The Unique Power of a Homeschool Parent: Innovation
Innovator.
Innovator is my word for this homeschool year.
in·no·va·tor ˈinəˌvādər/ noun1. a person who introduces new methods, ideas, or products.
I am an educational innovator. I am on the cutting edge of bringing education into the 21st century. I am in the practice of creating new methods, ideas, and maybe even products.
And I am not the only one.
The power of educational innovation rests in the hands of every homeschool parent on this planet.
Homeschool parents have some unique advantages when it comes to educational innovation.
Want to listen to this post instead of reading it?
We are not bound by a set of common core standards or any set of standards that are currently “en vogue” with the powers that be. We have access to those standards, but we are not tied to them. We can choose to follow aspects of them, but we have fields of freedom in the implementation.
Our homeschools are not required to adopt any one particular educational philosophy. We are free to explore a Classical approach, ground ourselves in the teachings of Charlotte Mason, adopt a method of unschooling, learn with unit studies, or follow our own eclectic mix of these methods. Most of us tend toward one or two of the overarching educational philosophies, but we are free to bend and stretch the principles as needed.
But some of us are scared to do the bending and the stretching. We continue to force a philosophy, a practice, or a curriculum even when something just isn’t working. We don’t always feel confident to modify or update an approach.
But we should.
Homeschooling parents are the very people who should be ushering in a new era of education. An era that embraces the research, science, philosophy, and technology of the post-modern time period that we live in.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we reject the philosophies of that past in their entirety! Instead, we recognize the value in aspects of the educational methods and approaches of the 20th century but we adopt them and update them for the 21st century.
We are the educators of our time.
We have fantastic access to research in the field of education, psychology, and science. Do you realize that our understanding of quantum physics impacts how we should be educating our kids? Mind-blowing. Worthy of consideration.
Technology is a powerful tool in our educational arsenal. We can learn how to use it to bring information from all over the world straight into our classrooms.
We can usher in the future of education right through our own front doors.
And while it can feel overwhelming, I mean for it to be empowering.
YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Proceed with confidence as the teacher.
Innovator.
(These thoughts were inspired by my time at the Brave Writer: Be Good to You 2016 retreat with Julie Bogart of Brave Writer)
RELATED POSTS:
Five Days of Innovative Education
Embracing Good Enough
Encouragement for the Homeschool Mom
Party School Book Club Ideas
- 5 Simple Ideas to Encourage Creative Writing With Young Kids - May 3, 2023
- 24 Creative Ways to Have Fun with Your Family in May - April 27, 2023
- The Ultimate Guide to Poetry Collections for Kids - April 10, 2023
Rock on, mama!! Every homeschooling mama I know needs to read this and believe in the truth of it.
Thanks girl! We do need to BELIEVE it!
Mary, I absolutely love this. We live in the culture of “the expert” where moms have so many opportunities to feel unqualified to do what they were designed to do! Thanks for these wise words of encouragement and inspiration!!
Thank girls! It is SO hard to feel like we are the experts with our own kids, but we are. There is much to gain from “experts” out there, but we have to feel confident in our final say!
Awesome message & inspiration for new school year, Mary! Love the picture of your hand!! ❤
Thanks girl! That picture was in my mind as the post was developing. The picture was created before the post. LOL!
I just read your post and the link you provided in Innovator, The piece, What Quantum Physics Tells Us About How We Should Educate Our Kids, oh my. Mind. Blown. Don’t know if you have ever seen Dr. Shefali Tsabary on Oprah, but her talk and her book called The Conscious Parent ties into this. There really is a shift happening and an evolution in what we think about education, connection, parent/child relationship. Not sure if I am making sense, but in my head it all sounds perfect, lol! ????????
Dr. Shefali Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4HBqR0aov4
Dr. Shefali Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6cvX13tdl4
Anyway, thank you. I love the visual to this post. It feels really strong and powerful. A real statement, if you will. Love it, love it!
-Lelhani from Las Vegas