Have you considered what a wonderful resource we have in the growing number of graduates who have been home schooled right through high school? I hadn't until I found myself in a position of great need.
I found that my involvement in the administration of WISDOM, the farm, and my commitments to my church community; not to mention the education and formation of my children, kept me rather busy. Praying for discernment, and wrestling with what I must let go; I found the answer was not to let go of anything more at this time, but to find assistance. The most logical solution in my mind was to find help with running my home; so began the search for a part-time housekeeper. I was insistent that I find someone who would fit into our home as an extension of our family unit - someone with integrity who shared our values. I never did find her....
Little did I know that while I was searching for a housekeeper, the Lord was bringing me a different solution. It so happened that she was a home schooled graduate who was gifted in English Literature and music. Heidi, our eldest daughter's friend from Bible School, was looking for employment. Was this the solution then? Was Heidi an answer to my needs? She had the academic skills my children required, and the beauty of tutoring is that it exists outside the school system, therefore it is not necessary for such a teacher to possess a degree or provincial teaching certificate. I was delighted to have someone who could teach, guide, instruct, and coach on an individual basis. We engaged Heidi to assist me in instructing and guiding our children in the areas of English, Literature, History, and music (in the form of classical violin lessons.) Having been home schooled herself; she understood the process, the need for working towards family goals, and even the flexibility of scheduling.
I have been blessed by the assurance that while I must tend to other needs, my children are still being directed in their learning according to my goals and academic choices. This does not absolve me of my role as a home schooling mother, I still teach them everyday; but having an ally extends my ability to be effective without burning out, and I'm enjoying teaching more with less pressure. As Ken says, "even though I may employ a hired man, I won't cease to be a farmer."
Marlane Noster is the Manager of WISDOM Home Schooling, and has been a home schooling mother for 18 years. She is mother to six, and grandmother to 3. She and her husband Ken still run the family farm by Derwent, Alberta.