individualized education – Schoolhouse Rocked

“Having Christ at the center of our homeschools means more than just isolated Bible lessons. It’s about integrating scripture into every aspect of our day and modeling a Christian life for our children.”
Amy Sloan

I recently sat down for a thought-provoking conversation with Amy Sloan, of Humility and Doxology, delving into the significance of making Christ the center of our homeschool. Offering a wealth of wisdom from her personal experiences, Amy shared valuable insights on nurturing faith, cultivating relationships, and embracing the unique journey of homeschooling. In this article, we will explore the key takeaways from this inspiring interview, highlighting a few powerful quotes from Amy that encapsulate the essence of her message.

“What I’m seeing even more clearly now is just what a gift it is to be able to bring the gospel to bear across everything we’re doing. This is our life, this is God’s world.”

A Comprehensive Christ-Centered Education:

Amy emphasizes the importance of nourishing our children’s hearts, minds, and souls in homeschooling. It goes beyond simply having isolated Bible lessons. Instead, integrating the teachings of Christ into every aspect of life lays a firm foundation for children to deeply understand and connect with their Creator and Savior. By making scripture a seamless part of their daily routines, homeschooling families have the opportunity to instill fundamental Christian values, build a sound Biblical worldview, and foster a genuine love for God’s Word in their children’s hearts.

Watch or listen to the first part of our interview with Amy Sloan here.

“We need to prioritize Christ as our ultimate goal, rather than viewing homeschooling as an idol. It is a powerful tool, but not the end-all solution.”

Balancing Priorities and Embracing God’s Sovereignty:

Amy reminds us of the danger of placing too much focus on homeschooling, inadvertently turning it into an idol. While homeschooling undoubtedly offers numerous benefits, it is essential to remember that our ultimate goal is to glorify Christ. By prioritizing our relationship with Him, rather than being consumed by the pressure to achieve specific outcomes through homeschooling, we find peace and freedom from fear and anxiety. Trusting in God’s sovereignty, we can rest assured that He is at work in our children’s lives, even when the journey becomes challenging or veers off the expected path.

Homeschooling to Nurture Faith and Family Bonding:

Throughout our conversation, Amy shared her personal experiences as a homeschooling mom (and second-generation homeschooler herself). She and her husband made the decision to homeschool even before they got married, recognizing the immense value in personalized education and the opportunity to prioritize their faith within their home. By homeschooling, they have been able to spend quality time with their children, witness each of their educational milestones, foster deep sibling connections, and integrate their faith into every aspect of learning.

Navigating Challenges and Encouragement for Parents:

Amy compassionately acknowledged the challenges parents may face during difficult seasons with their children, irrespective of age. She encourages parents to create safe spaces for their children to express their emotions, actively listen to their concerns, and nurture understanding rather than always trying to fix their problems. Sharing her personal struggles, Amy underscored the significance of family worship and the non-negotiable daily practice of devotions as a means to seek God’s guidance and strength – but she also recognizes that, ultimately, the outcome of homeschooling and parenting isn’t up to her. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, is the one who helps us understand and apply the Word of God. It is the Spirit who transforms hearts and enables obedience

Conclusion:

Hopefully, my conversation with Amy will serve as a guiding light for parents embarking on the homeschooling journey. With a resolute focus on Christ-centered education, Amy encourages parents to cultivate a holistic approach that seamlessly integrates scripture, family relationships, and individual faith growth into their homeschooling experiences. By embracing Christ as the ultimate goal, relinquishing control, and trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit, parents can navigate challenges, nurture their children’s hearts, and create an environment where their faith can flourish.

To listen to the full conversation with Amy Sloan, follow the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast on your favorite podcast app and embark on an empowering journey toward Christ-centered homeschooling. Also, please take a minute to share this article or Amy’s interview on social media. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to support the Schoolhouse Rocked Ministry.

Recommended Resources:

HumilityandDoxology.com

Homeschool Conversations With Humility and Doxology Podcast

Humility and Doxology on YouTube

Humility and Doxology on Instagram

Humility and Doxology on Facebook

Related Podcast Episodes:

Teaching the Classical Method – Amy Sloan on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast (Homeschool Surivival Series)

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we bring Christ to the center of our homeschooling in comprehensive ways beyond isolated Bible lessons?

2. What are some tangible ways we can integrate scripture into our daily routines and activities?

3. How can we model repentance and humility to our children, showing them the need for Jesus in our own lives?

4. Have you ever struggled with defining your relationship with your child by a challenging season? How can we avoid this tendency?

5. How can we consistently show unconditional love to our children, even in challenging moments?

6. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate love and affection to our children on a daily basis?

7. How can we ensure that we give equal attention and quality time to all of our children, even if some are easier to parent than others?

8. What are some benefits of homeschooling that you have personally experienced or observed?

9. How do you prioritize integrating your faith into your homeschooling, and how has it impacted your children’s understanding of God’s world?

10. How can we combat the misconception that the “right” curriculum or parenting model guarantees specific outcomes for our homeschooled children?

Read the Full Transcript:

In the wide world of homeschool articles, books, blogs, and videos you will see so many wonderful bits of information on how to do XYZ. Of course, no two are ever the same.

There are planners, methods, curriculum, and mission statements. Everything points to things you can do, checkboxes you can mark, and the goal is “productivity”. Though the result is often just more comparison.

But homeschooling isn’t a to-do list. It isn’t books, or Latin, or co-ops. It isn’t poetry tea time or map tracing.

While these things are good, full of beauty and truth, they aren’t the core of homeschool.

Homeschooling is an opportunity. A chance to make connections in your relationships with your children, to truly disciple them in the day to day living and teach them in the way they should go.

Homeschooling is a process of sanctification. A way for the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the things you say, think, and pray for your own children. The day to day teaching, correcting, and sharing of education with your children requires you to take time to be still, to quiet your heart and trust so that you can call upon the Lord’s strength to get through the hard moments with grace.

Homeschool is the creation of a family culture. Through your choice of materials, you line the hallways and bookshelves of your home creating an atmosphere of learning while these same items subtly share your ideals, priorities, and dreams with your children and all who enter your home. Your schedules and rituals set the tempo for your family, you have control over how rushed or calm the days are.

Homeschool is a choice to prioritize the creation of home as a safe place full of ideas, deepconversations, shared meals, and time together. There is grace, gratitude, and a deep appreciation for the small moments, small accomplishments, and daily victories that happens so much more freely in a home where being present together is a choice that has been made.

There is a sweetness and delight found in homeschooling, even through the hard seasons, that the time we are given with our children is short and that through choosing to homeschool we are making the most of those precious years.

Homeschooling is celebrating Ebenezer moments and teaching our children that hard times bring forth fruit.

Homeschool is not something you do, but rather a way of living that builds up your children, that strengthens your faith, and that lays a foundation of solid family culture for future generations.

In the process, you get to checkmark that your kids get a wonderful individualized education. That’s why homeschooling is awesome.

Written by Lara Molettiere with Everyday Graces . . .Cultivating Learning, Love & Life

Tag: individualized education

Bringing Christ-Centered Homeschooling to Life: Insights from Amy Sloan