There, I said it. The fear that drives so many of our decisions about curriculum, activities, and co-ops is the fear that we aren’t good enough, educated enough, and diligent enough to actually educate our kids.

A decision made out of fear is usually not a good or wise decision.

However, there is a reason we can’t shake the fear. It’s truly possible to homeschool badly, to be so inconsistent our children don’t learn what they ought but rather learn to be as inconsistent, haphazard, and distracted in their studies as we are in our teaching.

After all, a student becomes like his teacher – doubly so when teacher is also mom.

But we can beat the fear.

We can homeschool well.

We can have confidence.

The trouble is that we can’t push our responsibility or the source of our confidence off onto others, whether that’s the curriculum publisher, the co-op program, or our favorite homeschool guru.

When we choose to homeschool, we accept the responsibility of educating our children.

But what if we, ourselves, aren’t educated?

Can we do it?

Yes and no.

No – We can’t give what we don’t have. We can’t teach what we don’t know. We can’t pass on a love of reading or of truth or of discipline or of careful attention that we don’t have. Education is passing on traditions and knowledge to the next generation.

But most of us were not given the kind of education we want to pass on.

Yes – If we ourselves become students, learners, seekers and lovers of truth, then we can and will pass on that posture and attitude to our children. An identity of a reader, of a learner, is the key piece that must be had for any real education to happen. When we have and give that identity, the rest becomes possible.

Being an educator is actually about passing on the identity of reader, thinker, and conversationalist.

Are we willing to do that? If so, we can homeschool well.