This May, a teacher in our community passed a significant milestone. In the midst of a global pandemic, she finished her 13th year of teaching. While a 13-year work anniversary is not typically chosen as a monumental mark of accomplishment, 2020 marks the year in which she has taught every grade, from kindergarten through senior year of high school.
When she began in 2006, she had received no formal training with respect to education, and had you told her that trying to homeschool kindergarten would morph into 13 years, she would not have believed you. Her degree from Purdue University in entomology (the study of insects) was relevant in that it had taught her how to learn. As a homeschooling teacher, one of the keys to success is not to apply incredible pressure on oneself to teach, but to enjoy the process of learning with your children.
Her service to her students has not been without sacrifice. Countless hours of one-on-one tutoring, driving to piano lessons, mock trials, field trips, homeschool groups, critiquing papers and presentations and hosting group frog dissections in her home is the definition of devotion to your students.
She was asked recently, in the presence of her five children (ranging now in ages from 4 to 18), what lessons she’s learned from her many years of home education and what advice she would give others just starting out. Her responses are very relevant now as it seems that every parent in America has been thrust into some sort of home-based education.
Place more importance on the relationship. Getting through a lesson is sometimes secondary to other concerns.
Deviate from the plan more. Some of our best memories were unit studies in which we dove into a subject and focused for a week or two on that theme. For example, studying world cultures. Once a friend let us borrow some replica items to study Native American culture, and this continues to be one of my favorite homeschooling experiences.
Go on more field trips.
Stay connected with a strong community of others on the same path.
Children learn at different speeds. Be patient. Also, remember their progress doesn’t necessarily reflect your performance.
Her oldest daughter just graduated this month. Her academics are outstanding and her fondest memories of being homeschooled have nothing to do with academics. They spent 13 years working together toward learning and learning to learn.
So, we celebrate Kate Denham as a distinguished example of service in our community, and we thank her for all her sacrifice and contributions to the future generation.
