Why a Homeschool Mission Statement and Philosophy of Education are Important and How to Write Them
by Katie Julius
“I just want to homeschool my kids. Do I really need a mission statement or philosophy of education? What are they anyway?”
A mission statement for your homeschool and a philosophy of education may seem a bit “extra” when it comes to homeschooling your own kids. However, they drive the decisions that you are making about how you educate your children. The curriculum you use, how you structure your day, how many extracurricular activities you are involved in are all influenced by these statements. In short, they are your “why” and “how” as a homeschool parent.
What is a philosophy of education?
A philosophy of education is the broad, overarching approach to teaching your children. It is sometimes referred to as your teaching philosophy or teaching style. How do you view education overall? How do you want to teach your children? Is it more of a traditional teacher led approach with textbooks? Is it more student led with “living books”? Is it more experience-based with field trips or learning through life’s everyday situations?
What is a mission statement?
A mission statement details your purpose or desired outcome. What is the end goal? What do you hope to accomplish by the time your children graduate from your high school? There can be multiple goals, but you want to keep this concise. This is just an overview of where you want to be at the end of your homeschool journey.
Why do I need them?
I have to admit that after seven years of homeschooling my daughter, I have never sat down and formally written out a mission statement or philosophy of education. However, I have thought about them and am able to explain them when people ask. So, even if you don’t take the time to write them down, at least give them some thought. They’re helpful as you make decisions about your homeschool – when you do school, how you teach and how they learn, what you teach, the pace of school, and more.
My philosophy of education is that life is “school.” Everything we do can be an opportunity for learning. My goal (or mission) in our homeschool is to instill in my daughter a love of learning and a love for others. I want her to learn how to learn. I know that I will never be able to teach her everything that she needs to know, but if she has the tools to research, evaluate sources, form an opinion, articulate her thoughts, and communicate clearly and in a loving way, I know that her education was a success.
How do I write them?
I encourage you to work on writing these with your spouse, if you are married. You could even involve your children if they are older and can articulate what they hope to get out of their education. It’s not really something that is going to take a few minutes. It may be something you develop over the course of a few days or even a few weeks.
#1: Pray
Seek the Lord’s leading as you begin to draft these statements. Since they will be integral to you and your family as you homeschool, you’ll want to follow His guidance. Let Him speak to you through Scripture or advice or wisdom shared by godly mentors.
#2: Brainstorm
Take a sheet of paper and do a “brain dump.” Write down words that you want to describe your homeschool, your children, their education. Include any goals you have for them. Dream big. No idea is bad. This is your chance to put everything out there. There will be time to pick out what you want to focus on later. Now is the time to let all the ideas and thoughts land on your paper.
I recommend letting your brainstorming list sit for a bit before continuing on. Maybe something will come to you during the course of your day. Add it. Once you’ve given time for things to settle, go on to the next step.
#3: Refine
Now is the time to pick and choose. From all the ideas on your brainstorming sheet, select 3-5 words or phrases that are the most important or that resonate with you the most. Are they things that have come up in your day-to-day life or in conversations with others?
If you are going through this process with your spouse, compare your lists. Are there any items that you both have on your list? Those should probably make it into your philosophy of education and/or mission statement.
Once you have identified those 3-5 words or phrases, it’s time to draft it into a complete, cohesive sentence, or thought. Try a few variations to see what sounds the best. Again, I encourage you to let your newly crafted statements sit for a few days.
#4: Revisit & Review
After you’ve given some time to ruminate on what you’ve written, review it again. Make any changes as you feel led.
When I was working on drafting a mission statement for an organization I’m part of, we reviewed our statement three or four times over the course of about half a year. Don’t settle if you’re not 100% satisfied with what you’ve drafted. You CAN start homeschooling before you have finalized it. In fact, as you spend time homeschooling, your experiences can impact your philosophy and mission, so keep an open mind before finalizing these guiding statements.
#5: Reevaluate
It’s always a good idea to evaluate and reevaluate your philosophy of education and/or mission statement. Maybe it only needs some minor tweaks as your children have gotten older or you’ve become more confident in your role as a lead learner/teacher. Maybe you have had some major life changes and it’s in need of a major overhaul. Maybe you just need to look at it and be reminded of why you’re doing what you’re doing when you’ve had a particularly challenging day. Regardless of why, be sure to look at your mission statement (and philosophy of education) regularly. You can even print them out and post them in a prominent place in your school area or home as a reminder to everyone.
Tell us! Do you have a homeschool mission statement or philosophy of education? If so, share it in the comments to help inspire other homeschool families!