“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”
-Alex Haley
“It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living.”
– Charlotte M. Mason
Ever since I learned what homeschooling was a child I have been intrigued by the concept. I was exposed to exactly one homeschool family growing up and had an aunt who briefly homeschooled my cousins. It was an idea that captured me (and still does). In my early twenties as a magazine photographer I enjoyed reading the blogs of homeschoolers, dreaming of perhaps having the opportunity to one day home educate my own children. My homeschool journey has been neither traditional nor linear. My children have and do attend traditional school and we also supplement with significant material at home. Presently, I am a hybrid homeschooler: providing my children with lots of at home learning and also sending them to a wonderful school that we deeply appreciate. I imagine my future may involve full-time homeschooling, but hybrid seems to work best for our family at the present time.
I am passionate about delayed enrollment in kindergarten, and have chosen to keep my children in part-time Montessori pre-school and pre-k through their fifth year. We are also participants in the most incredible Forest School, and I’m joining our leader this coming homeschool season in leading handicrafts. It is a program that has dramatically impacted and benefitted our family, and frankly me personally– we are so, SO grateful to experience it.
on a field trip with our Forest School friends to the Bell Museum, a feast for the mind and the eyes!
I’ve had the honor and privilege of emceeing at the Wild+Free homeschool conference in 2022, and have written and photographed for their lovely magazine periodically since. I’d describe myself as a Charlotte Mason Classical inspired mother-educator grounded in the Catholic tradition of classical education with a deep reverence and respect for honoring childhood and time in nature. I firmly reject hustle, striving, and achieving culture in favor of cultivating instead a deep love of learning, identities firmly rooted in Christ, family-centered living, and focus on elevating my children’s natural God-given talents. I see myself as a loving guide and partner in the schooling process. I believe one of the best ways to improve the greater education system for all is by the actions of those who can and are able to disrupt it. One way to change things we aren’t in alignment with is by opting out of participating in them.
“They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done. They left.”
-Isabel Wilkerson
There are truly so many beautiful, grounding parts of homeschooling, and I’ll admit I feel both a strong passion and zeal for it. Some of the best moments we’ve had so far have been learning alongside each other and discovering together out of doors in all seasons. I’m amazed at what my children pick up, feel deeply called to this meaningful work, and grateful for the opportunity to even pursue it.
