In that moment, it felt as though everything that had been “added” was simply more burden. I had lost sight of the reason for the day itself. Yet as I read the verse again, I remembered the words that came just before it: Jesus’ reminder to store up treasures in heaven, where they cannot be destroyed or stolen. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21).

To seek God first meant allowing Him to reorient my heart: to remind me what my true treasures were. And some of those treasures were sitting right there in my dining room on that very ordinary Tuesday. Once again, I had the opportunity to teach, to guide, and to love.

It is easy to lose sight of our goals in homeschooling when our attention is consumed by daily checklists and hectic schedules. We forget the deeper why behind our decision to home educate as we manage lessons, dishes, attitudes, and interruptions. We worry about what we will accomplish today, how much our children will learn, and whether we are doing enough.

Jesus reminds us that worry cannot add a single hour to our lives, though it often feels as though it shortens them, and that the same God who provides for the birds also cares for us (Matthew 6:25–27). Our days may feel small and chaotic, but they are held within a much larger story.

Often, we are very good at planning for the day but less intentional about planning for the future. Scripture repeatedly calls us to pause, to remember where we have been, and to consider where we are headed. God reminds us that He is a God of purpose, not accident. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Creating a vision statement for your homeschool helps anchor your daily work to that future hope. We are not merely completing assignments; we are laying a foundation and shaping character. Our children are eternal beings, and what we invest in them reaches far beyond any school year or transcript.

A clear vision gives us an overarching goal for our homeschooling journey. It reminds us why education matters and why this particular path matters for our family. A vision statement becomes an anchor: something to return to when the days feel long or the progress feels invisible.

For some families, that vision may center on cultivating a love of learning. For others, it may involve protecting children from harmful environments or giving them space to pursue their interests deeply. Still others homeschool to create a learning environment where their child can finally thrive after seasons marked by struggle, resistance, or discouragement. Each vision will look different, but each one gives direction.

Homeschooling is rarely chosen because it is easy or convenient. It is a calling, a vocation, that requires intention, patience, and continual reflection. Without a clearly articulated vision, it is easy to drift or become discouraged.

My season has changed. I no longer have very little ones, and my nights are mostly filled with sleep. But I still face challenges, and I still need reminders of why I am doing what I am doing. The circumstances may look different, yet the need to return to vision and purpose remains the same.

A homeschool vision is not something we write once and tuck away to be forgotten. It is something we revisit, refine, and sometimes recast as our children grow, and our seasons change. Our homeschool vision reminds us to seek first what truly matters and to trust that the rest will follow.

MEET OUR AUTHOR

LAURA BARRETT

2nd Generation Homeschooler, Life-Long Learner, HLA Counselor & Accommodation Coordinator

 

In college, every one of my classes involved some written assignments. My English courses required reading and writing, the history classes had extensive textbooks to read and written exams, and even courses like physical education and music appreciation had several quizzes with short answer prompts.

After college, as I entered the workforce, each role has required me to communicate daily with people. And the crazy thing is that every day, I am using the English language skills my mother spent so much time teaching to me. Whether it’s a phone call, an email, face-to-face communication, or a letter, I am constantly using the language tools I learned during elementary school, high school, and college.

Maybe your student is like younger Joseph, struggling with motivation, learning how to read or write, or studying grammar rules. If so, be encouraged that the skills they are learning now, however difficult that process might be, will serve them for the rest of their lives. Wherever they find themselves after graduation, effective communication skills will set them up for success. If you think you might need to change teaching strategies, contact the HLA Counseling team. They love to help parent-teachers and students find what works best for them!

A special thank you to my mom for sticking through the tough years of English work with me!

MEET OUR AUTHOR

JOSEPH WUNROW

HLA Graduate, Marketing & Development

 

“I hope this doesn’t disqualify her, but I WAS a student of Hope Shelton. She has been homeschooling for over 25 years. I am her eldest daughter (34) and am a homeschooling mom myself now. She is the reason I chose to homeschool my sons, and I am the reason she started homeschooling. I have/had dyslexia as a child and struggled in public school. My mom dropped everything and pulled me out so I could actually learn and not get left behind. She has homeschooled me and my 6 younger siblings and is STILL homeschooling 4 of them, with one to graduate this year.

She deserves soooo much praise for her selflessness to continue homeschooling for so long and not give up! She started when it wasn’t “mainstream,” cool, or popular, with little to no support from family or friends starting in the 90s. With lots of life changes over 25 years, she could have easily given up or quit. But she hasn’t!

I believe 4 of my younger siblings have nominated her, but I hope hearing from an adult child (who is following in her footsteps) would get her more consideration.

Please choose Hope Shelton! She deserves it!”

 

Studying subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, etc. has equipped my own students to be life-long learners. The sciences can prepare students for careers in medicine or engineering. Science allows students to improve critical thinking, analyze data, understand the world around them, and have a curiosity that can lead to finding solutions to problems. All of this enables students to become informed decision makers and leaders wherever they may go.

Just as important as science, our involvement in fine arts has been invaluable in our home education. We have seen creativity expressed through theater, dance, musical instruments, and art using a variety of mediums. Engaging in such activities enhances cognitive skills, develops quick thinkers, and can improve memory. The fine arts can foster an emotional intelligence where students have a higher self-esteem, improved confidence, and reduced stress and anxiety. Our students have learned the importance of perseverance, hard work, and teamwork. They have developed friendships and social skills and have practiced collaboration and effective communication.

Although science and fine arts are completely different facets of education, together they can prepare students to become successful adults that are ready to face whatever comes their way. These well-rounded students will thrive as they utilize all that they have learned to become the next generation of great leaders.

 

MEET OUR AUTHOR

JENNIFER BEEBE

NCAA Eligibility Counselor, Homeschool Mom

 

Consumer Math has been one of our favorite finds! I have had struggling learners in math, and even for them, Consumer Math has been such a good fit. We had them do the course in Senior Year. I felt like it was a great transition as they prepared to finish high school and potentially launch. They never enjoyed math until that point, but they genuinely enjoyed doing Consumer Math.

They found it helpful to think through all of the real life scenarios, talk through detailed budgets, look at insurance and investment options and compare them, etc. It pushed us to work through a variety of scenarios and put some of those things into action for them as well. That course gave us a lot to talk about; they did a lot of research and were able to critically think through some things that hadn’t been on their radar until that class. We loved it. 

I encourage a lot of families I chat with to incorporate Consumer Math into their high school plan if it makes sense for them. Each kiddo and their goals and needs for after high school are different, but for us — it was a great fit! 

 

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AMBER REYNOLDS

Struggling Learner & Middle School Counselor, Homeschool Mama

 

The World Geography & Cultures curriculum we used included links to listen to music and look at works of Art from each country. This would lead to an Art project or learning to play a song on the keyboard. We would cook a recipe from the country, and he would need to use Math skills and follow directions. Because my son is very interested in animals and nature, we also decided to learn more about the animals that live in the countries we were studying by reading a beautiful book about the Wildlife of the World (with photos and maps) and watching documentaries. This led us to make the decision for him to take Biology for his Science credit because it was a perfect compliment.

His English credit included books about different countries we were learning about through the Geography course. We also incorporated his unique interest in Godzilla into English and Geography. He researched the origin of Godzilla, the timeline of all the eras, directors, actors, and suits. He organically learned about the history and culture of Japan while pursuing his love of all things Kaiju. He taught himself to play music from the movies on his keyboard. We incorporated some of his writing into this as well: writing a descriptive paragraph about a figure in his collection or re-writing the ending to a movie. He joined a weekly online discussion group with other students to analyze and discuss the movies and monsters. Yes, this group really did exist, and we found it!

So, he earned Social Studies (Geography), English, Science (Biology), Elective (Japanese Film Study), and Music-Keyboarding credits that all were planned because of one subject. I think there were so many wonderful lessons learned that year with the approach we used, but probably the biggest benefits were seeing how everything is connected and that life isn’t broken up into 45 minute periods of different subjects. We have great memories from that year and the study of World Geography ignited a lifelong love of learning — a passion I believe is the most valuable life skill of all. 

MEET OUR AUTHOR

HEATHER HOLLADAY

High School Counselor for Struggling Learners

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In addition to culinary exploration and catering events, the girls were given opportunities to create such capstone endeavors as a cookbook, a pop-up restaurant, and a bakery/cafe open to the public where donations raised were given to our local food pantry. She also had a wonderful opportunity to assist with a chef’s weekly homeschool cooking classes. 

By age 15, she was filling bakery orders and creating beautiful cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. At one point, she offered a “Mystery Cookie Club” where members would eagerly try a variety of cookies each week and fill out a form offering feedback. By the time she graduated from high school, she had a growing online business and had created several custom wedding cakes. It seemed fitting that she pursue her Associates degree in Business Management at our local community college (free with the TNPromise scholarship). She got a head start by taking dual enrollment courses during her junior and senior years of high school. 

Our homeschool lifestyle gave her the freedom to spend time creating and exploring her craft, and learning and growing her skills. 

For more photos, you can visit Like A Boss Bakeshop’s Instagram.

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SHELLEY STEDMAN

High School Counselor, Homeschool Mom

 

My son left for college last year. It was his first time navigating his own Health responsibilities without me. I remember the first time he called when he was sick. I felt helpless. He had to go to the urgent care himself and learn how to present our insurance card, get some tests run, and pick up a prescription. It was then that I realized there were so many more Health life lessons that I should have covered in our homeschooling years while he was under our roof.

Not running on too little sleep, not getting enough vitamins through fruits and vegetables, and how to manage stress are all important life lessons that can be covered through Health. I think it is helpful to know when an antibiotic may be needed, or when it is a virus and you need to rest, hydrate, and recover.

Mental health is an important part of health education. Does your student know that it is important to have a mentor or an accountability partner, someone to talk through life with and build good relationships? Spiritual Health may be an important part of your student’s life. Quiet time, prayer, and worship are all part of Health education that can affect your student’s life after graduation. Lastly, it may be good to cover what to do in an emergency, and make sure your student has those resources should something more serious happen.

Health can cover nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental and spiritual areas. Learning to take health seriously is an important subject to cover in homeschool. That will prepare your students for life and adulthood.

There is a quote that says “Health is not wealth, it is everything” (source unknown), and I could not agree more.

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LACY SANFORD

High School Counselor, Dual Enrollment and Transcripts, Homeschool Mom

Math and Personal Finance are two of the most practical and empowering subjects we are taught and that we may teach our homeschoolers, because their impact extends far beyond the classroom (or dining room). From budgeting monthly expenses to understanding credit, loans, and investments, these skills form the foundation for smart financial decision making that can stick with us our whole lives.

I’ve found that even a decade after graduating college, I’m still learning about different types of financing, and I use math more often in everyday life than I ever expected. I continue to learn about new finance strategies (like investing or planning for retirement) from some amazing podcasts and audiobooks, which shows just how important these subjects are long-term. 

Whether your student wants to own rental property, invest in stocks and bonds, get a business degree, own their own business, or be a housewife, teaching our students how to calculate interest, compare prices, or even build savings doesn’t just help them pass a test; it equips them to navigate adult responsibilities with confidence. When students grasp the real-life value of these subjects, they gain tools that can set them up for a stable and successful future. 

These subjects are not just academics – they’re essential life tools!

MEET OUR AUTHOR

MELISSA ABBITT

HLA Counselor, Homeschool Mom