Why Homeschool High School? Part 2 - Priorities

Why Homeschool, particularly high school?  For us, the choice to live the homeschooling lifestyle, including and especially the high school years, is the living out of our family's definition of success and the application of our core values.  Part 1 was about success.  Success is uniquely defined by each family. We define it as "together we discover, nurture, and fulfill God's call on our lives."  This applies to us parents as well as our kids.

Our family has four core values, and our home education direction is, or at least should be, driven by them.  Our core four are Authentic Worship, Loving Relationships, Worthwhile Learning, and Excellent Life Experiences.

Authentic Worship is valuing God first.  "Authentic" is a summary word inspired by what Jesus told a Samaritan woman (an by its recording in John 4:24, He teaches us), "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."  In other words, not only a desire for God, but a desire to know God truly and accurately - sound theology.  "Worship" refers to an attitude of God's supremacy. On Thursdays in the kids' martial arts class, their pledge begins, "Jesus Christ is the supreme master of life.  King of kings.  Lord of lords.  Savior of the world.

Three generations.  As important,
if not more important, than choosing curriculum.

Loving Relationships is valuing one another.  It starts with our immediate family, extends out to our extended family, to friends, community, and so forth.  As anybody who has ever been in a family could attest, this is hard work.  If it wasn't work, we wouldn't need to intentionally value it.

Worthwhile Learning includes the curriculum, such as deciding on a math textbook.  It could also include co-op (when two or more families combine resources - such as scheduled field trips or sharing teaching responsibilities) activities, sports programs, music lessons, and the like.  Notice that we place this as #3 on the list.  Knowing how to read & write, add & subtract, synthesize history & current events and other academics are important, but only as part of a whole.

Excellent Life Experiences are what makes learning worthwhile.  This is where a field trip, a camping trip, a family reunion, a movie night, a day at the swimming pool with friends, even having friends, all come together and create a life worth living.

Proverbs 9:10 explains that, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."  Wisdom can be defined as "skillful living."  We believe, and challenge you to consider, that God's truth be the foundation under everything.  If skillful living is to be found through God, and public schools are not allowed to teach about God, how can a public school student learn to live skillfully?

What about you?  Do you know why you do what you do?  If you are a parent, do you have strategies and values to guide you in your most important decisions?  If you are a student, do you know why you are doing what you are?