Celebrate Your Homeschool Journey

EP228: Let's talk about why and how to celebrate your homeschool journey!

Ever find yourself staring at unfinished lessons, math workbooks, or art projects at the end of the year? If you're feeling that familiar weight of disappointment about what didn't get accomplished this year, you're not alone. 

In this episode of the Art of Homeschooling, I discuss why shifting our focus toward what did happen strengthens the learning, builds connections, and creates positive momentum in our homeschools. 

When we celebrate progress, our brains release dopamine, which strengthens neural pathways and cements learning in ways that help reinforce the learning. 

You've accomplished more than you realize. Celebrating allows you and your kiddos to embrace progress over perfection!

Find the Show Notes here  https://artofhomeschooling.com/episode228/

Check out all the ways I can help you here.

Chapters

• 0:40 Why we should shift our focus from what didn't get done to what did
• 3:48 Why celebration matters
• 4:55 Celebration & neuroplasticity
• 7:28 What to celebrate
• 8:15 How to celebrate
• 11:00 Your homeschool does not need to be perfect!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

You're listening to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help parents cultivate creativity and connection at home. I'm your host, jean Miller, and here on this podcast you'll find stories and inspiration to bring you the confidence you need to make homeschooling work for your family. Let's begin. Hello, my friend, and welcome to the Art of Homeschooling podcast. It is the month of May as I'm recording this episode and as summer approaches, many of you are wrapping up your homeschooling year. Believe me when I tell you I know how tempting it is to look around and focus on. Just think about what didn't get done, the unfinished projects, the books still on the shelves, the plans that just didn't quite happen, or even the skipped lessons. But what if we shifted that focus? What if we paused and instead turned our gaze toward what did happen? Today I want to talk about the power of celebration, because when we take time to reflect on our journey, our homeschooling journey, the big accomplishments and the little ones, we actually strengthen learning, connection and confidence. Celebration is a powerful grounding practice and one that can help create momentum in our homeschools. Research in both neuroscience and psychology tells us that celebration isn't just feel-good fluff. When we recognize our progress, our brains release dopamine, reinforcing memory and motivation. In fact, research out of Harvard Business School shows that reflecting on what we've done helps us perform better. Moving forward, I'll link to a specific paper in the show notes called Learning by Thinking how Reflection Aids Performance. Just go to artofhomeschoolingcom, slash episode 228, to find those show notes.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Now, in our homeschooling lives, where so much of our days are packed with different subjects to cover, skills to practice, even meals to prepare, reflection and celebration can easily be overlooked. That's why, in today's episode, I'm inviting you to pause, take a breath and consider the beauty of what you've already created this year. Yes, there will be things you didn't get to. There always will be. I think you may even feel behind or frustrated, upset with yourself, but just set all that aside for the moment, gather and take in all the learning that did happen and then find a way to celebrate that. Let's explore how simple rituals of celebration can give us that sense of closure, some clarity and even courage as we step into the slower, spacious rhythm of summertime. As we step into the slower, spacious rhythm of summertime, here we go.

Speaker 1: 3:49

First up, why celebration matters. In Waldorf education, rhythm and reverence are central to everything we do, and celebration is a form of closure and connection, so let's build that into our rhythm. Celebration strengthens motivation and resilience for both the child and the parent. Looking back helps us see the bigger picture and see the growth, rather than just checklists or what should have been done. Celebration can actually lift us up out of feelings of despair and help us sustain our momentum on our homeschooling journey, and celebration builds a family culture of celebrating and creates beautiful memories for all. Now I want you to take this to heart. Reflection without celebration can feel sometimes like criticism, but reflection with celebration turns into affirmation.

Speaker 1: 4:55

Here's something I find so fascinating and affirming, as both a homeschooler and an educator Dr Lara Boyd, who is a neuroscientist and researcher in the field of brain-based learning. Neuroscientist and researcher in the field of brain-based learning explains that our brains change based on what we do, what we think and what we experience. This is called neuroplasticity. In the show notes a link to a well-known TED talk that Dr Boyd gave on celebration and the brain. Neuroplasticity is a relatively new concept. Prior to about the mid 1990s, it was believed that the brain did not keep growing past early childhood, but with the latest technology and scientific research, we now know that our brains can reorganize themselves and new neural connections can be made throughout our lives.

Speaker 1: 5:52

And one of the keys to making learning stick is the presence of positive reinforcement, those aha moments, feelings of pride and yes, celebration. Not the platitudes of good job that we sometimes almost reflexively find ourselves saying to our kiddos, but rather seeing their efforts, the work that they've completed, seeing that for what they are and helping our children notice their progress as well. When we celebrate progress, no matter how small, we help strengthen the neural pathways associated with that activity. That's how celebration can improve learning. So when you take a moment to acknowledge your child's effort or your own, even when you say out loud, look how far we've come, you're literally helping the brain hold on to that learning more deeply. And that's why celebration matters, not as a reward or a gold star or some false praise, but as a real moment of connection and reinforcement, to be able to say you did it, we did it. This is worth pausing for and taking a moment to appreciate. Those little moments of acknowledgement go a long way in helping our children grow into lifelong learners, and that's what we want. These can also, these little moments, help us feel more grounded and confident in our role as homeschool guides, homeschool leaders.

Speaker 1: 7:28

Now you might be wondering what to celebrate. There are so many things, but let's start with a list of ideas for you. You can celebrate the main lesson books, handwork projects, paintings and drawings. Celebrate progress with certain skills, such as in reading or writing, math. And Celebrate accomplishments that aren't just academic Growth in character, habits, relationships and emotional milestones, moments of connection, the days you read aloud on the couch, nature walks you take together field trips, breakthroughs in learning. And celebrate the behind-the-scenes work, the planning, the pivoting, the showing up with love, even on hard days.

Speaker 1: 8:16

Now here are some ideas for how to celebrate and of course, this can range from very simple to more elaborate but celebrating the end of a homeschool year. It might be different every year, but it is such a wonderful tradition to establish. I love hearing all the creative ideas that, inspired at Home, members come up with to celebrate their homeschooling year, and here is a list of a few really fun ideas you might want to consider trying. The first is to create a year-end review ritual. You could just simply light a candle, share a favorite memory, read aloud a few main lesson book entries, or look through photos and the work that's been done. You could gather for a family celebration circle and go around and ask everyone what they loved learning most this year or what they're most proud of. Make a learning portfolio not for documentation, but to simply honor the journey right Drawings, writing samples, pictures, quotes. Have a homeschool showcase or a celebration meal and invite grandparents or extended family, have your child present, simply show or talk about something that they loved learning. You could also write thank you notes to each other, to yourself, to your children. Even to imaginary helpers, like the fairy of patience, you could write a thank you note Honestly.

Speaker 1: 9:51

Celebrating your year can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. Maybe it's going out for ice cream, taking a camping trip, or pitching a tent in the backyard, gathering with friends for a potluck, going to the beach there's so many ways that you could celebrate the end of a homeschooling year. Whatever your celebration looks like, bring all of your love and appreciation for homeschooling to this moment, because your celebration will then set the tone for summertime and what's to come next. Here are just a few reminders for you as we wrap up. Celebration creates emotional closure and leaves space for rest and renewal. Celebration helps reset the narrative from what we didn't do to look at what we did do. Celebration gives you momentum to plan from a place of empowerment rather than pressure. It models for your children how to acknowledge effort and honor growth. And celebration allows you all to embrace progress over perfection.

Speaker 1: 11:01

Remember this your homeschool does not need to be perfect. It simply needs to be personal. So I invite you to take a moment this week to celebrate in whatever way feels natural to you and your family. I hope this episode has given you lots of food for thought and some ideas to consider. I want to close by saying you've done so much more than you realize. Let that be the story that carries you into summer. Thanks for being here, my friend, and I'll see you in the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast. Bye for now. That's all for today, my friend, but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection, let's focus on connection. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast.