There are so many reasons to love homeschooling your kids. Over the years we’ve had the profound privilege of partnering with families in the journey of home educated and it’s been a joy to see how each family does it uniquely!
One of the fundamental principles that make homeschooling so special is the ability to have a completely customized educational experience. Every day you get to choose your own adventure for your student and family. This is what I think is one of the most awesome things about homeschooling.
After years of working in both public and private education sectors, I’ve seen both the benefits and pitfalls of the U.S. Education system. Over the last 2 decades, I’ve come to appreciate the way that no two students are alike and I’ve seen how powerful it can be to create an educational path that works WITH each student. As a home educator, I applaud you; you are prioritizing the needs of your child and setting them up for a life that can be rich and engaging! By customizing your child’s education, you get returns in every aspect of life.
Here are three powerful impacts I see among families that tailor the educational opportunities of their children:
Freedom
Nothing is more powerful for a homeschool family than the freedom to explore, play, travel, pursue unique interests, and set their own schedules. My family has personally prioritized travel and our children have learned incredible LIFE lessons about people, the planet, different cultures, and faith because of the freedom we have been given through our limitless education opportunities. Online education has been a big part of that freedom. Being able to learn from anywhere in the world can give your family a chance to break out of the mold and routine and engage with life in new ways. What a joy to join you in that!
Forward-motion
Nothing can hold your child back! The joy of seeing your students excel and learn is the foundational pleasure of participating in their education, but when you remove the hurdles that often come in larger classrooms, it allows your child to learn at a pace that is natural for them. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing your child quickly grasp concepts and move through material and hyper-speed. At the same time, the ability to remove outside pressure and let your students truly learn material that is harder for them to grasp, and seeing them work diligently to grow and expand is just as important and powerful. True learning is only “self-paced” and seeing this play out has become a cornerstone of my curriculum development. It’s the reason why some of our most popular courses are the “self-paced” curriculum that allows students to gain true understanding, independent study skills, and the support needed to grasp and retain new ideas in math and beyond. It’s such an honor to witness students as they take on this challenge and move forward.
Fascination
By removing many of the standardized curriculum restrictions that more formal school settings require, you open up so much space for your child to explore their natural curiosity. Giving your child the power to learn something that truly lights them up and interests them is one of the biggest gifts you can give them, and it has lifelong effects. Allowing your child to play sports, music, learn about animals, travel, play, and read things that inspire them, teaches them that learning isn’t something boring or hard… it’s an essential tool for an enjoyable life! This might sound funny coming from a math teacher but it’s something that I live by for myself, as well as make possible for my children. It’s also the main reason why I’ve expanded Mr. D Math to include curriculum on a wide array of topics that keep students inspired and excited about life and learning. The newest and spiciest additions to our course list are Flamenco Dance and Flamenco Guitar.
My son, Raffa became interested in Flamenco dance and was accepted into the Spanish Ballet. He has worked hard and grown immensely in his love for this art, culture, and the opportunities this had created for his life are endless! It was a true joy to work together with Raffa and his world-class instructors to bring this lively musical and cultural experience to the WORLD through Mr. D Online courses. If you’re interested in learning more about it, click here.
I admire you, as a parent and teacher, taking on life in powerful ways with your children. It makes me excited every day to think about the thousands of current and former students we’ve touched by saying YES to real life and finding ways to make education work for our kids. Thanks for continuing this journey with me.
–Mr. D
