If you’re a home educator, then chances are you’ve attended a conference or two in your time. The reality of the last few years has meant that in-person conferences have either moved online (and these conferences have been a huge success!) or taken a backseat. But! There are huge benefits for attending a conference in person, especially one as established as the Learn Free Home Educators Conference, which is happening this week (17th – 20th May).*
Home education may be a lifestyle and educational approach that is growing in popularity, but it’s not a ‘normal’ choice and sometimes it can be hard to find support, especially when we are just starting out. When choosing to take this bold path – especially when living in an area where home educators are few and far between – we might find ourselves isolated whilst we find our community.
Home educators also need support because we will inevitably encounter many misconceptions about what we are doing; we will encounter questions about our choices (“not in school today?”); and sometimes even our own families will doubt our choices or wonder why we aren’t doing something else instead (like packing our kids off to school).
Facilitating our children’s education can be tough! It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we are not alone, and that there are many people out there who understand what it means to be a home educator.
Coming together with other home educators at a conference is a powerful way to mutually support each other within the community.
Conferences will give us the opportunity to learn from other parents who have gone before us or those who are currently on the same path as us. It’s a chance for us all to share our experiences, struggles, triumphs and failures so that we can all grow together!
Conferences are also an amazing opportunity for us because we get a chance to not only meet new people but reconnect with old friends from previous years too! We may even find ourselves making lifelong friends with people who are in the same boat as us, or those who have been home educating for years.
It’s important not only for our children but also for us as parents to have connections with others who share our values and beliefs about education–and this type of connection doesn’t happen naturally unless we’re intentional about seeking out other like-minded families.
The keynote speaker is one of the best parts of the conference. And this year at Learn Free, the keynote speaker is the incredible Julia Black who is talking about “The Transformative Power of Home Education”
We will be inspired by her, motivated by her and we will come away revitalised for our home ed journeys. It’s worth it just for that!
We’ll be at the Learn Free Home Educators Conference this year – come and join us! Find out more and book your ticket here.
*We are helping with the running of the Learn Free Home Educators Conference – there are lots of other conferences out there that are equally as good. If you want to share your conference with us, please get in touch!