Guest blog featuring Candi Schultz
I homeschooled all three of my children from preschool through middle school. Looking back
over our journey, I can see the vital role a homeschool community played in my kids’
well-rounded education, growth, and socialization. You can create community through online
classes, cooperatives, mom’s groups, and field trip groups. My children and I have done them
all, and it was invaluable to the richness and excellence of our homeschool experience. Through
some reflection, I’ve found a few key reasons why the homeschool community plays such an
integral role in our homeschooling journey.
Homeschool Communities Offer Support
Let’s face it. Homeschooling is not always easy. There are days of remarkable victory and days
of banging your head against the desk. Gathering support from other homeschooling families is
so important to balance these highs and lows. Knowing you are not alone in work and that
others are facing the same road bolsters encourages you and your children along the way.
Sharing triumphs, struggles, and resources give you and your children roots that dig deep and
enable growth.
I started in a small cooperative with five other homeschooling moms and their children. We took
turns going to each other’s houses, teaching, planning field trips, and having fun. Those moms
were so instrumental in keeping me encouraged, and my children made life-long friends. So
reach out and connect to create your own homeschool community.
Homeschool Community Offers Socialization
When I first started homeschooling my daughter, I constantly heard, “Aren’t you worried she
won’t be socialized?” They pictured my girl and me sitting at home day after day doing school
work alone at the kitchen table.
My daughter is now twenty, just graduated from college, and will be teaching at an elementary
school in the fall. I can tell you she was abundantly socialized. My children were more socialized
because our homeschool community included families with kids of all ages. She wasn’t isolated
with only her peer group in a classroom. She interacted with adults and those younger and older
than her. She learned how to communicate and work in teams with people in various stages of
life.
Homeschool Community Offers Specialization
We cannot be experts at everything as homeschooling moms. I found this to be especially true
as my kids got into higher grade levels. There are subjects that we specialize in and those that
are a struggle. An advantage of creating a homeschool community is people of all different
backgrounds and talents can work together.
In my homeschool cooperative, we had parents that loved writing, parents that loved history,
parents that loved math and science, and parents that loved planning field trips. Each of us
could take an area of specialization and teach all the kids. Math is my specialty, and I love
teaching it, but it might be a struggle or a source of frustration for another mom or dad. Why not
divide and conquer and gather experts in each area of learning?
Online classes offer another excellent community resource as well. Working with a trained
teacher with a group of students in a specific subject creates friendships and support. For
example, although I’m not currently homeschooling, I still love to assist homeschooling students;
That’s why I teach Algebra and Geometry with Mr. D Math. I’ve seen tight-knit groups form as
we work together through their math journey.
How To Form Your Own Homeschool Community
You can create a homeschool support system in many ways. It could be formal like online
classes or very informal, like a group of parents with shared interests and goals getting together
once a week. Start by searching online for resources in your area. Go to a local homeschool
conference to see what opportunities are out there for you and your kids. State homeschooling
parent groups can give you a good launching point as well. If you know someone else that
homeschools, ask them what they do to gain connections.
You are not on your own. Homeschooling resources have become so diverse and abundant. So
take the time to get plugged in somewhere. I promise, as it did for my family and me, it will
enrich your homeschooling endeavors and add joy to the adventure!
Here at Mr. D Math, we want to support you. So please check out the large variety of classes
that can complement your lessons at home. I hope to see you in one of my classes in the fall
and be a part of your homeschool community.
More about Mr. D Math teacher Candi Schultz!
My name is Candi Schultz. I’m from southern California and have been living in Florida since 2014 with my husband, the love of my life, our three children, and our gigantic Golden Doodle. Beyond a love for mathematics, I enjoy singing, dancing, and acting. I’ve done all three professionally and I still am blessed to sing in my church choir and act in skits. I have homeschooled since my firstborn was in kindergarten. Currently, I facilitate Mr. D Math Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II at Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Academy in Tarpon Springs, Florida. I also lead online help sessions every week. In 2018, I will take on the role of principal of Lighthouse. Teaching has been my passion since I graduated with my bachelor of science degree in Accountancy. I have taught in public charter schools, private schools, and homeschool Co-ops. I love the opportunity to make math understandable for the students I work with. It is such a privilege to watch them grow and for math to change from being a confusing drudgery to a confidence-building skill. Spending time with our students is incredible. It is wonderful to watch their individual talents and personalities come through as they work.
