Meet Nancie

It’s hard to believe I’ve been homeschooling for 24 years! During that time, I've had the privilege of teaching not only my own five children, but so many others as well. Throughout each season of this journey, I’ve learned so much!

Thinking back, I realize that the seeds for homeschooling were planted during my own elementary years, when I attended our church’s small school near my home. I was blessed with teachers who truly cared for each student in class and had a passion for life and learning, which was contagious! We used the Abeka curriculum, read good books together, and talked often about the world, real life, and character issues. Recesses were spent on the green acreage outside, exploring nature and inventing games to play. I loved school. I loved the close relationships that were formed. I loved learning! A strong foundation was laid which would impact me for all the days to come... inspiring me to pass this love of learning on.

My husband and I knew from the start that we wanted to homeschool our kids, and I couldn’t wait to begin! So, during our oldest son’s first four years of life, I taught preschool to other kids in our home, using the Five in a Row curriculum.  Since Caleb didn’t have siblings until he was almost 5, he loved growing up alongside many friends, learning and playing with them each week. Those were slow, sweet days that I look back on and cherish… reading classic books together and bringing them to life through nature exploration, baking, crafts, and play. But time marched on…

As we entered the elementary years, our love for reading aloud led us first to Sonlight curriculum, and eventually to the classical method, rich in history and literature. We joined a small, classical hybrid school which met in the mornings, with kids doing some subjects at home. I was thrilled to help teach several classes there, specifically Shurley English, and Veritas Press History and Literature. My passion was bringing learning to life for my students, through lively discussion and by incorporating food, music, art, drama, and special projects from different time periods and cultures. It gave me such joy to see my class totally enthralled in learning as we acted out history or literature skits, held medieval feasts eaten by hand, or practiced Michelangelo’s art technique. My kids loved the community aspect of the school, but as our family grew (up and out!) the pace became too demanding, and I needed flexibility to teach the way that worked best for us. I had fallen in love with classical education, but we needed a co-op, not a school. And there were no classical co-ops anywhere to be found…

In June of 2010, after much prayer, I decided to found and direct our city’s first Classical Conversations program. No one I knew had ever heard of CC, and most of my homeschool friends didn’t understand the classical approach. I held info meetings throughout our city and talked to everyone I knew, helping them catch a vision for the beauty of teaching the trivium, which capitalizes on a child’s natural bent at each developmental stage. I had seen the benefits firsthand… young children able to memorize vast amounts of information while having so much fun, and older children able to think logically and communicate clearly with the world around them. I was excited about a program that equipped parents to teach their children this way at home, while providing a supportive, weekly community. Although I had started out alone, as I worked and prayed, God built it better than I could’ve imagined. I found a building to meet in, trained moms as tutors, prepped science experiments and art lessons, bought supplies, printed handbooks with rules, calendars, schedules, etc., collected enrollment paperwork and fees, printed map booklets, prepped classrooms, planned childcare, answered constant questions, and most importantly… PRAYED!  We began that fall with 25 students, and by God’s grace, our community thrived! I held open houses, and soon we had 70 elementary students and a long waiting list for the next year. I loved being a part of homeschool journeys for so many families, encouraging moms and dads to keep pressing on through all life’s ups and downs. We spent 7 wonderful years in CC, some of which I took on the role of a class tutor, preparing lessons and teaching classes of kids, while modeling for parents how to teach the rest of the week at home.

In later years, as our family’s needs changed, God gave me new opportunities… As one child was diagnosed with learning issues, I reprioritized our time and used special methods such as Right Brain Phonics and Brain Integration Therapy to help him learn. We joined a large co-op where our kids could grow and stretch in new ways with choir concerts, musicals, plays, etc. I helped teach the core high school class of 30 students and loved every minute of the three years I spent teaching History and Literature there, especially having three of my own high schoolers in class. To supplement our income, I enjoyed tutoring students of all ages in our home, teaching a variety of subjects. In addition, for the past 8 years, I taught the Farm Bureau’s “Ag in the Classroom” program to hundreds of students in dozens of public and private schools, as well as homeschool groups.

I’m grateful for all that I’ve learned on my homeschool journey and pray that I’ve passed my love of learning to many others along the way! Now, God has clearly led me here to Rainbow, where I hope to encourage you in your journey!

WATCH JANICE'S LATEST CURRICULUM WORKSHOP

Choosing Curriculum the FAMILY Way describes six key factors in choosing curriculum that meet the needs of the student, teacher, and family alike.