As a mother who teaches her young children at home, the most frequent question I am asked is "What are you gonna do about teaching chemistry?" Admittedly, chemistry is not the only subject that people are concerned about, sometimes it’s also physics, foreign language, calculus, or biology. Homeschooling is now popular enough that most people know a neighbor, distant relative, or someone who teaches their children at home, but they certainly do not understand what goes on inside their home and how these kids are actually learning. The majority of those who want to know how home schooling moms plan to teach high school fall into three categories.
The first of these categories is The Spectator. Those who ask this question about home schooling remember the difficulties of being in real school with professional teachers. They know that it was hard enough to keep up with these subjects as a student. What they are really asking is “How could a regular mom possibly have enough mastery of the material to competently teach the high school subjects?” Commonly, good mothers will admit to each other that trying to help their gifted second grader with homework can be a challenge. It’s impossible to comprehend families who take the entirety of their children's education into their own hands. Indeed, the home schooling family can be an intriguing mystery. For many, home school families provide the same curiosity as sideshow exhibits at the state fair. To these people the question of how to teach an upper level subject is as important as paying their fair ticket and stepping into the tent to find the answer to this strange phenomenon. It’s a wonder. It’s a relief to know. But, when they exit the tent the show is over, their curiosity satisfied, and their life goes on as usual. Truthfully, it didn’t matter if their questions were ever answered because they weren't affected.
Others ask because they are affronted that one might try educating their children outside of the professional teaching industry’s realm. Likely, they are a proud teacher. They’ve spent a lot of money on a college education to earn a degree that has trained them in their occupation as a teacher. They’ve spent so much time and put immense effort into their work. It’s only natural that they will not comprehend how a plain untrained mom with a will could do it. Asking "What are you gonna do about chemistry?" is the polite way of asking, "What makes you think that you can teach your child successfully?" It implies that "Even if you have a teaching degree, surely you aren’t qualified to teach all of the subjects necessary for a good education." Their question is rhetorical. Firstly, they know how much devotion they put into their own classes for their student’s sake. It is a lot of work. And they only teach one class! Which leads me to my second point, teachers are aware that they are not qualified to teach every subject a student would need for graduation. They confess that no teacher could do it all. Their question is meant to take the wind out of our sails before we‘ve gone too far. It’s a question of discouragement - one to sober us to the task ahead, which is mostly posed to the parents of elementary students and those rather new to home schooling. Perhaps they are kindly trying to spare us because they don’t think we’ve counted the cost. I call this second group The Affronted. Homeschoolers bother them because they think our decision to home school is one of judgment on them or lack of concern about our children‘s welfare. They don’t yet know that teaching my children at home is a matter of faith.
Some ask because they are considering home schooling and are trying to find answers about how it all works. Usually, I vary my reply depending on the audience. Presently, I address this response to a Christian audience. It is this third and last category of people who ask "What are you gonna do about teaching chemistry?" that I call The Innocent. They really want to know because they are curious as to whether they too can do it. They are interested in your formula for success. To lay the foundation of this response you must know that I have an intimate relationship with the Creator. He made the universe. He made me. When I was wicked and His enemy He died so that we could have a relationship. He has proven His faithfulness. For me, the decision to home school is a constant exercise of faith. I am teaching my children at home in order to glorify Him. It is not easy. I am not faultless. I am naturally lazy, impatient, and selfish. However, God calls me to be more like Him and promises to help me make the transition. By spending my life with my children, I have abundant opportunities to exercise patience, compassion, selflessness, gentleness, and we could go on indefinitely with the list of attributes that I am given the chance to cultivate. Whether I take them or miss them, the opportunities to grow in spirit that come from the decision to take my role as parent into the educational realm are endless.
When the Christian mom who has decided to home school has her oldest in kindergarten and is asking "What about chemistry?" What she wants to know is "Will God abandon our family when we reach high school?" So now I ask "What?!?!?" Why would He do that? Is it too hard for Him? He knows more about that subject and every other than anybody! Oh, I know, He’s so tired of me utterly relying on Him that He will simply refuse to provide a way. Perhaps I’ve used up my favors and now I’m going to have to go it alone. Do we see the absurdity of the question?
It is God’s desire that we become as dependant on His provision as little children. Since He’s promised to take care of our needs, our obligation is to seek Him first. It is our duty to walk by faith depending on Him. Abraham is an example of faithfulness that pleases God. He was obedient to God’s command to sacrifice his son. Yet Abraham believed God would fulfill His promise to build a great nation through Isaac. How could a dead son be the father of a great nation? Abraham speculated on how God would fulfill His promise; however, it was only when Isaac was tied down on top of the altar and the dagger drawn that God provided a way. Don’t draw your daggers yet. We aren’t asked to sacrifice our children. Just to trust them and ourselves in God’s hands. When we stay awake at night worrying about how to teach chemistry to our children when the oldest is yet seven are we really walking by faith? It’s not wrong to speculate on how God will provide. Abraham did, but his focus was not on fixing the problem. It was on obedience which God credited as faith. It’s not walking by faith if we fret because we can’t see every step of the entire path of our children’s 13-year education. We, like Abraham, need to have confidence in God’s provision.
Beloved, before we close let me propose one last thought. Above our children learning chemistry, it may be that the greatest lesson is for us to live by faith. When someone asks you the question next, do not give the glory to the plethora of aides that are available such as DVD’s, co-ops, satellite schools, special classes, and tutors. Give the glory to God and say, "I dunno yet how I’ll teach chemistry, but I am confident that God will provide for all of our needs."
