I went to college to become a middle school teacher. I ended up homeschooling my kids after I had them. This is my story!

Then middle school came and I was sent to public school. It was an… interesting experience. I was pretty ignorant of some things, was bullied a bit, but when I got to public high school, I really actually enjoyed it. Loved doing theater, and choir, and orchestra, newspaper, sports.. I made the most of all the opportunities.

Anyway, I felt led to be a teacher at a young age and have always loved kids. I had the opportunity to lead kids church at my church. I started with leading music and Vacation Bible School as a teenager, and grew into being a youth pastor during college.

I felt like I wanted to reach so many kids and impact the world by being a good teacher.

So I went to college and got my degree in English Education, with the intention of starting with a 7th grade English class and working towards becoming a theater teacher eventually.

Public School English Teacher

My experience in the public school was a challenge at first.

My first year was a very tough year as an 8th Grade English teacher. I then ended up being a substitute teacher after that, which I loved! Especially not having to take my work home in the evenings or on weekends.

Then I landed a long term sub job at a bilingual school in the 5th Grade classroom. I loved it! Great community! And I really found I thrived more as an elementary age teacher than I did at the middle school or high school teacher. (Whish I would have known that before I got my batchlors’ degree in the secondary level! Oh well!)

To Adapt Homeschool for Each Kid’s Needs

The first reason I chose to homeschool was to be able to adapt to my kids’ learning styles and interests. We could go at THEIR pace. Slow down when needed, and speed up at times, too.

One of the hardest parts I found about teaching in the public school was how many students I had to manage. I had 99 8th graders at one point that I was responsible for— for their growth in Language Arts. I had high level kids all the way down to kids who were at a 1st grade spelling and reading level.

It broke my heart that I couldn’t reach all of them. Some kids I really saw grow and improve, but others I watched fall through the cracks. It was a lot for me to handle at the time.

But through that public school experience, I saw that kids really do learn best in a one-on-one situation or small groups. Then the teacher is able to adapt to what each child needs and their learning styles and interests. It was next to impossible to do that for a class up to 30 kids, 4 times a day.

To Read Good Books and Spend Time Outside

I had my oldest child shortly after that, in 2010. And from the time she was born, I was researching and so curious about homeschool. The more I learned, the more I got excited and believed that I could homeschool and would really enjoy it!

Then I got introduced to Charlotte Mason and started learning about homeschooling methods.

I read voraciously! Listened to podcasts, devoured blog posts from other homeschool moms. I was hooked!

A friend of mine who had kids about my kids’ age at the time gave me “For the Children’s Sake” by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. I was so intrigued by the things she shared. About how kids learn, best, about reading living books, giving them opportunities to share and process what they learn through narration. I also really loved that Charlotte Mason encouraged lots of time outdoors and studying nature.

This was far different from the sitting at a desk and reading text books and answering multiple choice question quizzes that I was used to in public school.

This was the kind of school I wanted my kids to have at home. This is the second reason I wanted to homeschool. To give my kids an education that involved reading good books and spending lots of time outside.

After I learned about CM, I next discovered Classical education, and again, I read all I could on that style.

To Have a Biblically-Based Education

Besides loving the Charlotte Mason style and adapting education to my kids’ needs, another reason to homeschool that is very important to me was that I love the Word of God.

I was brought up in the home where we read the Bible often and I was encouraged to memorize scripture. By the time I got to highschool, it really came alive to me and I knew that it is God’s word and the truth that we need to feed on in order to live on this earth.

I believe, especially in this day and age, we need the truth found in scripture. I knew the Lord was equipping me as a new mother to teach my kids the Word and give them a biblically-based education in all subject areas.

I knew as a homeschool mom I would have the opportunity to help my kids memorize verses, and talk to my kids about how God made the flowers, and the oceans, and how the stars have patterns, and the world turns and we have seasons because of His design. And about how He is woven into every part of history.

I knew my children would not get that kind of teaching in public schools, so that really made it clear to my husband and I that we should homeschool.

So that is my story and my WHY I decided to homeschool.

I’m so thankful that we have that opportunity and I don’t take that lightly.

I could possibly go back to being a teacher in a school some day, but for now I am content to use my skills to teach my own kids and to help other homeschool moms.

What is your WHY? Why do you want to homeschool?

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