Teaching

I love teaching! I knew from the time I was in 4th grade that I wanted to be a teacher. It is my God-given gift. It is my passion!

It took me a while to get through college and earn my teaching degree. I got a job right away, but then I was pregnant with our first child my entire year of my first year of teaching (he was born in late May). I ended up resigning from the school district I taught in because we thought we were moving to another state for a new job for my husband. The plan was to put our child in childcare and I would find a teaching job, but the company my husband worked for came through with a great offer and we ended up staying in the city I resigned from. We decided I would go ahead and be a stay-at-home mom. I felt lost for a while because I didn't know what to do with my teaching gift. I worked at church with the kids in the nursery through college-aged and that helped, but I wanted more teaching opportunities. Then, after my husband witnessed a few families at our church who homeschooled, and seeing how difficult public school teachers have it based on my experience, he decided when our son was 3 and we had our second child that we could homeschool. I had been wanting to do this from the time I learned of homeschooling back in my college days and before we were married and had children. I just knew this was something I wanted to do. Now, I realize this was a calling from God, but I didn't know that before.

We do not advocate homeschooling to everyone. It is a decision we made and it works for us. Me nor my husband were homeschooled, we were taught in public school. But, I love teaching my children. I love the flexibility of homeschooling. I love that we belong to a homeschool co-op. I love that our city has so many businesses that offer homeschool classes--the zoo, botanica, sports leagues, and more. I love choosing the curriculum I get to teach and watching my children grow. They are both so different and learn with different styles, and at different learning rates, and as a homeschool mom, I can teach them they way they need taught.

We just finished another great semester with our homeschool co-op where I taught 2 classes. I have decided to take a break from teaching next semester and instead will just be a helper mom in classes. But, I hope to be back teaching next fall. We have been at our co-op for several years and have gotten to know the families and kids so well. My son is a 5th grader and my daughter a 2nd grader, and I usually try to teach classes for both of them. I choose classes to teach that I need to teach my children, so why not open it up to others at the co-op as well. I really need the break, but it was so nice to hear my students tell me they wish I was teaching next semester. I usually take class pics with my students, but I totally forgot this semester. Ugh! But, I know that in a couple of months I will get to see their smiling faces again. I can't wait!