I

Trusting the Method

Plenary Presented by Art Middlekauff

Let’s face it: homeschooling is hard. As parent-educators, we want to prepare our children spiritually, mentally, and physically for the fullness of life. On this journey we face pressures and doubts. We wonder about our pace and progress. We wonder about results. We feel inadequate and can’t help but compare ourselves to others around us. When our worries threaten to overwhelm us we seek refuge in faith. Many veterans on this journey tell us to simply “trust the method.” Is this answer Miss Mason would give? How would she tell us to balance faith, reason, and responsibility in this great task of raising the children entrusted to our care?

II

Technology

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Plenary Presented by Art Middlekauff

In most schools today, technology is king. All students are given tablets and everyone learns to code. We are told that this approach gives kids an advantage. It prepares them for a future that is becoming more and more digital every day. Other schools reach back to a nearly forgotten past. A time when science meant painting a flower, not tapping a screen. Many homeschool parents yearn for the latter, and they turn to Charlotte Mason to show them the way. But is that the end of the story for the Charlotte Mason method? The answer is found in realizing that technology is not uniform. There is good, there is bad, and there is ugly. In this session I’ll talk about all three.

III

Free To Obey

Plenary Presented by Art Middlekauff

“Children are born persons.” Every discussion about the Charlotte Mason method begins with this point. And Mason herself developed one of its most important implications: “Children are persons; ergo, children must have liberty.” In line with this liberty, Mason insisted that “our first care should be to preserve the individuality, give play to the personality, of children.” Embracing Charlotte Mason’s first principle, then, would seem to involve giving up control. How can we “give play” to the personality of our children without “giving away” our claim to authority? In this session we will explore Mason’s surprising answer as we discuss the true nature of freedom.

IV

Worldly Sorrow and Godly Sorrow

Plenary Presented by Art Middlekauff

In 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes that “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced a lot of sorrow in my homeschool journey. And to be honest, I don’t think I’m the only one. Many parents I talk to have experienced a gamut of emotions ranging from guilt and fear to conviction and resolution. But Joy? A serene and sustained sense of joy and peace seems elusive for many. It sure has for me. Is that the way it’s supposed to be? I remain convinced that homeschooling is a sacred vocation. And I believe the Apostle Paul’s words can show us a path to bearing the fruit of the Spirit in that vocation, a fruit which includes joy.