Don’t let fear stop you!
“God equips you if you are called to it.”
By Cassie Moran
Sept. 29, 2020
Joslyn is a mother of five children, three of whom are currently school-aged, and has been homeschooling for five years. Joslyn herself was homeschooled along with her six sisters. While she knew she would want to homeschool her own children, the challenge was still a mountain to be conquered. “My mom was so structured and successful. I felt pressure to be like that- to need a classroom and a schedule,” Joslyn says. Joslyn was not homeschooled with Classical Conversations, although some of her younger sisters were. “Looking at them, I felt uneducated. I didn’t feel qualified.” But Joslyn is a free-thinker who loves adventures. Overcoming these fears, she dove right into the adventure of homeschooling and Classical Conversations, and found what worked best for her and her kids.
“The classical model is very different from the public or private model- people think that is how it has to be. It’s hard to break away from that,” Joslyn explains. This may scare some people, but it should not be a deterrent. Parents learn alongside their children. What better way to foster a love of learning? Additionally, Classical Conversations adheres to the “stick-in-the-sand model,” meaning everything should be able to be taught with a stick and sand- written or drawn. This does not mean the curriculum is effortless for children, but rather speaks to the fact that it is not overcomplicated or unteachable for parents. Anything worthwhile will not be easy, and while transitioning to a homeschool classical education mindset may be a challenge, it is one most worthwhile, for which parents are qualified.
The classical model is very different from the public or private model- people think that is how it has to be. It’s hard to break away from that.
While you, the parent, are certainly capable, Joslyn points out that by no means do you have to go at it alone. Joslyn stresses that the support is abundant. Classical Conversations provides assistance from an area director who has all the answers you need, to online support and Facebook pages, to Parent Practicums. Becoming a tutor and then starting her own Classical Conversations community has even allowed Joslyn to lend help to other parents as well. The homeschooling community itself is large and collaborative, and today the internet provides resources as well. Joslyn’s best advice? “Give yourself and your child grace. God equips you if you are called to it.”
Do not fear homeschooling. Do not fear Classical Conversations. Do not even fear the indoctrination of government schools, but rather, take action against it.
