Kelly | The Homeschool Co-op

A Homeschool Teacher’s Perspective

by Kelly | Sep 23, 2011 | Featured Fridays | 2 comments

During my recent visit to the Cowichan Valley, I was privileged enough to meet with Steve Bastian, a homeschool teacher, working with Heritage Christian Online in British Columbia. We had a great chat on all things homeschooling – from a teacher’s point of view. 1. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a homeschool teacher with Heritage Christian Online School. My wife Carrie and I have two young boys, Silas (3) and Boaz (1). My mother was a certified teacher, who started homeschooling with my sister. She pulled her out of school because of behavioural issues she recognized from being a teacher. Later, she homeschooled me from grades 7 to 9. I then completed high school through Distance Education. 2. How did you become a homeschool teacher? I had plans to be a clinical psychologist, but one of my professors recommended I become a teacher. I had never thought about it before, but I decided to try out some education classes. At first, I fought it, because I didn’t want to be a teacher like my mom. Originally, I wanted to teach high school, so I geared my college education towards middle school. However, when I graduated, there were few options for teachers in Alberta (where I lived at the time). I took a job in Medicine Hat as a special education teacher, and enjoyed the area. When I found a job at Heritage Christian, it took me a long time to believe it. I would be working in the special education field, as a teacher, with homeschoolers. And it was an independent, Christian school, but my position...

The Autumnal Equinox: Welcoming Fall

by Kelly | Sep 19, 2011 | Inspiration Mondays | 2 comments

September 23rd is officially the first day of fall. The autumnal equinox, in fancy terms. I always look forward to fall, as it’s my favorite season. Something about the crispness of the air, and the excitement of new beginnings. It always feels like the start of a new year – which, in many ways, it is. This year is the first that we will be consciously learning at home with our children. I refer to it this way, because, of course we have been learning all along. However, as I have spent the past year immersed in homeschooling research and learning, this fall feels different. Like an exciting new challenge for our family. I am more aware of our learning (and more excited about the possibilities) than I have been in the past. And I am thrilled that we have decided to do it together (no preschool for my son this year). This fall feels special. As exciting and fresh as the crisp, cool air. And so, I have been mindful of how to usher it in properly. What sort of special ceremonies, activities or thoughts should we use to welcome the new season? 1. Prepare a special meal, complete with placemats and candles and an autumnal menu for our family. Not only will my son love helping me with this, I know we will all appreciate a little ceremony, at a time when the speed of life is about to pick up for all of us. This recipe for pumpkin bread intrigues me for one (although pumpkins aren’t officially in season here, yet). Perhaps that special meal will...

Inside a Homeschool Co-op with Dana Corbett

by Kelly | Sep 15, 2011 | Featured Fridays | 1 comment

Part two of a five-part series on homeschoolers in the Cowichan Valley, BC. Homeschooling mom, Dana Corbett, sat down with me a few weeks ago, and described her unique homeschooling arrangement. Below, she tells me a bit about how a homeschool co-op is mutually beneficial to three unique families. 1. Tell us a bit about your family We are a family of five. Dana (35), Kevin (39), Noah (12), Anna (10), and Mollie (8). We homeschool together with 2 other families (moms Karen, Freya and Dana). We all have very different approaches to homeschooling. I am quite structured. Karen takes a Waldorf approach, and Freya is much more relaxed and unstructured. We are all enrolled under Heritage Christian Online, though. 2. Have you always known you wanted to homeschool? No. The kids went to public school until 2 years ago. We watched a good friend homeschooling for years, but I always said it wasn’t for me. As time passed, though, I found I wanted to spend more time with the kids. I had no grand illusions that I could teach better, but I didn’t want our day to look that full. I wanted our mornings to look different. If we homeschooled, at least interactions would go their full course. I didn’t want to regret not trying it, and, we had friends doing it… Then we moved into our neighbourhood. That sealed the deal. There are three families that live one street apart from each other. One became a homeschool online teacher, and we all decided to homeschool under her. 3. What is your favorite thing about homeschooling? The mornings. We...