Suze and her husband homeschool their three girls aged 10, 7 and 2 from their suburban home in Adelaide. Not only is she the primary homeschooling parent, Suze is also a teacher by trade and in this episode we discuss how she reconciles educating her own children at home whilst working in a school setting and the importance of advocating for all children, not just our own.
SUMMARY
- Suze reflects on the contradictions of her own schooling - uniform mandates, compulsory sport - and the hangovers of people pleasing and authority intimidation
- How the introduction of the national curriculum shifted things for her professionally, witnessing the effects of the academic push down to do more younger
- Her eldest daughter's apathetic experience of school and how Suze reacted to the commonly touted advice "She'll adapt"
- Her husbands (hilarious in hindsight) reaction to her suggestion of considering homeschool and how he came around to the idea
- “I actually can’t reconcile what I know and believe about learning now with being a classroom teacher.”
- How Suze and her husband structure their week with support from her parents so they can both work and homeschool
- Time, freedom, front row seats and watching her children choose to be friends are just some of her favourite things about this lifestyle
- The challenges of homeschooling aren't that different from parenting and they are far outweighed by the benefits
- Not every family is able or willing to homeschool and her aim is to make education and life more joyful for all children
- The importance of defining what they value as a family and knowing if the decisions that they make pull them closer to or take them further away from those values
- The joy of living intentional, purposeful and meaningful lives
INSPIRATION
Changing our minds - Dr Naomi Fisher (book)
CONNECT
@wonder.and.flourish instagram
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Connect with us on instagram @australianhomeschoolstories or email australianhomeschoolstories@gmail.com
This podcast is recorded on the land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, always will be aboriginal land.
Original music - Hazel by Daniel Garrood @garroodcomposer
Listen on Spotify here