I have been homeschooling for seven years, ever since a frightening experience with my oldest daughter being seriously injured at school changed the way I viewed my role in my children’s education. Today, I’m an experienced homeschool mom of five, currently teaching a 6th grader, 4th grader, and kindergartener.
Before TEFA, I made homeschooling work with whatever we had. There were even times I donated plasma just to keep paying our monthly Miacademy subscription. I never questioned whether my children were worth the sacrifice. I only wished I had more tools to give them the education I knew they were capable of receiving.
This year, TEFA changed that.
For the first time in seven years, I feel fully equipped as their educator. Their Miacademy curriculum is covered for the entire year. We have laptops and tablets for lessons, school supplies for daily instruction, Montessori materials for hands-on learning, musical instruments for music education, and a jungle gym and other resources that keep them active. My kindergartener also has a full year of Reading Eggs and Mathseeds to build a strong foundation in reading and math.
Having these resources has changed the way I can teach. When my children need something printed, practiced, demonstrated, explored hands-on, reinforced online, or simply taught in a different way, I have the tools to do it. I can teach three different grade levels and meet three very different children where they are.
Our homeschool is not limited to sitting at a table with worksheets. Our days include academics, reading, technology, hands-on learning, music, creativity, and physical activity. Our home has become a real learning environment, and I finally have the resources to bring the education I have always envisioned for my children to life.
After seven years of homeschooling, this is the most equipped, active, and exciting school year we have ever had.
TEFA didn’t make us homeschoolers. We were already committed to this journey. It gave an experienced homeschool mother the tools to become an even better educator and gave my children opportunities that our family’s income once limited. I used to sacrifice just to keep our curriculum going. Now I get to spend that energy doing what I love most: teaching my children and watching them flourish. ❤
For years, I believed in educational freedom, but this year I actually experienced what it feels like when that freedom is not limited by your income.
I have always known how I wanted to educate my children. The challenge was not a lack of dedication, ability, or willingness to teach them. Sometimes, it was simply the cost of giving them everything I knew would help them flourish.
That is why school choice matters so deeply to me. Parents should be able to choose what is best for their children and actually have the resources to make that choice successful.
This year showed me the difference between simply making homeschool work and having the tools to make it thrive. I can teach according to each child’s needs, give them opportunities in music, technology, reading, math, hands-on learning, and physical education, and create an environment where learning reaches far beyond a textbook.
Income should never determine which child gets access to an exceptional education. A parent’s financial situation may determine what they can afford, but it should never determine what their child is allowed to become.
Every family deserves the opportunity to choose the environment where their child can flourish, and every child deserves an education filled with possibility.
