What’s the most important thing you can do if you want to use the classical approach in your homeschool? Find out on today’s Home School Heartbeat, with Michael Farris and his guest Leigh Bortins.
Michael Farris:
Leigh, you often give seminars to help homeschool parents learn the fundamentals of the classical approach. Why do you encourage moms and dads to invest in their own as well as their children’s education?
Leigh Bortins:
Well, you can’t teach what you’re not willing to learn and as the student’s prime teacher, homeschooling parents will teach their kids to study the same way that they study. So it’s important that your kids know that you love to learn and that you’ll do the hard work that it takes to learn something that’s new or difficult. So I just feel it’s really important that parents, whether they’re participating in our Parent Practicums through Classical Conversations or someone like yourself, Mike, or gifted homeschoolers in their town giving a seminar—they should do their best to educate themselves on how to homeschool. And then you multiply yourself so much, because if we can reach a mom or a dad classically and teach them how to teach, they can teach all their children that way. It’s just more effective if the parent will do the hard work it takes to understand the classical model and how to teach well.
Mike:
Leigh, thanks so much; I appreciated discussing classical education with you this week, and I especially appreciate your integration of Scripture and your emphasis that Christian education is the real key to what we’re doing here. Thanks so much. I’m Mike Farris.
