EP016 - This Homeschooling COACH will help you decide if you want to homeschool or not

This Homeschooling COACH will help you decide if you want to homeschool or not.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

All right, welcome to the podcast, everyone. Today I have a very special friend and a mentor in homeschool. She's my homeschool coach, Julie from Brevard Evaluation. Well, Brevard, Julie, tell us a little bit about yourself. And I'm so happy to have you on. Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Well, thank you. Thanks for the invitation, Navana. It's a real blessing to be able to share not only some of my story, but hopefully to encourage some other people in their homeschooling journey. So my husband and I were married in 1990, and we had our first child in 1993, and the next in 94, and the next in 96. And one of my dear, one of my dear friends talked about homeschooling. And I said, Oh, I would never homeschool my children. Um, did you say that, Julie? Oh, yes, I didn't know. But the Lord had a different plan. So I said that. My friend told me all the reasons why homeschooling was great. And as a former teacher, I just kind of, you know, wasn't so sure about all of that. And I made that comment. And then, of course, um, as the children kept coming, um, and we really took the decision to prayer, and we read some different books that really were convicting us, and and honestly, in adoration, the Lord made it very clear that that we were gonna try and homeschool, and we were really gonna just turn everything over and trust. That's that's kind of what we did with our fertility and we did with our finances, and we really decided to turn everything over to him.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Praise be to God, amen.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

And it was the best choice ever because his plans for our family farce you know succeeded anything that we could have planned. So wow.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

So how many children did you guys have total? And how many did you homeschool? And how did the how did you guys start off the homeschool journey? Um, because you have so much wisdom, Julie.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Oh, you're so sweet. Well, we have seven children and they were homeschooled, and it it really began when the oldest was preschool age. Our Catholic Church had a wonderful preschool teacher, Mrs. Silva, and everybody brought their children there. And my son looked at me and he said, Mom, why do I have to come here? You're a teacher. Why can't I stay home with my brothers and my sister? Because I think there were four, and I might have been pregnant with the fifth. And and um, and I and that was the time I was reading the book. Um, uh Scott Hahn, Kimberly Hassan, and uh Kimberly Hahn and Mary Hassan, um, a book about homeschooling, and was really convicted that my son they homeschool? Yes, they did.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Oh my god, I did not know that. I'm reading a book by them right now, but I did not know. Now I have to look for that one. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Well, this was a big fat book. Um, and this was, you know, in the mid-90s. And boy, I read that, and then my son said that, and I was really convicted that you know, we were supposed to be home together with our children, you know, bonding and growing as a family, building our little church, our community, and and then finding other faithful Catholic families in the journey so we could really help one another. So that's that's how it began, you know, for us. And and we did. We had strong Catholic families that were homeschooling at our parish, and that really helped because we started by doing little once-a-month you know, saint activity or celebrate a feast day and and just slowly build community, and and then we got to the point where we had classes and we parents took turns teaching different subjects, and and that was beautiful for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

So very now in those days, Julie, there wasn't, I think, like as many now options as there is now, right? The so many curriculum options now. Even the state of Florida offers scholarships for homeschoolers, right? It's not like as weird as it was before. So you went through a harder season of homeschool, I I would think, than and we say it's hard, but like Yeah, we were pioneers for sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Our friends and and us, we were pioneers, but we all took our vocations very seriously as being you know, stay-at-home mothers, helping to build our our small church within our family, and then really supporting our local community. And and I think that that that vocation and being able to lift one another up was really important, and you're right. I mean, this is before cell phones, so can you imagine?

SPEAKER_01 5:37

But um But there must have been so much conviction in your heart because there was even then, you know. Imagine that calling, there wasn't so much. So would you say homeschool is a calling, Julie? It's a calling. Anyone can do it, or it's for certain mothers.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Oh no, and do it, and but it's some moms say I can't do it, I'm not called to homeschool, right? And and you know, because um we even talked about my business now. I'm a homeschool evaluator, uh, homeschool consultant, choice navigator, coach, all those titles because I have homeschooled for a very long time. So I've been really blessed to see a lot of different families and situations, um, people who are working as well as those who can stay home. And and some people say that they're not called. Um, but I would have to argue with most people because I feel like if God has blessed you with children, he has given you the tools that you need and you may need to spend a little time unlocking some of those tools and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And you may need to learn how to ask for help for others. You can't do everything by yourself. Um, but I truly believe if he's given you those children, he's given you a means and a ways to raise those children, to bring them closer to him and closer to heaven, because that's what he wants, right? That's that's what he wants. And and for us to help our children find their potential and find their purpose and what it is that God wants them to do, you know, it's a beautiful thing. And to be able to grow together as a family, um, it takes a lot of trust and a lot of faith and and baby steps.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

And out of your children, all of them are graduated now, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

Yes, all of them are graduated.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

So that is like testimony because that's seven children graduated.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

And so what's like your biggest lesson there? Because some moms, you know, think of homeschooling and like you don't really see that finish line. Because there's also those um questions like, will my kids be able to go to college if I homeschool them? You know, usually if you're you're not in the homeschool world, there's that some moms ask that question as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Right. Of course. Well, thankfully, Florida is so homeschool friendly, and they have seen the universities, the small colleges, the large colleges, they've seen the fruit of the homeschoolers because most homeschool families allow their children to have some freedom. And by having that freedom, they're able to really go after a passion or really um customize their education so they can learn some things very well. And when it's time to go to college, a lot of them figure out hey, this is a particular field of study, or this is something I really feel called to do. They've had time to explore and to become kind of mini experts in those fields. And so when those kids enter the college scene and they're in those college classes, those professors can recognize right away that these people are already driven. They've learned how to study on their own, they know how to do things because oftentimes in a big family, you know, they've had to be independent. So they've already had some of those lessons. And I know for our children, the experiences they had, they all rose, they rose above. And they were noted in their classes. Wow, we can tell you're homeschooled because you've got a drive, you've got a mission, you've got a purpose, and they they could see the difference. So I don't think it's anything to be nervous about at all. I think it's something to celebrate. And with some coaching and some mentoring to make sure you, the parent, feel empowered. You know, you can finish what you're starting, no problem. The best years are yet to come. I I enjoyed the high school years even more.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

So that's that's very inspiring, actually, because when you're in the season with little babies, it can be very challenging to homeschool. Because I see the moms that have the teenagers in their homeschooling, and I could see that it can be I don't want to say it's easier because I'm probably sure they're going through things too, like new things, right? With teenagers, which I do want to ask you about the teenage homeschooling, homeschooling teenagers. But with the littles, I think the struggle is okay, how do I get this work done when I have the babies and then when I have the home? And but I mean, I personally it's been a journey for me, as you know, since you're my uh homeschool coaching. But um, you also have inspired me a lot to like with the whole teaching from rest and getting creative with ideas, a lot of read aloud, a lot of stories, and then the flexibility that you have that maybe you know you have to wait till the baby takes an app and then maybe take advantage of that time with the big kids. Um, but it can be challenging. So, what can we tell those moms that are like, okay, I have a baby. How am I gonna homeschool with the baby?

SPEAKER_00 11:22

You you are going to take it one minute at a time and one hour at a time and one day at a time, and you are going to trust the Holy Spirit to be the ultimate teacher because there are gonna be lessons that are learned in that household that have nothing to do with the lesson plan or the workbook that you had planned for the day, but the Lord had other lessons planned, and I don't want you to worry so much about trying to finish each page because again, in this in the bigger picture, all of the lessons can be caught up so very quickly. So I don't remember, Ivana, if I told you the story about the Colfax family.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Have I ever told you maybe, maybe you I don't know. You can tell it's let me share if you want to share it.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

So it was a story that I heard that really brought me consolation. So there was a family, Greg and Mickey Colfax, I believe are their names, back in the 80s, that were homeschooling and they had three sons, and they lived far away. The nearest school was like an hour and a half bus ride over a mountain, and they were not gonna put their kindergartner on this bus. They decided to homeschool and they were, you know, rebels and really pioneers of their time, and they had a farm, a goat farm. And so their children did not study academics at all. They worked on the goat farm and they learned how to take care of goats, how to measure seed, how to do all the things that you do. And it wasn't until those boys were late middle school age that the family asked them, you know, do you want to take over the farm someday? Or do you think you might want to go on to school, to college? And they wanted to go to school. So it wasn't until then that the parents introduced any formal academics at all. And so if you think about that, you know, here you are trying to teach your first grader or second grader how to capitalize a sentence and put a period at the end and maybe learn quotation marks and you have to drill and you do it again and again and again, hoping that it'll stick. But then you take someone whose brain is 16 years old and they are more mature and they're more receptive. And you can teach those things in one lesson instead of six months of trying to get the same information in. The struggle is so less and so much easier. So, anyway, back to this family, they were very successful. They got all of the academics done in just the few high school years, and all of those boys went on to Ivy Lead schools. And you can read about what they did, but it was phenomenal. One of them worked for one of the presidents, George Bush. Wow. So their their success story, I thought, okay, we're gonna do more than the goat farmers did. But I didn't stress myself out. There were plenty of days with with seven children and lots of babies and nursing and taking care of other people in the home. Um, that the school was, you know, it it wasn't always finishing everything that I had hoped for, but but certainly they got more than enough. And um, yeah, it's beautiful, it works out.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

I remember um when my father passed away last year, you were coaching me, and I remember like I think like I got through that season thanks to you because I was like, I could have just like quit during that season. I'm like, I have not been able to homeschool, or like what you know, what your mind tells you because we were still doing read alouds, we were still doing little things here and there, but it was hard to do what you know the core curriculum.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

And um, but then I remember you expressed to me like the children are so learning, they're learning to grief. It's not like you have to send them to to a big school the next day after they just lost their grandfather, you know. You can mourn with them, you can pray with them, and it was it now. I look back and I'm like, it really was it's this is homeschool is more like a lifestyle, it's like a journey, and we're learning to pray together, we're reading stories together, we're I'm learning too to be more patient, growing in faith because I'm I'm trying to trust what I don't see yet. Yes. And then once I two of my kids are reading now, and you know, it you know, I see them reading because they're passionate about it. They're like going to have their breakfast and they're carrying a book with them, yes, versus me telling them, read that book, you know. So that has really touched my heart, the fact that I see them doing that. And then, you know, you worry about them learning to read, but then they might take a little longer. But once I see that they got it, they're like really grabbing the books and and enjoying it. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

You and that's the blessing of of being there, seeing their little light bulbs as they learn, and you being a part of that and not missing a minute and and having those memories and the bonding. I mean, with your father passing, you know, we had the same at our house. My mother-in-law just passed away a month ago. And you know, even though the children are grown, we still have two at home, and and to be a part of that process, you know, which is the journey home to heaven, we all want to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:20

And thank God we've been talking about them too about it for so long.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Right, that's right. And so when they can see this is part of the process, just like a new baby, you know, every time you have a new child, you're teaching your children the process of opening your hearts and your family to one more soul to love, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:44

And how I've been seeing that too. The kids have been so in love with the fifth child.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Yes, and that that's always every new baby is a gift because everybody rallies, everybody can see mommy's tired, she needs help, and and it's easy to ask for help because you are tired and they really can truly see when you get stronger and the baby's bigger, then you know they'll let mom do more things again. But um, but it's the same way on the other end of life, you know, and when we allow our children to be a part of that process, um, this was our fourth relative in our home on hospice, you know, and and a lot of people don't have that experience either. So even in our younger homeschooling days, my father was here, they saw him pass away, my aunt, my uncle, now my my mother-in-law. So that all has been part of life, like you said. And you guys have all had time to process it and journey through the homes homeschooling, yes, and learning how to love and and care for people on on that end of life as well. So our children all know how to do that too, and and that's a gift.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

So that is beautiful. And how about those teenage years, Julie? So how like um some I know some families discern to try at high school, and others discern depending on the child, uh, school. And and I would do dual enrollment, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:26

So right, right. It's nice to have options, and it really is a good idea to communicate with your teenagers. That that is one thing. If we can take the time to really sit down, they have so many needs, and and so many needs that they're not able to verbalize or communicate. And the more we can do that, I think we can have a better fit for what's going on. So we did send our six older children to high school. So I don't know if you're aware of that, but oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, yeah. But there was a lot of discerning going on at the time. My father was here dying, my husband was laid off, he worked in Virginia, and I was home with six, one was in college, and it was like, oh, of course, and that's why the gift of homeschool, it's not like everything's written in stone, you know.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Like that's right, it's right life, what's going on in our lives.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

So I it for us, it seemed to work okay for our boys, our girls. I wish the older girls, I wish we had kept them home. Um, it was a very difficult transition. They had some bumpy roads. Praise the Lord, they are back solid, Catholic, stronger than ever. And um, you know, their mentoring for their younger sister, who who was homeschooled the whole way, um, turned out to be a lot of fruitful experiences after some rocky roads. But it was our sixth child who was in high school, um, a boy, and he said, Mom, you cannot send my youngest sister here. It's just terrible.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

And so at that point, she had asked, but we and were they going to Catholic high schools or public schools? They were not because the Catholic high schools are over an hour drive from where we live.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

And that was kind of tricky with transportation and caring for elderly relatives.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

And and back then they didn't have the scholarships, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Oh no, no, no, no. We didn't have the scholarship.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

So they know we know the very blessed with all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Right, right. It it just really wasn't an option. Um, their aunt and uncle were teaching at the local high school at the time, so I felt a little comfortable. It was like, well, if they need something, they have an aunt and an uncle that are nearby um on the campus.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

uh but you know it was it was a learning experience for all of us today with all of the scholarship choices the dual enrollment choices the the ability to do classes in tutoring right tutoring and out school and con academy and and you know homeschool connections which is catholic online platform beautiful beautiful classes um seaton has online lots of things that you can do it's it's so much better than it was so and would you say it is important because step up obviously we have offers us all those opportunities to have our kids in classes and outsource things and tutoring uh we also can get curriculum and materials um uh the importance of finding a homeschool group is that important you you know I know there's some moms like oh I don't need a co-op maybe you know they might just be on a doing it on a farm and having their large family right but maybe there's families that are smaller and they're like okay I'm scared I don't know if I want to homeschool because I I maybe only have one child or two child and I want them to have friends.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Yes I think it's really valuable to to reach out and build a community because you may be the person that says well I don't need anybody but you know what they're part of the body of Christ they need you they need your strength and your faith and your mentorship for others you know we're not supposed to be these isolated little little places um it's okay to isolate and recharge I understand that but but we do need each other and we're we're called to be there to be the salt and to be the light when others are feeling weaker and and sometimes it's us that needs it.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

So and and I think the Lord starts revealing that because I remember like I would talk to you about that when I just first started homeschooling and like I couldn't find like like I found a group and it it was good but like it still was like a struggle because it was far and then it's like the Lord starts revealing what you need little by little. I was like okay Lord like you called me to homeschool but now I now you know that I I need friendships for my children. You know that I need my community so you need to send it to me because now I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

No but he does want to and then he did send it yeah but it took a little while for me to actually find like a place or those friendships for the children but slowly he starts yes he you with patience he sends all that we need yes and we have to ask and ask yes that's true I did ask him our heavenly father is listening and he knows what we need but he's also waiting for us to ask you know he wants to be there to provide but but we have to reach yes too and so what what have you what did you see what would you say um in regards to faith is some benefits from homeschooling because that's also something beautiful there are maybe certain things that we could do as homeschoolers to also grow in faith as a family that homeschooling allows us to maybe take the time to to daily rosary or I don't know I know there's some moms that go more to daily mass with their families um for the ones with littles it's harder um what would you say to that all of it you you really have to pray and discern for your family what works you know there were seasons where we would go we would try to go one extra mass during the week and I'd bring them all and you know I'd pass a baby over the back to the older women behind me to help because I was managing toddlers and everyone else you know you you you decide but there were other days where we would read the readings at home and or we would read just the psalm or just a few things and the kids would all do copy work and everybody had um a scripture notebook and they would have to write either the whole thing or a few words or draw a picture whatever level they were on but that would help us you know bond as a family and of course learning about the saints together and that the saints were our friends and we could ask for their help and intercession and then being able to pray whether it was a rosary or even a decade we had a decade a day for the USA and would have a map and we would pray you know the Ten Hill Marys and we'd color in a state there there's so many things that you can do.

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Yes and and we were using Catholic heritage and we were using faith and life and um different Seton books and we were more eclectic with our homeschooling so yeah you didn't really you had a variety a variety okay yeah I I've discovered that like at the beginning like when you start homeschooling you're like a little nervous so you're like I'm just gonna stick to this and that's it.

unknown 27:31

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:32

I'm just gonna focus on this but then as you like the years go by you're like okay like I guess I could do a little bit of that and this seems a little more for my family but then maybe this math is just a lot of work so maybe um we'll um do something else yes yeah um Julie thank you so much for sharing everything and what would you say like to a mother that's thinking of homeschooling on the fence of homeschooling or thinking of quitting homeschooling like what would you say to you know what what are the you know what are the beauties of homeschool there's a lot of hardships you know I do have to be honest and say that it it's not you know there are certain sacrifices made it is a calling and um but then there's also a lot of little gifts that God sends in the midst of it.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Yes he does well you know what I think all decisions really need to be taken to prayer um not only yourself but with your husband a lot of time I mean I've been to adoration I have the same time I go for years and years and years because I know he's waiting for me and and spending time really praying and discerning I think is important um and trusting it's like Lord if you are going to lead me to this then you are going to have to provide and and if you are willing to step out and trust like you said he's going to give you what you need and he's gonna give you little gifts along the way but but as a Catholic and as a Christian we are called to the cross right and Lent is right here upon us and we will be making sacrifices and all of that but you know in all of these seasons that we have in our motherhood there are crosses that we have and as soon as you lay down one cross he will give you another one and so don't think that you know just because like in my shoes I'm done with the homeschooling well I have other crosses that he's given you know different things different sacrifices different responsibilities different callings because that's part of what what we we are you know that's part of us entering into the body it's part of our trust in him he doesn't want us to to just think we can walk through this world without him you know we've given our life and so we trust in the crosses that he brings us so I think if there's a mom out there that's thinking about homeschooling you know maybe it's like why don't you pray ask God am I supposed to trust you in this way is this a cross you're going to give me right now because if it is I'm going to try it because I'm going to be obedient to whatever calling you give me you know when God gives us a new we say wow what a gift but it but at the same time you know it's like wow I'm pregnant again am I gonna be okay am I gonna you know and you worry a little bit but you know your heart just multiplies with love with resources with growth with faith yes and I think it's the same with the homeschooling it's like very scary at first but when you really just let go and trust he provides and he just does and in the world today we need that kind of faith we need that kind of strength the world needs our faith amen that's beautiful Julie and I think it's also in a world that's moving so fast and so distracted homeschooling gives us the gift to really spend time with our children to like there's no like regrets like we've you have so much you have this time as much as like there's probably a few regrets like extra yelling and of course but we're learning remember and a little like yeah chaos but other than that there's also a lot of like nice beautiful moments and um we get all this extra time with our children that we won't regret having you won't ever my adult children talk about it all the time I they thank me all the time for spending that time and investing that time and allowing them to form the bonds and the friendships within the family those those will never be broken. They have so many memories and experiences that's beautiful well thank you Julie and Julie where can we let find if there's a family that's interested in getting you know or discerning to homeschool or wants homeschool coaching for me it's been a blessing I don't know if I would have been where I'm at without you that's a grace of God working to find you thanks to friend because I just feel like when there's moments where I'm endoubbed you've just really helped lift me up and to help keep trusting God that we I can keep going and that he's called me to this um so and you know obviously seeing testimonies of veteran moms and that also inspires us to you know okay your kids can graduate you know this has been done before that's right um so where can we find you you can find me at brevardevaluations.com that's my website but I'm also on Facebook Brevard Homeschool Evaluations where I post things every day for all different ages uh I can help homeschoolers all over Florida and it really brings me joy um when I'm invited to be part of your journey because that's really my passion and my goal is to help you see that you really can do this. So I it's a ministry it's it's my work but but it's really what I just love doing and I'm grateful to God to be able to share that.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

Amen God bless you Julie thank you so much and I know you also do evaluations because you do my children's evaluations and uh you're on step up also right I am I'm a direct provider Florida mm-hmm so you can find me in your Emma account under the provider section you can type in brevard evaluations and reserve the funds if you want to have a session or something that it's so convenient.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

Yeah so and there are there's parents like you that that say hey I just want to talk to a homeschool coach for a half hour I just want to vent you know I want an idea about curriculum or what do I do about this child and you know that's I I thrive on helping so you know allow me to serve you trust trust me with with you know helping your family the Holy Spirit guides us both for sure yes oh well thank you so much for coming on Julie too oh thanks for the invitation and um we'll be chatting yeah it's always I'm that mom I'm like oh it's time to make an appointment with Julie oh well I'm happy to be here praise the Lord it's it's really a gift and a blessing and to watch your family grow is brings me such joy too because I know you're growing in the process and you're like a little sister in Christ and it's it's fun to watch you grow.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

So I know I'm definitely feeling the baby season but um I feel like we're seeing the light now the after postpartum and I'm finally being able to do things again with the kids and get some work done right and that's okay yeah that's okay it's a beautiful process and it you know it kind of goes through a cycle and it's so good for your family.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

So oh thank you Julie well so maybe we'll have you on for part two Julie sure anytime Ivana it's a blessing so God be with you in the season bless in your days ahead and all the listeners out there too.

SPEAKER_01 36:33

Thank you Julie God bless you and we'll see you next time and thank you everyone for listening and we'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

All right bye