Let’s talk homeschool. We have been homeschooling for 2 years. T was in public school from preschool to 5th grade and during 5th grade, we made the switch. At the time, I was going through a hard chemo and was literally just trying to survive, but I KNEW he needed this switch to thrive. We started with an online academy that he could do at his own pace and he did it as best he could. After my 6 months of chemo, we changed to more me being the teacher… and honestly, it was the struggle bus. Homeschooling is not easy. It’s so different from any other activity I’d ever done. There was no break from T. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy all of the one on one time… but I still wasn’t feeling great and he needed me to really be at the top of my game. So we hobbled through year one.
This year, I attended a meeting with our weekly co-op and got to see the books they were using for classes. They were the same books that we used in public school, Saxon math, etc. I was excited because I knew I could recreate a public school pedagogy, I DO have a degree in education. So I started creating subjects and resources and getting the year planned out. THIS WAS IT! I can do this! I felt like the little engine that could. THEN, In august, after we had already been in school about 3 weeks, I learned about a program called “Put Your School Year on AutoPilot” and I bought in… who doesn’t want to put their homeschool on autopilot … not that I wanted to coast through, it was more to keep me on track and encouraged. It teaches systems and planning and things I’d never even heard of (but make life so much easier!) It was there that I learned about the different philosophical methods most home school moms are using. My mind was BLOWN!
I learned about
Classical Education:
Classical education, rooted in Roman and Greek traditions, focuses on the Trivium—grammar (foundation of knowledge), logic (critical thinking), and rhetoric (persuasive communication)—to develop well-rounded, articulate individuals. In modern homeschooling, this method equips children with strong language skills, analytical reasoning, and effective communication, fostering lifelong learning and wisdom.
Charlotte Mason:
The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes living books, narration, nature study, and habit training to cultivate a love for learning and strong character. In modern homeschooling, this approach nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong appreciation for beauty and knowledge through rich literature, hands-on experiences, and gentle, structured discipline.
Waldorf
The Waldorf method emphasizes holistic, arts-integrated learning that nurtures imagination, creativity, and a deep connection to nature. In modern homeschooling, this approach fosters a love for learning by aligning education with a child’s developmental stages, incorporating storytelling, hands-on crafts, and rhythmic routines to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and emotional well-being.
Unschooling
Unschooling is a child-led, interest-driven approach that prioritizes curiosity, exploration, and real-world experiences over formal curricula. In modern homeschooling, this method fosters a love for lifelong learning by allowing children to pursue their passions at their own pace, developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and independence through everyday life and hands-on discovery.
School at home (which I had created but DID NOT want)
The School-at-Home method mirrors traditional classroom education with structured lessons, textbooks, and a set schedule, often using online programs or packaged curricula. In modern homeschooling, this approach provides consistency and academic rigor while allowing families to customize learning to fit their values, pace, and individual student needs.
I researched each… and fell in love with Classical education. I also saw the value and wonderfulness of the Charlotte Mason method. In August, I chose the Classical approach and ordered the big kit of teachers manuals and student workbooks, steaming availability, and the like. I was so excited to start… I continued reading about the methods and knew in my soul that this was right, but man… it was nothing like anything I’d ever encountered and the lessons were hard. They were hard to me to teach and I struggled. Because of this, it was easy to just avoid schooling and do more things that were like unschooling and side missions. Did we still watch nature documentaries and discuss and talk about things like habitat and food chains? Yes, yes we did… did we continue to learn Latin? No, no we did not. This went on for a while and yes we did math, and history, and he was learning (sometimes AFTER the lesson he would say, we learned this in 4th grade … LOL He could have told me that in the beginning and I’d have chosen something new). BUT we weren’t learning in the Classical method. I see that learning is learning and it wasn’t a waste of a year, but it wasn’t the best the year could have been. What I LOVE about Classical education is that it teaches you how to think. How to reason and think through problems… it teaches logic… WHILE teaching other subjects. To me, those traits are greatly valued and I want to pass them on.
SO, today, I’m recommitted to my Classical education resources. We will be using and learning all the things from the Classical perspective. I’m excited for this journey and it has breathed new life into my heart for homeschool. Here’s to finishing year 2 strong!
(OH! And I also reorganized my bookshelf! And why not throw a picture of my school cart all cleaned up!)
