August’s Spotlight teacher is actually not in the public system. She is a mom of 4 kiddos, 3 of which are triplets. Yes, triplets. They had a daughter and then two years later had 3 more. Amazing. They are all gorgeous, too. Ms. {S} is a homeschooler. Here’s what she had to say… 
1. What made you decide to become a Homeschooler?
“We kind of fell into homeschooling. My oldest daughter had been moved up in pre-K and “graduated.” :) She was ready to start kinder, but she wasn’t allowed to attend because she was too young. I had taught elementary school for 9 years, so I decided I would just home school her until second grade (when she could test in and rejoin her friends). We ended up LOVING it and are still at it. She’s now in 5th grade and the triplets are in 2nd.”
2. How in the world have you managed to teach children who often don’t listen to their parents as well as they do other people?
“For quite a while, I had to make it very clear that I was the teacher and not the mommy during school time. At 8:00, my kids put on their backpacks, walked out the side door, walked around the front of the house, and rang the door bell. Their mommy kissed them goodbye at the side door and their teacher welcomed them to school at the front door. :) We don’t have to do it anymore, but it really helped (especially with my boys!).”
3. What are some of the challenges you face as a Homeschooler?
“I think one challenge is teaching all subjects of all grade levels. It is also extremely important to be consistent with your homeschooling. It would be very easy to fall into a pattern of allowing other things to take priority–my business, packing for a trip, errands… School has to come first. Surprisingly, one of the biggest challenges is refraining from too many social opportunities. Home schooling has become pretty mainstream and there are tons of homeschooling groups dedicated to social interaction, sports, church, etc. They are wonderful, but I have to make sure we are getting the actual schoolwork done! :)”
4. What is the biggest reward you have seen from being able to be your children’s educator?
“The biggest reward is all of the quality time we have together as a family. We are so close because of it. I also LOVE knowing how each child learns best and watching everyone just blossom. I love being able to go on tons of field trips and learn in different and creative ways.”
5. What are some major advantages to homeschooling in comparison to public schooling?
“One major advantage is obviously class size. I taught in public school and know how hard it is to meet individual needs. Teachers are wonderful but they are not magicians. My kids never have to wait long for a question to be answered. They get immediate feedback on all their work. I can teach religion. Safety is not a concern. We can take so many field trips for hands-on learning. The schedule is flexible–both within the day and over a unit of study. My kids can get more sleep since it takes 5 minutes to get ready for school. They can do school in their pjs and we do read aloud while they wake up and eat breakfast. My kids aren’t too worn out and frazzled for their extracurricular activities. We accomplish more learning in a shorter time because there are fewer distractions. Can you tell I LOVE IT?! :)”
6. So, triplets? Wow! What was the first 2 years after they were born like?
“I don’t remember enough to answer this question… Just kidding. It was WILD! A two year old and 3 infants was CRAZY! Actually, it was so much better than being pregnant with triplets that I was in heaven. I decided when I was pregnant with them that I wasn’t going to let the number of kids change what I wanted for my kids. I started taking them places when they were three weeks old. I wanted them to have experiences, learn flexibility and patience, and have fun in the world! BTW–I never slept more than two hours in a row the whole first year. I was TIRED! :) Don’t think I could do it again… Yikes!”
7. Do your children learn the same way or do you have to tailor your plans to their individual needs?
“My kids learn in very different ways. All four of them have different learning styles. I have one with a learning disability and one who is years and years ahead. And–they are the same age. So, they don’t learn the same things at the same time or in the same ways. We have talked about how everyone has different strengths and challenges and that is what makes the world go round. As long as everyone tries as hard as possible and has a good attitude, it’s all good. :) And–they all know that I have high expectations for each of them and no one will get away with less than 100% effort. So, it’s easiest to just do your best the first time! I love being proud of each of them, but more than that, I love seeing them proud of themselves.”
Amazing! Just to give that perspective, she decided to try homeschooling her daughter when she still had triplets who were 2 or 3 years of age.
Her sister-in-law (also a teacher) nominated her and you can tell how highly she thinks of her. Check out what she had to say…
“Ms. {S} has been a teacher for over 15 years. She has her Masters degree from Trinity University and was a 1st and 3rd grade teacher for 9 years before deciding to be a stay-at-home mommy. When {M} was born, it was easy to see that she was a VERY quick learner. Ms. {S} decided to home school {M{ for kindergarten…it quickly turned into every year thereafter. When the triplets were born, day care and preschool was not even an option. Ms. {S}’s pay check would not cover day care for 3 infants and pre-school for {M}.
After long discussions, Ms. {S} and my brother decided it would be best for everyone for her to continue to stay at home and not return to her job at as a public teacher. When the triplets reached pre-school age, it was quite clear to see that they were all on different levels developmentally. Ms. {S} has done an amazing job catering to each of her 4 children’s needs. Her and my brother built an extra room onto their house where they could do “school.” [She] is the most creative teacher I know. She plans field trips to my brother’s hospital, the zoo, museums, etc and the children create the most fantastic projects to go along with her curriculum.
So far, {M} has skipped a grade level. She will be starting 5th grade in the fall and she isn’t even 10 yet! One of the triplets is reading on a 4th grade level and he’s only 6. [She] is so patient with each child. The oldest of the triplets, requires more patience from Jenny. He likes to do things on his own time and has made it clear in the past that he “doesn’t need to know how to read.” She gives 110% to their education and she has made it to where her 4 children have the most unbelievable thirst for knowledge out of any child I have ever met. She NEVER gives up and is always trying to find new ways of teaching things.
The thing that is most amazing to me is how she takes any given topic/material and adjusts it to the needs of every child. For example, {M} might have to do a book report on a chapter book while the triplets create a visualization book on the same story. The kids have daily rotations in the house that include computer, independent reading/work, one on one with the teacher (mommy!), read aloud, etc…
…Lastly, Ms. {S} has done a fabulous job of making sure the kids are still involved in their neighborhood and community. They are very involved in their Church and the kids do swimming, gymnastics, Spanish classes, soccer, basketball, and dance. Overall, [she] is the epitome of “World’s Greatest Teacher!” She is one of the main reasons I became a teacher. She has given me so much advice and is truly a role model for other teachers…”
Again, if you have a teacher that you feel is so amazing and deserves to be recognized, go nominate them by filling out this FORM. I am looking for October’s Spotlight Teacher and will be taking nominations until the end of September. You can read more about my “For the Teachers” Promotion HERE.
Now, why don’t we meet this fantabulous teacher and her family!
