The Brave Learner Conference

Friday morning I woke early. By 5am my mother had arrived to take care of my kids, my sister had arrived, and I was driving us to our friend Jennifer's house to pick her up. We were off on an adventure - The Brave Learner Conference, planned by Julie Bogart of Brave Writer fame - in Cincinnati. This was our homeschool mama continuing education for the summer.

We had a lot of fun talking and laughing on our drive. We made it safely to the Renaissance Hotel where the event was being hosted in the middle of downtown. It always amazes me how busy downtown in the city can be.

The conference details were spectacular. Beautiful tables, gifts, programs that had room for notes for each session, music, and people. The day was a mix of presentations by Julie Bogart interspersed with breaks, interviews, and music.

I came away with so many thoughts. Let me know if any of these resonate with you!

Kids think about the world differently than you do. Sit with that idea a moment. Think back to when you were a child. Looking back, can you see what went over your head, what you didn't understand in the moment, or what was important to you then, that as an adult wouldn't be the same? When I think back to childhood things were simple and more clear cut. I knew what I liked. I did things that I enjoyed. I have memories that still stick with me today, that at the time, were probably very small and simple things.

Support a child where they are, not where you wish they were. A simple example - no matter how much I may wish a particular child was already doing XYZ easily in a subject, the reality is, they are where they are. I can't force growth. I can support them where they are.

When my child is having a hard time with something I need to remind myself what that feels like. I need to go try something hard, right then. At the conference Julie had origami paper on our tables and invited us to make paper cranes. She had two resources we could use - a quickly moving video playing on a screen and printed image only direction (no text). It was hard! I gave up on the video because it was simply moving too fast for me. I really learn best with written instructions. That wasn't an option, so I used the printed images. They weren't as clear as I hoped, but with a little trial and error, I did end up making a paper crane. During the process I was uncomfortable, frustrated, and almost quit. The noisy room was distracting. It was a good reminder that what is going on with my kids when learning is so much more than the simple thing I think it should be.

If you want your child to love it, you need to enjoy it first. For example, if you want a child that loves the library, go to the library yourself and include them. If you want your child to love making music, make music yourself and let them explore instruments too. If you want them to love the arts, love them yourself.

Kid don't stop learning and growing when they graduate your homeschool. Give them a solid foundation and trust that they will continue to learn what they find a need for as an adult. They have a lifetime ahead to continue learning.

Now that I am home from the conference I am in the final preparations for our school year. Our first day is coming quickly!