(#11)

About the

"Requirements,"

Having College

(or Being a Teacher)

and

Getting a Certificate

of Completion

WHY THE REQUIREMENTS?

TO TEACHERS AND THOSE WITH COLLEGE

IS YOURS THE BEST WAY TO DO SUCH A COURSE/SEASON?

WHAT ABOUT A CERTIFICATE?

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET ONE?

FOR WASHINGTONIANS ONLY

WHAT IF I DON'T WANT A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION?

WHY THE REQUIREMENTS?

       "Yeah, Barb!  What's the deal?!?!  I thought you were "anti-requirements?!"  ...  Actually I'm not (well, not entirely; more on that later), but let me explain...  

       As far as completion of any of my "requirements" is concerned, these apply to you only if you are wanting to earn a Certificate of Completion from us. The outline for this season is what I (yes, just me; no one else) came up with as being my idea of a profitable "season of re-education and renewing of the mind."  I did not just casually come up with it, however; it was only after having prayed about this for several months, having worked with homeschoolers for many years, having taught another course for 6 years; and having observed the fruits of frustration and burn-out in many homeschoolers who never put themselves through such a season.  (See this article called "The Stitchery" here at my website for an analogy of this season.)  In fact, the majority ended up putting their kids back in school!  

       A few have told me "It takes someone special to homeschool!"  To you I must say, "No way!!!  Huh-uh!  Does NOT!!!"  The TRUTH is that it only takes someone willing to let their old ideas die and let God redefine "education" for them!  The fears die a naturally death as the mind is renewed!  What a difference between the ones who haven't put themselves through such a "season" and those who did!  

TO TEACHERS AND THOSE WITH COLLEGE

       One of the ways to "qualify" to homeschool in Washington state is to have one year of college. Another is to have one hour of contact a week with a certified teacher.  Therefore, if you have a year of college or are a certified teacher, you are covered legally.  The problem is that this will give you a sense ~ a false sense, that is ~ of security about your ability to homeschool your children.  Stay with me here, because I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying...  

       I am NOT saying that just because you are a teacher or have [any amount of college] under your belt you are automatically not capable of homeschooling!  What I AM saying is that what it takes to truly educate your children has NOTHING to do with college!  In fact, I personally feel that what ~ and HOW ~ you learned in college is actually a hindrance to your being able and free to see and operate as God would have you.  The more worldly education you have, the more you think that's what education is!  The fact is that what it truly takes is probably already IN you, but very deeply buried in worldly thinking!  That's why a huge part of my course involves UNdoing and DISmantling of old thinking so that what has been, so to speak, "buried alive" can come (back) to life!!!  It's time to unearth what God put in you, in your heart, in the first place!  

       I have often observed that those who are [college-trained] teachers (all parents are "true teachers" whether they know it or not), feel that, because they have a degree and/or college, they don't need to put themselves through a season of re-education.  This grieves my heart!!!!!!!  They are actually doing their children and themselves a grave injustice! In fact, please forgive me if I seem insolent, but in some (I'd even say many) ways, those who are college-educated (schooled) are in even greater (or at least just as much) need of this season of re-education than (as) are those who have never gone to college!  Michael Farris was once asked by a reporter if his wife had a teaching degree and was therefore *qualified* to homeschool their children. His response (which I'm quoting only from memory) was "Yes, she does have a teaching degree.  But fortunately she has been able to overcome that handicap and is able to actually homeschool our children."  That might seem like merely a humorous response, but it is actually very true!!!

        So it is for any and all homeschoolers that I have designed this course, if not especially for those with college degrees who need some UNdoing to take place in their thinking before they are totally ready for God to do the NEW thing in them.

        Here is a mini-testimony from one homeschooling mom, Claudine, who lives in Washington state:

IS YOURS THE BEST WAY TO DO SUCH A COURSE/SEASON?

       My suggestion for this course is not the only way to do it, and I do not claim that it's the best way; it's just my suggestion for such a season. I have heard from many moms who have gone through such a season, though many of them didn't know it at the time, but realized later that God was leading them through the same kind of a season!  Many have told me that the resources the Lord led them to were the many of the same ones I suggest in my course!

       So this really isn't just my own idea, but the Lord's, though I don't want to say that my course is a "thus sayeth the Lord" kind of thing.  It's just what I see as being good and needful from what I have observed and experienced.  But the Lord leads His children very individually.  I could get only so "personal" in my suggestions for this course because I'm ministering to many moms with many different needs.  But if you draw close to the Lord, He will minister to you with and for your particular needs, as He knows you and what you need.

       However, to issue someone a "Certificate of Completion" I need to have some uniform set of requirements for all to complete.  I can't take the time to work with each of the thousands of moms who will take this course/season and personalize it for each of them.  I trust that the Holy Spirit, working and ministering and speaking between the lines of everything you read, will do all the personalizing.  

WHAT ABOUT A CERTIFICATE?

         If you want to earn a "Certificate of Completion" from us, (and I'm certainly not saying you ought to or have to!), you are welcome to do so, for a minimal fee.  This covers the office work involved on our end, the certificate(s), and sending it/them. This certificate signifies only that you have completed the work that I have set forth as requirements; it does not in any way, shape or form mean that you are a "certified teacher."  That's a whole different "ball of wax."  

       In Washington state, one of the options for "qualifying to homeschool" is to have "completed a course in home-based instruction (homeschooling) at a post-secondary (which means "after high school") institution."  (See my Washington's homeschool law article in the "Legal Issues" section if you are interested in knowing more about this.  And see my article "Obeying the Law, Testing, and Qualifying to Homeschool" for my thoughts on the whole issue of how we as homeschoolers relate to "the law.")  My course is one of about ten that are offered in this state that satisfy this option of qualifying to homeschool.

       Here is a reduced duplicate of the certificate, in case you'd like to see what one looks like.  You can't tell, but it's signed by the president of Triune Biblical University (a small Bible college) and myself: 

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET ONE?

       To receive a Certificate of Completion from us, you need to enroll with us ($15 ~ it's the eighth item down on this page ), get the course (season) syllabus for $7 (the syllabus is not included in the $15 ~ and it is the next item right below the course enrollment fee), read and listen to all the books and tapes, (see the Course Content page), complete the "proof of completion" forms in the syllabus (I call these forms "DFF's" for short, which stands for "Documentation Feedback Forms"), and then when you've done all that, mail us a copy of your completed syllabus.  This will involve copying them all as I don't want you sending me your actual syllabus.  My house is too small!  You'd send me just one, but multiply that by a thousand, and my already-cramped storage space is taken!)

FOR WASHINGTONIANS ONLY:

       One of the four ways to "qualify" to homeschool in our state (Washington) is to "complete a course in home-based instruction a post-secondary institution. I checked with Wash. state's Dept. of Education to see if there were any stipulations or requirements on either (not that I personally cared, but I knew people taking my course would ask), and there were not. The requirements were to be determined solely by the instructor and the sponsoring institution. So I designed this course totally independent of the state or any school system. Triune Biblical University is my sponsoring institution.]

WHAT IF I DON'T WANT A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION?

(Actually, please read this even if you do want one.) 

       If you don't want a certificate, you don't have to have one, and it doesn't bother me one bit.  I don't have any personal goals for you to get one, so I don't care who does or doesn't get one.  It doesn't make you any more or less of a homeschooler in my eyes, nor God's.  I have simply made it available for those who want it.  I know there are many Washingtonian Christian homeschoolers who do not (yet) share my (radical) views regarding the law. They will seek out some course to satisfy that option of the law.  I figured it may as well be one that's going to get them going in the healthy direction I'd like to see them head in rather than with a course that may bind them up.

       If you are not interested in earning a certificate of completion from us, you are totally free to just pick and choose whatever looks good to you from my suggestions as if they were a smorgasbord (which is exactly what it is!) and do it on your own, in your own sweet time!  But many who do not live in my state ~ and thus are not doing this to satisfy any state requirements ~ are just as interested in pursuing such a season. In fact, I highly recommend it!

AND FINALLY...

       Please refer to the "Course Outline" pages for a complete outline of my suggestions for this season. Note that you are welcome to purchase the course syllabus whether or not you want to earn a certificate.

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