He Sows, She Sews: Homeschool Portrait - Diane

For today's portrait of a mom who teaches at home, I'd like to introduce Diane.? She's a part of the homeschool group our family goes to, and we have known each other through a previous church.? She was one of the women I was privileged to carpool with and attend the homeschool convention together last Spring.? I always feel smarter walking away from conversations with her, especially when the previous 20 conversations I've had that day have been with preschoolers and covers the topic of "Lightening McQueen."? I've always thought she is so smart and has such a generous spirit

Tell us about your family.? How many kids do you have, and what are their ages?
We have six kids, David (14), Mary (10), Elizabeth (9), Thomas (7), Sarah (5), Alexandra (3).

Are all of your children home educated?
The oldest four are "school age" and are educated at home. Sarah is really preschool age but I do some kindergarten and 1st grade work with her.

Do you or your husband work?? What sort of work are you into?
My husband, Clark works at The Rental Store and Central Lakes Cycle. I worked part time evenings at Home Depot but finished around mid May so it probably doesn't even count.?

?How much of an education do you have?? If you went to college, what did you major in?
I have a BA in Missions and Theology from Bethany College of Missions, a BA in Philosophy and Music from Boston College, and a JD from the University of Minnesota law School?

?Which curriculum or homeschool philosophy do you follow?
I follow The Well Trained Mind for my curriculum. The book is really a classical approach to education with many options for curriculum. I use most of this top picks. Along with the regular subjects we study Latin, Logic, Art, Music, and Spanish (Rosetta Stone) My oldest son takes pre-calculus online at Potter's School.??

?I know that it's a loaded question, so answer as briefly or detailed as you like.? Why did you decide to homeschool?
We sent David to school for kindergarten and first grade. I really didn't like having him away so long but it was what everyone did (or so I thought). We begin to notice that he was advanced and thought he would do better at his own pace. We also noticed that some of the philosophy of the school seemed a bit anti-boy. This made us very uncomfortable. Lastly, there seemed a real separation between parents and teachers. I guess ultimately, I wanted to be more involved in his life. I wanted to be there and watch him learn and teach him our values all day long. Once we started, it all made sense.

What does a typical school day look like in your home?
We try to start around 8:15 all together in the living room. We have an opening time which includes prayer, Latin songs, scripture recitation, poetry reading and memory. We then go where our schedule tells us to go. We have a schedule we try to follow but are flexible if need be. Our days can be long because we do a lot of reading. I try to have the kids read 1 hour a day and some days I read to them.

What do you find is the hardest part about home educating?
I guess the hardest part is keeping it all together -- or at least attempting. I prioritize school which means the house can get messy which drives me crazy and makes it hard to to school. This makes me frustrated and unhappy. Not a good place for a homeschool mom to be.

What do you personally for fun?? Do you have any guilty pleasures?
For fun we like to take the kids places -- biking in Itasca Park is our favorite. I also like to read.

?What are some of your favorite resources???
The book The Well Trained Mind has been my best resource combined with the library.

?Any advice for those just starting out homeschooling?
My advice would be, if God has called you to homeschool, commit yourself to it, find a support group of people to help you with questions, and trust God to give you the ability to do it. The benefits are so amazing.

Source: http://www.hesowsandshesews.com/2011/07/homeschool-portrait-diane.html

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