Mama's Musings

2024 Summit Begins!

Mar 04, 2024

The 2024 Australian Homeschooling Summit starts today.  Just a friendly reminder because I think it's very much worth attending.  See you there?



 

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Australian Homeschooling Summit 2024

Feb 11, 2024

It's that time of year again!!
The 2024 Australian Homeschooling Summit is coming March 4 – 15.

For the affordable price of $37 you get:
Live access to all workshops during the summit
Access to an engaging and friendly event community
Summit-only discounts and freebies from presenters and sponsors
Access to recordings of all 2024 workshops for the life of the product
All associated resource guides
Amazing homeschooling help!
Planning, neurodiversity, unschooling, socialisation – if you need to know about it, chances are AHS 2024 are covering it!
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Debunking Common Homeschool Myths

Feb 08, 2024

As parents embark on the journey of homeschooling in Australia, they may encounter various misconceptions surrounding this educational choice. Below, I aim to address some of the most common homeschooling myths, empowering home educators with accurate information and dispelling any doubts they may have.

Myth #1: Homeschooled children lack socialisation opportunities.
Contrary to popular belief, homeschooling does not isolate children from social interactions. In fact, homeschoolers often engage in numerous social opportunities, such as joining homeschooling groups, attending co-op classes, participating in community programs, and taking part in extracurricular activities. These avenues provide ample opportunities for children to develop social skills, make friends, and build lasting relationships.

Myth #2: Homeschooling is less academically rigorous than traditional schooling.
Homeschooling allows parents to tailor their children's education to their individual strengths, interests,...

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Checking In

Jan 25, 2024

Just Checking In... I love this offering from Twinkl. Page 6 is my #1 because I'm back into gratitude journaling for 2024 - my absolute favourite tool for finding peace. How often do we say/think "I'm fiiiinnnne!" with tight shoulders, furrowed brow, clenched jaw? If you're a home educating parent (or any parent/carer, let's face it), it's likely you're overwhelmed from time to time. And that doesn't mean you don't love your life, it just means that things are out of balance somewhere.

Please take care of you. Find the tools you need (like this printable from Twinkl, or my free printable 20 page workbook here), get support, be honest with yourself about your needs.

If you want to chat further about finding this balance, don't hesitate to book in with me at calendly.com/spiralbel for a 1:1 session. I'll validate the heck out of your need to prioritise yourself, and we'll chat about homeschooling along the way!

Photo Credit: M Sessions / Unsplash - woman moving through a field of...

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Learning Co-ops

Jan 12, 2024

In recent years, the landscape of education has been evolving rapidly, with more families opting for non-traditional approaches to learning. Homeschooling has gained popularity for its flexibility and personalised learning experience. In Australia, a growing number of homeschooling families are finding community and support through learning co-ops, creating collaborative environments that enrich the educational journey for both home educators and students.


What is a Learning Co-op?

A learning co-op, short for cooperative, is a collaborative effort among homeschooling families to share resources, knowledge, and expertise. These co-ops provide a supportive community for parents/carers and students alike, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for education.

Structure of Learning Co-ops:
Learning co-ops vary in structure, but they generally involve a group of families coming together to pool their time, resources, and talents. These co-ops can be formal or...

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Building Confidence

Nov 17, 2023

Confidence is a feeling of wellbeing and calm, and belief in yourself as an educator.

Homeschool Confidently is about building confidence - sharing good news stories, fun and useful resources and ideas, and little bits of encouragement across various platforms.  In my 1:1 sessions and groups I break down the overwhelming task of homeschooling into manageable activities.  I'm here to boost your confidence.  There are many other homeschool coaches and mentors like me - and I recommend you find someone further along the journey to encourage you.

What are some other ways you can gain confidence as a homeschooler?

READ books about homeschooling.  Anything by John Holt (classic), Julie Bogart, John Grey, or Laura Grace Weldon is a good start.  There are audiobooks, ebooks, library books, international books, Australian books - there are SO many books to encourage you as an educator!

TALK to other homeschooling parents - in person, online - it doesn't matter, just...

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Twinkl Home Ed Magazine

Oct 27, 2023

I regularly write for the Twinkl Home Ed Magazine because it's a fantastic resource made by the home ed community for our community!  The October theme is Life Skills and the Twinkl team included an article I wrote about Child-Led Learning.  I think the research and resourcefulness of child-led learning make it a very important life skill!  The magazine is available here.

 

 

 

 

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Mental Health

Oct 11, 2023

This month I'm walking 100km to raise money for a Mental Health service provider I refer to regularly at work.  The Black Dog Institute has wonderful free information, self-tests, apps, webinars and more.  They can help guide people to access the support they need, when they need it, and that includes ongoing support for better mental wellbeing long-term.  My fundraiser is here.  I'm also helping my colleagues with mental health events for Queensland Mental Health Week at work, which is an interesting process as I'm learning what services are available.  During my Mental Health First Aid training, and my current Diploma of Community Services I've been alarmed by the statistics around mental health and suicide.  I'm also aware that mental health issues affect a large proportion of the service users where I work, and that a person's mental health can affect employment, economic security, social connection, physical wellbeing, and almost all...

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Home Education Support Sessions

Apr 20, 2023

For those who follow us on social media, you'll have heard a bit about my consult services.  Over the past few months I've increased my availability and I've been seeing more families face-to-face as well as over the phone and via video calls.  You can book sessions here.

Before these sessions I like to know a little about your family, homeschool, and challenges and I'll usually collate some info and resources to bring to face to face sessions or email to online clients.  Each session normally lasts around an hour and I'll email most clients some follow up information or resources, or answer further questions afterwards.

I've had great feedback on this process and receive a lot of satisfaction through helping home educators feel more confident about the journey ahead.  Some families I meet with are at the very beginning - either with little ones or just leaving the school system, and some are in transition into the teen years, preparing for university, or...

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Top Tips: How to be a Confident Homeschooler

Feb 03, 2023
 
  1. Have a positive attitude - try to focus on the positives of homeschooling and see it as an opportunity for growth and development.
  2. Set realistic goals - make sure to set achievable goals alongside your children that you can work towards.
  3. Connect with other homeschoolers - join online and local groups to share experiences and get tips from more experienced homeschoolers.  You can also join associations, and obtain 1:1 support from a homeschool consultant like me!
  4. Have a plan - not just your annual homeschooling plan!  Create a schedule and plan out your days, weeks, months to ensure that you stay on track and that you are making the most of your time.
  5. BUT take time for yourself - don't forget to take breaks, have fun, and relax.  Schedule it in!  No one is going to hand you rest and relaxation on a platter.  Being a homeschooler can be overwhelming at times, so make sure to take some time for yourself.

 

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