Homeschool Convention! (A Dad's Perspective)

Hi everybody! Tara asked me to recap our weekend at the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Sharonville, OH, last weekend. Unfortunately she forgot to bring the camera, so there will only be a lengthy discourse and no pictures (since I am writing the post, I can blame her for anything).

This was our first foray into the deep, dark caverns of that mysterious underbelly of society known only as "the homeschoolers"! Yes, it was scary, but no, we were not tied down and forced to join the Secret Society of Denim Wearers (SSDW). We thought we might be forced to prove that our clothing was homemade, but actually, for the most part, people were very regular looking and acting. Fear no more. We have joined the ranks!

Our weekend trip, in my opinion, allowed us to see the "intelligence" of our resources. As educators, we are only as good as our resources that we depend on for guidance, material, and inspiration. I was interested to see what I would find, and to be honest, I was a little skeptical.

I had to work Thursday, rather unexpectedly, so I did not get there until the last session at about 8 p.m. We had brought Reagan with us because he is still so little; he was recovering from viral tonsillitis and was in a foul mood! I took him off of Tara's hands and walked between the different buildings, trying to find a session that was large enough so I could stand in the back and listen. My first impression was slightly skewed as I went from session to session. Most were older, incredibly apathetic teachers who didn't seem to want to be there at all. I was slightly annoyed, and starting to regret spending the money to go there, when I stumbled upon a small room in the back of one of the halls. In it was a guy dressed in a lab coat, and he was going through scientific experiments with lightning speed, explaining a scientific law and then demonstrating it for us! The room was full of parents and kids, and they were hooked, as I was after about two minutes. We were all disappointed when he had to quit, and I was wishing I would have brought my six-year-old, Cameron to see this. He would have loved it! The title of the session was McWhiz Kid Science.

Tara had attended the opening seminar with Jessie Wise, "If I Could Do It All Over Again", honestly sharing the mistakes she made in her journey as well as the things she strongly feels she did right. Tara enjoyed learning from her. She also attended a seminar by Sharon Madsen that gave some interesting points on learning with all of our senses. Overall, Thursday wasn't too great for me, having gotten there late, etc. However, we left that night excited because we knew that Friday held some highly acclaimed speakers and topics. We were not disappointed.

Friday morning, we left the hotel and got there for our first session, with Mr. Andrew Pudewa with the topic "Conquering Corrupt Culture by Raising Christian Communicators". Incredible speaker. In fact, I was hooked for the rest of the day, going to two more sessions of his, "Instant Improvement in Writing", and "Nurturing Confident Communicators: The Power of Linguistic Patterns". We found out afterwards that Mr. Pudewa has just received the Convention Speaker of the Year by the National Homeschooling Association. They got it right.

I also attended Jessie Wise's session regarding The Well-Trained Mind, and Jim Weiss' called "Teaching History with G.A. Henty and other Great Works". Mrs. Wise was very methodical, but her information was incredibly practical and informative. Jim Weiss, who is a renowned storyteller and recording voice for many great books on CD, was very personal and funny, while impeccably detailed with his historical accounts of authors and legends. He has great insight into modern culture due to his educated look at historical figures and circumstances. Great session.

Of course, we got to see great friends who were also there. Julia and Becca were there, with their friend Lora. We got to see Kelly S. for a brief minute also. Great to see you girls! I also got to speak with two old friends of mine, Dr. Mark Bird and Timothy Makcen, who were both there helping others.

Overall, the negatives were minuscule, really. My first impression on Thursday evening was entirely wrong. As with any crowd of people, you do have your weird ones, but the majority of those there were intelligent educators. I told Tara, "You know you're at a homeschool convention when you never have to open a door for yourself!" Everyone's kids were so polite, opening doors for everyone and having intelligent discussions with the speaker after each session. :) The vendor hall was a mass of great deals and booths promoting different curriculums for different ages. We gained several great ideas for our own little school, like developing an excel program to track our progress and field trips. I am going to save our money to buy one of those McWhiz Kid Science kits to go through with our family.


I thought that the lecture on Linguistic Patterns was very enlightening, as well as the seminar on improvement in writing. The conclusion? We are hooked, and definitely going back next year with our little "crates on wheels" in tow.


Peace.


Derek