorite aspect of homeschooling?

Amber:  I most enjoy the fact that I’m deeply involved in the education and learning of my children. That I get to be the one that passes on knowledge to them. That has the added benefit that we can take things in the order we want at the pace we want, sure, and it carries the special benefit that we get to include teaching about our faith in the same setting. If they went to public school, I would still be helping them learn and I’d still be teaching them about God, but I wouldn’t be able to say, “Yeah, isn’t God amazing?” when my children awe and marvel at the way plants work or the way math goes on and on forever. My kids can REALLY get under my skin, having them all around me all day long. But I can’t imagine doing this any other way.

HF:  List some field trips you have taken:

Amber: This year we’ve really gotten involved with group field trips. We’ve been to a dinosaur museum, our local courthouse and small museum about our county and it’s history. We’ve had a “track and field” day and picnic at the park. We’ve lined up trips to other museums and events in our surrounding areas, and I’ll be heading up a science and arts fair for our small group this spring.

But on top of that are the things we’re able to do together, like, take off for a trip to Grandmas and go to Sea World, going to the zoo or the pumpkin farm, etc. For spring break, we’ll be taking a trip to our state capital and also to San Antonio to see the Alamo and some of the other missions.

What is your favorite homeschool memory so far?

Amber: Ok, this is hard. I confess I’m at a point where most days blur together and I’m just glad to survive to the end of the day. The memories that make it worth it, though, are the times when the light bulb came on, they finally got something, and for that one moment, there was joy in the learning. Those are the best memories.

HF: Do you have a homeschool blog? 

Amber:  I do!  In the past I had a one blog I devoted solely to our homeschool experiences but it didn’t last very long. After that I occasionally blogged about school on my personal blog. Recently I created a blog for the purpose of sharing links and resources only - I didn’t share any personal stories there. I didn’t like the impersonal feel that it had to it. The links could’ve been spat out by a robot. Now I’ve moved everything over with my personal blog (including my old posts from my first school blog) to www.ClassicHousewife.com  and now that I’ve done that, I want to continue sharing links and resources as I find them, but also include the personal successes and challenges.

When you go to Classic Housewife, you can cut straight to my homeschool section by clicking on the Faith Family Homeschool button in my blog’s sidebar. (Which, incidentally, is the name we use at home for our school.)

HF:  Well, Amber, that concludes our interview for today!  Thank you for sharing your experiences!  Would you leave our other homeschool moms out there with some closing encouragment?  

Amber:  Homeschooling involves a lot of trial and error. Children (even in the same house with the same genes with the same parents) learn differently. What works for one child, doesn’t necessarily work for the other. It’s the same for the teachers, too. You have to find what works for you, what works for your child. A lot of women I know feel like they’re doing something wrong when they have to keep switching routines or curriculum to find a good fit. I think we tend to be very hard on ourselves, and I think this is partially because we think NON-homeschoolers WILL be.

Relax. Know that you’re not doing something wrong by making changes. In fact, you’re doing something RIGHT. To continue with something that didn’t work - THAT would be wrong. What you do at your house doesn’t have to look like what I do at my house - and vice versa.

Remember that if God calls you to this task, he will equip you to do it, too.

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MOMS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Are you a homeschooling mom with something to share?  Let me know and I’ll set up a short online interview session.  It’s really easy.  Just send an email to lisa@homeschoolfever.com to get started.