When are your child’s best hours of the day?
How much do the values of your child’s school differ from yours?
What are your best reasons for homeschooling or not homeschooling your child?
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You can find more conversations like this one at Doorways to Learning with Donna
Today we have an absolutely delicious chat with Esther Bontrager, a passionate advocate for homeschooling. Esther has created a structure for her own children and those of her closest friends, that is based on faith and also has very intentionally researched secular practices that he feels will give her children and students the best education first about who they are as individuals, and then what will lead them to b productive adults in society.
You’re going to hear Esther broach subjects such as growing up Amish, leaving that community, and continuing her most cherished and valued practices from her childhood in her own home. She relates in so many ways her deep love of learning, and how she has tempered the very strict religious background she had as a child, into a foundational element in her daily planning in her homeschool. Esther grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch and so you might find her English has a lovely lilt and cadence that comes from having that language in her mind to begin with.
Get ready to note down a few of the books that Esther has found to be inspirational in her philosophy of homeschooling as she shares her young students’ education. You’ll see that even before she began, she had the whole arch of her young charges thought out carefully so that even what looks like free time or play time is really a very deliberate opportunity for them to develop those skills she feels are fundamental for their growth as whole people.
Books that have shaped Esther’s homeschooling:
A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century Oliver DeMille
The Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe
Michael S. Schneider The course that Esther mentions (AEA) is Abundant Ever After, Cathy Heller where we met each other. You can find information on this transformational course on all social media platforms.
Esther’s own podcast: Homeschoolwithexcellence
Home rules in Esther’s home:
Our family rules are:
Be obedient
Be reverent
Be respectful
Be responsible and…
Think Heidi thoughts🤩 (That has to do with enjoying beauty and adventure and risk and creativity.)
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You can find more conversations like this one at Doorways to Learning with Donna
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Scaffoldingmagic.com is your entryway into DYNAMIC bilingual learning methodologies, such as Phenomenon-Based Learning, CLIL, EMI, and ESL. You’ll find ways to implement critical thinking tools (DOK) to promote higher level thinking, the growth mindset, instill an ethic of excellence, deep reflection on learning, and all through multi-cultural, interdisciplinary activities. We have the keys to turning competences into action and to creating collective efficacy in your school so you move ahead as a unified, enthusiastic team.
