Hello, Homeschoolers!

Have you been to your state homeschool conference yet this year?  Jay and I have been busy speaking to homeschoolers all over the country this summer ... and every time we do, we come away with a renewed sense of purpose as we minister to these  wonderful families.  We think homeschool families are amazing.  It's just one reason why we're so passionate about getting folks plugged into to local support through First Class.

Homeschooling families need support and encouragement. Period.  I remember my first couple of years as a homeschool mom.   I wanted to read every article, talk to every seasoned homeschool mom who would listen and buy every "how-to" book out there.  If there was a "Homeschooling for Dummies" book out then, I would have been the first one to buy it.  (Of course, my relatives would have really started talking after they saw that on my coffee table, so it's probably better that it wasn't a book back then.)  But you know what I mean, right?   The pressure I felt to be the perfect homeschool mom was enormous.

My first homeschool conference was overwhelming, too.  Mostly because I chose to go to a CURRICULUM CONVENTION rather than a homeschool conference.  So many math programs!  So many different ways to teach your preschooler colors!  So many ways to teach your child to read!  So many books, and only three days in which to see every single one of them!  I came home with a box of books that I wasn't sure exactly what to do with, and more questions than I started out with.  Has that ever happened to you?

If so, I want to encourage you.  The days when you feel like Abeka knows more than you do about your own child will soon pass.  The days (or weeks) when you wonder when your toddler will leave you alone long enough to finish a punctuation lesson with your 4th grader will be gone before you know it.   They really will.

 

Even on your worst day of teaching spelling,
as you walk out a truly authentic
relationship with Jesus Christ, you are
making an impact on your children that
will last for eternity.

In case you're wavering, let me remind you:  Homeschooling is WORTH IT.  Your kids are worth the sacrifice!  Even on your worst day of teaching spelling, as you walk out a truly authentic relationship wish Jesus Christ, you are making an impact on your children that will last for eternity, and that will help to carry them wherever the Lord wants them to go.  As you prepare for academics this year, keep your focus on things that carry with them eternal significance. 

What does that look like?  Teach your children what it means to follow Jesus.  Your children are watching the way you live your life, and they are learning to be just like you.  As you head into a new school year, ask yourself, what you want your children to learn this year that you can't teach them from a text book.  What character traits is the Lord asking you to work on with your children?  Obedience?  Cheerfulness?  Honesty?  Love?

My dear friend Steve always tells parents that if they go into a homeschool convention, and throw a dart at spelling curriculum, whatever that dart lands on will likely do the trick.   But if you miss the opportunity that you have been given through homeschooling to make an eternal impact on your children, you will have missed the mark entirely.

Now, I'm not saying that academics aren't important.  Of course, they are.  Homeschooled kids are scoring well-above average in study after study.  While we want our children to flourish academically, it's even more important that they grasp the how much God loves them and that they grow in their understanding of how very significant their lives are to the Lord.

And by the way... if you live here in Washington state, we hope you will come to the WATCH Conference!  We'll be there - Jay is leading worship and we are excited to be encouraged by some of the best speakers on the homeschool "trail" these days... not the least of which is Todd Wilson.  This is NOT a curriculum convention (although there will be curriculum there) ... it is a conference. Plan on meeting the speakers and receiving advice and encouragement from authors and curriculum providers alike.  It's the best homeschool conference in Washington - and we hope to see you there!

Blessings!

Jay and Heidi St. John have been married for over 18 years and are the homeschooling parents of six children who range in age from sixteen to two.  Heidi speaks to mothers with humor and grace on many subjects dealing with homeschooling.  If you are interested in having the St. Johns speak at your event, please contact them through FCHM.

The Value of Homeschool Conventions

Cheer up! Homeschool convention season is just around the corner!

Homeschool conventions are a great place to learn what went wrong and to share the excitement of what went right during your homeschooling year. You can learn how to get better organized, find new answers to puzzling problems, grow encouraged, and do what homeschooling moms love to do most-shop for new school materials!

Homeschooling conventions have grown tremendously as the market itself has grown. Almost every state now hosts at least one homeschool convention, with more active states hosting several. Vendors vie for slots at these conventions, eager to display their wares. Speakers get valuable exposure, while attendees benefit from the wisdom that they share.

According to Nancy St. Marie, Convention Vice President for North Carolina Home Educators (NCHE), the true success of a state convention is not measured in terms of its present size, but in terms of its growth. "The 'best' conference is the one that meets the needs of the homeschoolers who attend," she said. "The best measure of this is that the conference is still going and growing. In North Carolina, we feel we are reaching a large portion of the homeschoolers in our state, but we are always trying to do it better."

By any measure, the NC state convention is one of the largest and best organized in the nation. Last year, nearly 9000 people attended the huge event which is held in the largest convention center in the state. Other large conventions include the Florida (FPEA) State Convention, which had nearly 10,000 attendees last year, the Pennsylvania (CHAP) Convention, which had nearly 7,500 attendees, and the California (CHEA) Convention which had roughly 5,500 in attendance at its largest convention in Ontario

Whether large or small, homeschool conventions offer a wide variety of events to help and encourage those who have chosen the path of homeschooling. Conventions vary widely in scope and offerings. Often these factors depend on the size of the homeschooling population in the state, the structure of the state homeschool organization, and the length of time a convention has been held in that state. Some larger conventions offer graduation programs, talent shows, and special programs for school age children and teens. Some conventions are broad in scope and present a wide variety of ideas and approaches for attendees to explore, whereas others are focused on certain ideals or approaches.

Convention organizers estimate that between 20 and 30 percent of convention attendees are either new homeschoolers or those considering the possibility. Most of the rest are veteran homeschoolers who are looking for new ideas and desiring to increase their knowledge. A few attendees are business people, there to connect with publishers or vendors. The rest consist of the curious: those who simply want to know more about the homeschool community.

Some of the convention terms may be confusing to first time conventioneers. However, most conventions offer the following activities, often expressed in these terms.

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES - Keynote addresses are typically speeches given by a nationally-known homeschooling figure and deal with issues that are relevant to most homeschoolers. They are often the most inspiring and encouraging speeches given. Usually, these keynote addresses are scheduled so that they are the only event offered in that time period. Announcements pertaining to the convention are also usually made during this time, so it is important to attend these sessions, if possible.

WORKSHOPS OR SESSIONS - These sessions generally run an hour in length and deal with specific issues regarding homeschooling or family life. Usually, several of these run concurrently and you have to choose the ones that suit your needs. Most convention programs provide a brief description of the workshop as well as codes that indicate whether the workshop is more appropriate for moms of young children, moms of elementary or secondary-level students, dads, teens, etc. This information will help you select the workshops best for you. If you want to attend more sessions than are physically possible, tapes are usually available for purchase.

VENDOR (OR EXHIBITOR) WORKSHOPS - These workshops are usually thirty minutes in length and are sort of 'infomercials' for vendor products. Vendors generally pay for this time in order to explain their products more fully to prospective buyers and to answer questions concerning them. These sessions are a great way to learn more about curriculum ideas that are new to you or to learn how to use the programs more effectively. Often, you will meet the author of the curriculum and can ask questions about how to adapt the program for your own special needs. These are low-sales-pressure events and are usually purely informative. If you decide to purchase the curriculum, you will usually buy it in the vendor hall.

VENDOR HALL or EXHIBIT HALL - Vendors of curriculum and related homeschool products gather here to display and sell their products. According to the The Economist magazine, the homeschool market is now worth about $850 million a year, so more and more vendors are turning their attention to the homeschool market, creating products adapted to suit their needs. In addition, experienced homeschooling parents are beginning to develop more curriculum products on their own as they discover what works best for them and begin to fill needed gaps in the market. Small conventions may have only a few vendors, whereas large conventions may have 150 or more. However, you are sure to see some new products wherever you go. Some conventions also offer a used curriculum area so that parents can swap or sell their old books.

Perhaps you have heard of homeschool conventions for years, but have never bothered to attend one. Perhaps this whole idea is new to you. Or perhaps it has just been too difficult to attend. It can be inconvenient for some families. Most conventions request that small children not come, unless they are nursing infants. This is not an act of callousness, but a necessary request where space is at a premium. Also, since sessions are being taped, the possibility of noise naturally generated by younger children is not welcome. So attending a convention may involve finding an accommodating friend or relative to keep the young ones.

Therefore, you may be wondering why you should go to all the time, trouble, and expense of attending a convention. What benefits can attendance give you? Is it really worth it? Before you make a decision, first look at the many great reasons you should attend a convention. Here are some factors you may want to consider before you decide to join the growing ranks of homeschool conventioneers.   (To be continued in the next ezine.)

Deborah Wuehler is the chief contributing writer for Chapel, and Devotional Door e-Newsletter creator. She resides in Roseville, California, with her husband Richard and their six gifts from heaven. She loves digging for buried treasure in the Word, reading, writing, homeschooling, and dark chocolate. Email her at dwuehler@surewest.net.