Why I Teach the Way I Do Now

I used to think my years as a classroom teacher would make homeschooling easy. I had always tried to make literature come alive — starting class with soft classical music, reading together, and connecting stories to my students’ lives. I cared deeply about those lessons.

But homeschooling my own three children was far more intimate and challenging than I expected. When people said, “You used to be a teacher — you’ve got this,” I would just smile. I had no idea what I was doing.

Even at the very beginning of our homeschooling journey, I encountered Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. The planners I bought were often Charlotte Mason-inspired, and I would flip through them and see the long list of subjects — around 18 a year! — and think, “I can’t do this. I’m just not cut out for it.” I loved the vision but felt completely overwhelmed.

So I tried several other approaches. I loved the nature and imagination focus of Waldorf curriculum and incorporated Montessori elements as well. But something was missing — God and rich classical literature. I moved to literature-based curricula. The subjects were rich and beautiful, and God was honored, but I couldn’t keep up. I was constantly falling behind, juggling too many separate strands for each child.

Around that time I heard about family-based learning for history, science, and bringing beauty and the arts into our days. That’s when Charlotte Mason’s philosophy came back into my life. About three years ago I gave it another serious try, and it slowly became our guiding approach.

One afternoon this past fall — while reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe together — stood out as further confirmation that we’re on the right path for our family. My 12-year-old son was narrating a chapter, and instead of steering him toward “correct” answers, I stayed quiet. What came out wasn’t perfect — but it was alive with his own genuine connections to Aslan, Edmund, and the deeper magic. In that moment I saw him not as a student to be filled and shaped, but as a whole person already thinking deeply in his own way.

Fourteen years later, I now teach from a middle place. I still bring structure, beautiful books, music, and intentional lessons, but I honor the person first while offering gentle guidance.

This space is where I share that ongoing journey. Different families find what works best for them — and what works can change with seasons, ages, and even individual subjects. There isn’t one right way. For us, the Charlotte Mason approach has worked beautifully because it allows my students to encounter really rich thoughts and ideas. They don’t read twaddle; everything they read has intention and beauty. They make connections, and their writing becomes richer as a result.

Thank you for walking alongside me.

Warmly,

Kim