The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life

I am an unexpected homeschooler. I attended public school as a kid and mostly loved it -- had some truly amazing teachers. I taught elementary school for 7 years. I pulled my kids out of public school when 9, 7, 5 after struggling with the stay/go dilemma for several years. I still dream of enrolling them in a wonderful school we all love. So I am not married to the idea of homeschooling. I have just finished my first read through of this book. I plan to now go through a second time much slower, taking notes, using the free journaling guide Julie Bogart provides on her website to accompany this book. This book is highly readable but also dense -- it is jam-packed with ideas. The enchanted education methods Julie advocates do not come naturally to me as a homeschool mom (they came more easily to me as a school teacher -- go figure!), but I have enough personal experience teaching and have read enough about mental health, self-motivation, learning and emotion, and educational research to know that Julie's assertions about learning are all well-founded and backed up by the latest research. Alongside her easily understood explanations of how learning works is practical advice -- the book is full of concrete examples and ideas. I also love that she is honest (about her own failures), encouraging, and nonjudgmental. I certainly do not agree with every single thing Julie advocates or suggests. But even when she suggests a certain approach or practice or describes what worked for her family, she often offers several alternatives or differing examples alongside her own experience (example: chores). You feel you are benefiting from her years of coaching and learning from other homeschool families. She encourages you to take what you need and what works for you, and discard the rest. As both a mother and as a homeschool parent, I find the book very encouraging and empowering. This books offers all parents a wonderful perspective on learning and enjoying family life. If and when I ever put my kids back in public school, I will certainly hang on to the mentality of learning and collaborating with my kids all the time as we live our lives. I actually think this book would be especially helpful for parents who are trying to help kids in uninspiring schools hang onto or rekindle their love of learning outside of the institutional setting. A fantastic book for school teachers as well really! If you read this book, I think you will find that what Julie advocates was embodied by your own favorite adults and teachers from your childhood/ college years. The kind of education Julie describes -- it is what I hope for my own children, whether within my own home or inside a school building.

Julie, Julie, Julie!! You must have lived in my head, because so many things written in this book are my own personal doubts, ideas, beliefs, triumphs and failures. It is SO validating to see that you have gone before me, experienced these things and made it out alive on the other end proud of your grown children and their accomplishments! "At the heart of the homeschooling enterprise is the faith that the parent is enough--that YOUR energy, resourcefulness, creativity, and passion will be sufficient for YOUR children." -Julie Bogart, The Brave Learner So many times I have questioned my ability as a parent to educate my children, even tho deep down, I know I have everything I need to do so. Reading Julie's words have been so uplifting and validating. I have gone through periods of severe self-doubt and lack of self-confidence and found myself in many comparison traps. She guides us through the understanding that it isn't so much the curriculum you choose or don't choose, but more the environment for learning that we provide for our children that will grow their love of educational exploration. One of my favorite sections in the book is titled, "Bellows or Buckets of Water" Julie writes, "You have a choice when witnessing the eruption of fiery passion in your child--to either direct a bellows at the flame, or to dump a bucket of cold water over it." WOW. What. A. Statement. It really made me reflect on all the things my children have done and ask myself if I had been an encouragement to them or a party pooper to their excitement by still picking out things they could have done differently or better. Julie shares a story in her book about her son Jacob being in love with astronomy and how he wanted to dive in and learn everything about it. Julie did not find this topic satisfying or interesting. Instead she writes very candidly, "It was an awkward journey into unknown territory that I kept hoping would be short-lived (#truth)." I love that hashtag at the end because it IS truth. I am currently experiencing the SAME thing with my 6 year old son Lucas, only his obsession is tornados. All his bedtime requests are weather books and the only things he wants to watch are weather documentaries. NONE of this I find fascinating in the least, and I was feeling really bad about that and not knowing how to support and help him with something that I felt so disconnected to. And then this boy, who never likes to draw or color started drawing these beautiful swirly and quite frankly, accurate, tornados. Through these drawings, he would tell me elaborate stories about the creation and the path of these weather phenomenons, and I could see his PASSION for this and it was absolutely beautiful. At the end of Julie's story about her son Jacob and his love of astronomy, and how he helped her see the beauty of his passion by showing her Mars through his telescope, she wrote, "All I know about astronomy I learned from Jacob--not the other way around. How could I not be amazed? Enthralled? Transfixed? Enchanted." I have to say I feel EXACTLY the same way about Lucas and his tornados, and I never looked at it that way until I saw it through Julie's eyes. Julie encourages us to find peace in our own abilities as home educators. She helps to build our confidence in that it's okay to make mistakes, it's ok to decide you want to educate one way but tomorrow completely change your mind. It's ok to not have all the answers. It's ok that your child is not paralleling a standard public school education or your homeschooling neighbors education. It's okay to have LIFE CYCLES in passions and there are so many ways to learn through your children's interests. This book is a guide to help you through your homeschool journey. She gives practical tips, tricks, and ideas just in case you are a parent like me, who needs someone to literally walk them through something as small as a shopping list for art supplies! Julie is with you every step of the way. Her heart and passion for how young people learn is so evident and she wants you to succeed and be assured that YOU ARE ENOUGH FOR YOUR CHILDREN!

I notice that most of the negative reviews of this book point to a lack of Jesus as being cause to reject a lot of the contents. How self-absorbed do you have to be... What illusions of grandeur do you need to uphold - to believe that the only book on home education worth publishing, is one that specifically references your world view and private faith? A majority of homeschooling families in the world (because families do home educate outside of America and this book is on sale elsewhere in the world!) are not Christians. This isn't a book written specifically for the minority of global home educators who happen to believe in a Christian God. This is a book on educating children. It is not a book on raising children within a religious environment (there are other books on that). This is a homeschooling book that could be enjoyed by a Christian family, a Muslim family, a Buddhist family, a Pagan family... As well as a family who have no religious position at all. There is nothing on the cover, in the synopsis, or anywhere in any promotional material, that suggests this book is written for Christians. If you by it, and you're surprised to find that it doesn't mention your particular faith, even though there was nothing to suggest that it would... You need to ask yourself why you expect the world to revolve around you! If you are such an intolerant, self important individual as you don't want to read inclusive books that can be enjoyed by everyone, but only books which pander to your need for validation at the expense of including others - you'll need an alternative book. As a guide to home education, it leans very heavily towards unschooling and autonomous/natural learning methods. If this doesn't sit well with you and you prefer a more structured, school-like approach, I'd avoid this book entirely. We are a semi-structured, secular family in England (which is the case for a majority of UK home educators) and this book has been a great encouragement. I also found that even though its written primarily for a US audience, the fact that it isn't, like most North American books on home education, heavily influenced by Christianity, meant that it was very relevant to British home educators who are likely to be taking a secular approach.

Excellent read!

A great assess to homeschooling. Easy to read, great practical advice

This book for both homeschoolers and traditional schoolers. Shifts our perspective on parenting

I'm reading this book slowly, finding guidance and encouragement on every page. I don't homeschool anymore but the words in this book remind me how to be a better, more understanding parent. Julie Bogart teaches me how to recognize & appreciate what the truly important things are in my children's development and in my relationship to them.