Homeschooling often gets a bad rap because of myths that parents believe about it. Contrary to popular belief, homeschooled kids have numerous opportunities to socialize or participate in group activities. And what many families experienced while their kids attended remote school during the pandemic is not an indication of what homeschooling looks like.

This week on the podcast, Mandy Davis, a former school administrator, shares what homeschooling looks like in her home. She shares her insights and experiences in creating a nurturing and empowering learning environment for her children.

In our conversation, Mandy highlights the importance of open conversations about educational options, advocating for children, and the power of community and connection in parenting.

Listen in and gain valuable insights into authentic, student-driven learning and the power of homeschooling in nurturing well-rounded individuals. Let’s continue to challenge the status quo and create educational environments that prioritize emotional well-being and individualized learning experiences.

About Mandy Davis:

Mandy Davis is a former school principal with a background in both public and private education. With a passion to provide both a solid academic foundation alongside life-giving opportunities and freedom for her children, she watched her priorities and goals shift.

Bringing all of her focus back to the home, Mandy and her husband, Josh, found themselves moving their family on 10 acres in Central Oregon, and creating the life they had only dreamed could exist. Now a homeschooling, homesteading family of five, Mandy shares her stories and experience to help other mom’s find joy through giving their children a wild and free life!

Homesteading, homemaking, homeschool, student centered learning, COVID’s learning disruption, charters, distance learning, interest led learning, rise in problematic behavior in schools.

Jump in the Conversation:

[2:02] – Where Mandy’s educational activism came from
[3:50] – What Mandy created for her family
[5:08] – what’s working for Mandy and her kids
[7:26] – Struggles in homeschooling
[9:03] – Transformations that come from this model
[14:40] – Easing into homeschooling
[16:12] – The importance of connecting with other homeschool families
[18:08] – What goes into school choice
[22:38] – What’s next for Mandy and her mission
[23:25] – Turbo Time
[24:28] – What people need to know about authentic, student-driven learning
[25:15] – How to be an activist to transform learning
[26:08] – Mandy’s Magic Wand
[26:52] – Maureen’s Takeaways

Links & Resources

• Homebuilt Education
• Follow Mandy on Instagram
• How to Get Started Homeschooling
• 8 Types of Homeschooling
• Email Maureen
• Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools
• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids
• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

Transcript:

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 0:03
Hello fellow parents and educators. Thank you for joining me at Education Evolution, where we are disrupting the status quo in today’s learning models. We talk about present day education, what’s broken, who’s fixing it, and how. I’m Dr. Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your host and founder of education evolution, micro school coalition, and co founder of active, I consult and train with schools and leaders who are fiercely committed to changing the narrative, reimagining the education landscape, and creating learning that serves all children and prepares them to thrive. If you are new, welcome to the podcast. Please subscribe on our website to get it delivered to your inbox weekly. If you’ve been around a while, have you left a review?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:08
Hi, Mandy, it is so good to have you on Education Evolution today.

Mandy Davis 1:11
Hi, thank you so much for having me.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:13
And listeners. today I’m chatting with Mandy Davis, a former school principal with a passion to provide both a solid academic foundation alongside life giving opportunities and freedom for her children. Mandy and her husband Josh found themselves moving their family on 10 acres in Central Oregon, and creating a life of homeschooling and homesteading for their family of five. Mandy shares her stories and experience to help find joy through homeschooling. And Mandy, your Instagram is just like a visual delight. I just have to say, listeners, you’ll want to check it out. And we’ll have links in the show notes.

Mandy Davis 1:49
Thank you so much.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:51
So let’s dive in. Mandy, you know, our schools must evolve to serve all learners, our definition of education must evolve. Were you an educational activist early on, or did becoming a parent start this process for you?

Mandy Davis 2:06
Parenting definitely shifted my process and just the way I looked at education as a whole. I think that becoming an activist more so is just being willing to have the hard conversations that sometimes we can very easily shy away from. A lot of what I share to parents on on My Sites are relative to how I see home education as one of the best options for families. But really, whenever I’m talking about those other options, other school options that we can take, I want to be able to have those conversations openly and listen as much as I’m speaking, so that we can come together and really make a change in education for the better and impact our children’s children. So for me, you know, being that educational activist is really just how can I encourage these conversations and join them?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 3:04
I love that. And I think it was on a blog, but somewhere on one of your sites. It also had like, hey, Google seven types of education a type. So you’re encouraging people to look at Oh Montessori compared to unschooling compared to. So I think that’s always a gift to give families a lot of information. And then they can think, hey, what plugs in best for this kiddo or for this time in our lives? So I appreciate that you have your preference, and you’re also sharing other options so families can find the best fit for them?

Mandy Davis 3:37
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I think no matter the school choice that we make, we all just need to be rooting for each other, and remembering that the goal is that all children thrive and learn.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 3:47
Absolutely. So tell us what have you created?

Mandy Davis 3:51
Gosh, just through homeschooling, I think that I’ve been able to hand my children back their childhood, I’m looking always as to how life can coincide with learning and how that can flow naturally, at the pace of their childhood. So coming from both being in a public school myself, to teaching in a public school to being an administrator in a private school, I’ve kind of been able to see that full spectrum of what kind of approach to education we we have in these in these different options. And I think that my ultimate goal has been just honoring that childhood in the path that our families taking.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 4:42
Oh, I like that. You talked about children and freedom. There are so many styles of homeschooling and and some of them are very aligned to pencil and paper curriculum and to timelines and you go back into the district for testing or assessments. So from what I AMC in your model is not that book driven, rigid. Can you tell us more about what’s working for you and your kids?

Mandy Davis 5:09
Sure, absolutely. You know, there are there are several models of homeschooling, as well as philosophies that I always encourage, if you’re looking to homeschool for the first time, really research each of those models, not so you can live by one. But so you can start to identify where your family most aligns. Because it helps you to get started, it helps you define the curriculum that can really enrich the experience, after you’ve been doing it for a while, you will come to find that the style you take is really your own, and what works best for your children and your family. And now that we’re out here homesteading on our, on our land in Central Oregon, what we’ve learned is that there are so many daily lessons just through walking out our back door. So we’ve really been able to take that in using multisensory time in the garden, to raising animals, there’s always a component that is going to be paper and pencil, and there’s always going to be a component that you know, as 21st century educators and learners that are going to be on technology. And so it’s kind of finding that balance, and just making it work for your family.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 6:27
I like that. And I like how you’re taking advantage, you’re doing that place based education, because you have you in a farm setting, you have such a different experience and opportunity than in a rural setting. So I think homeschooling can be in the middle of a big, big city, or it can be in the country, but to take advantage of what we have around us is always going to make it so much richer for the students.

Mandy Davis 6:53
Absolutely. And we’ve done both we lived in a quiet neighborhood before we moved out to the country. And, you know, we really just hone in on the home culture. What is our family’s home culture? And how do we want to instill the values of the family in the home within our children?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 7:14
I like that, because every culture is different. And values need to come from the families. Absolutely. Yeah. So what have been the biggest struggles or challenges that you’ve faced as you’ve got into a homeschooling?

Mandy Davis 7:33
Sure. For me, just coming from my background in education, it’s been kind of my unmolding an unpacking of this is what a school day should look like, this is what all students need. homeschool, look so much more like home than my school. And that was difficult for me in in our early takeoff, probably more difficult for me than for the kids. Just understanding that the day goes by faster that the learning happens when you least expect it. That taking that time out for that emotional learning and the coping side and the mental health side. That’s all learning. Making time for that was a beautiful shift. But it definitely was my biggest struggle in continuing to build confidence and tell myself, No, what I’m doing is right. And okay, I’ve just got to keep going forward through it.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 8:43
Absolutely. And there is I know as, as a mom, I have second guessed myself so much more than I ever do as a school principal. So I think it’s really natural. What are we doing? And are we doing the right thing for our kids, but to keep going and to keep trusting in what’s working and how your kids are thriving? What are some indicators that your kids are thriving or some transformations that you’re seeing?

Mandy Davis 9:08
Oh, gosh, you know, I’ve seen the academic advantages, just from being able to move through lessons, not only at the pace that each of my children prefer to learn, but also in the way they like to learn and be taught. So seeing that flexibility and seeing them grow, has definitely has definitely been an indicator. And then and then aside from the academic portion, I would say that there’s definitely just a closeness and the connection of our family. And, you know, I’m a huge advocate of connection over curriculum, and being able to see that connection and not only with, you know, the kids and myself and my husband and the kids, but with their real Relationships together, and then how they’re able to connect, and I’m gonna use that buzzword socialize outside of the home, I’ve just seen it take off leaps and bounds.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 10:12
That’s interesting to hear, because I think a fear some parents have of homeschooling or micro schooling as their kids won’t get enough socializing, and they’ll miss out on developing those skills. And you’re seeing something different than that.

Mandy Davis 10:26
Absolutely, you know, socialization, that is the hot topic word when ever I bring up homeschooling, but But truly, in our life, when, when else are we placed in a setting to collaborate, you know, with 20, plus peers our exact same age. And that takes, you know, not into account interests, abilities, levels, of, you know, social, social and emotional health. It’s just by, by age and happening. When I look to the classroom setting as well, there can be so much happening in that classroom, that I know we’ve heard teachers say it before, this is not the place to socialize, or Now’s not the time for talking, and bless their hearts because they are pushing through a lot of curriculum with a lot of small hands and a lot of small minds and a lot of kids at different levels and abilities and different needs. So So I understand that push and those rules and why they’re in place. But at the same time, it takes out a lot of the social aspects that I think parents want to believe are happening in the schools. And when you’re able to teach your children what typically happens in six to seven hours in the day, in a one to three hour timeframe. Activities open up coops open up there’s time for mentoring from outside adults, other than the parents, from church youth groups, to participating in sporting events. We’ve just seen the socialization piece, completely opposite to what I think my husband and I both had fears about.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 12:21
When you say that, that makes really good sense. Because kids don’t get to socialize in school, it’s Be quiet, and we’re doing this. And then they go home and do more homework. So to homeschool and have them have so much less time over a textbook and complying and more time free to find like interest groups and to find peers and to actually practice socializing, and to figure out their passions and to learn more about themselves. It sounds like it’s a much healthier way to socialize them being in a school with 1000 kids.

Mandy Davis 12:55
Absolutely. There can definitely be a piece with overstimulation when, when you are just around noise and, and peers, you know, all day. And what I would hear from parents at previous schools was, you know, I’m hearing from my my child’s teacher that they’re great that they’re doing a great job in school, they’re a great listener, but they come home, and they are off the walls. They’re not listening to me, their behaviors, defiance. But you’re not seeing in this in school. Why? You know, oftentimes, that’s an example of a kiddo holding it together. Yeah, totaling it up all day to meet those rules to not be out of line. And then when they get to their safe place, which is home, it just all comes out.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 13:49
And I’ve seen that as a mom with a daughter with autism, that the sensory overload. At the end of the day, even if it didn’t all come out, I would be driving her home from seventh grade volleyball at the end of the day, and she would fall asleep in the car, go into the house and sleep through the night. It was so exhausting to make it through a day. And I hear other families say yeah, the sensory overload, my kid gets home, so a little and they can explode because they would never want to do that in front of their peers. They’d never want to melt down or lose, you know, be just regulated. So isn’t that unfortunate that it has to bottle up and that that they’re in a place that it’s not safe for so long?

Mandy Davis 14:28
Oh, absolutely.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 14:31
So what are a few tips that you wish somebody had told you earlier on that might make homeschooling or even the move to homeschooling easier for a family to start into?

Mandy Davis 14:45
I would say just knowing how many other families are going through the decision. You know, you don’t get a lot of confidence. Through homeschooling. You’re not if you’re not building In your homeschool community, it’s hard to, you know, even as a parent to know, was that tough decision I made the right one? Did I disservice my child, was this right for my child, you know, all of these worries go through our head every day. And when you put that responsibility of their full education on your shoulders, it can feel very heavy very quickly. So the importance of connecting to other homeschool families, that’s probably what I wish I would have done first, and even before I started homeschooling and and truly for me, that has what led me to both create my website, and just a place to belong for other moms. And Instagram has been a wonderful source to connect with other homeschooling families.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 15:56
Yeah, you have quite the following. So I think that’s great that so many people have found you, and that you can be a source for them. And oh, my gosh, your kids are so adorable. It’s fun to see them.

Mandy Davis 16:08
Oh, thank you so much. You know, I just started something new on my page called home built connect. And I’m just using it as a weekly forum on popular topics, that new to homeschool and veteran homeschool moms think about or have to think about from, you know, how do you have that yearly? Quarterly monthly check in conversation of how’s our school choice going for our family? To how do you select curriculum? And do you change it up year over year? Or do you stay, you know, on a steady course, and just that connection piece and being able to hear from all over the world, what families are doing, it just helps you to build in that confidence that you’re not alone?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 16:57
Absolutely. And I find as a parent, as our kids get older, we have less and less connections with other parents when when they’re a little and they’re in, you know, toddler swimming together. There’s a lot of cross talking and comparing, and what do you do about this. But as it gets older, the kids start to to individuate and separate from us. And then the parents kind of get, I don’t know, I feel like it’s like a social media moment where we’ll take pictures and post when things are going well. But we have nobody to turn to is Is this normal, and my kids in their bedroom all day and whatnot. So for you to be forging this connection, when people homeschooling may even have less of a sense of that connection. I think we all want to be rallied around and to have support and to support each other. So what you’re offering sounds like something the other parents are going to really appreciate.

Mandy Davis 17:44
Absolutely. That’s That’s the hope. Yeah.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 17:47
So you mentioned something just then about that check in? Is this the right school choice moving forward? I think a lot of families are like, well, this is what I did. I went to public school in my neighborhood, kindergarten through 12th grade, that’s what my kids will do. Or, hey, this this Catholic school education all the way through, I hear you saying that that’s not something that you are on autopilot in your family. So talk about school choice, and what goes into that?

Mandy Davis 18:16
Absolutely. You know, school choice is such a privilege. And for whatever reason, it’s very commonly overlooked. School choice becomes which school in our neighborhood is the one we’re set to go to. And when our children reached the age, how do I enroll them. School choice, though, really kicks off in those preschool Kinder years and will not complete through senior year in high school. And taking that active choice can be really hard. I have talked to different parents that did not see eye to eye, one parent assumed they’d go one route and another another. I’ve talked to parents that were surprised to hear there’s more than a public school choice or a private school choice that exists. I think that really COVID and distance learning was an eye opening timeline for a lot of parents that experienced school at home for the first time. And something I always share is that COVID learning was not a an actual snapshot of what homeschooling looks like for some it may have been had they, you know, taken that active choice to go the homeschooling route. But for most, it’s it’s not what homeschooling looks like, but I think what it did was it opened some of our eyes to the idea of there are kids schooling at home, there are distance learning options. And I hope that we can continue to make that shift where this is something that’s talked About regularly and, and actively, we’re making this intentional choice for our kids. And then as our children get older with our children, so that we’re making the right and best choice for their education and childhood.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 20:17
I’d like that night. I think you’re absolutely right. It’s a privilege that we often don’t take advantage of. And I, it is also hard for parents to be on the same page. Because our own histories we all feel like we know school because we went through it, but to really look what serves our children best. So what if one of your daughters said hey, I really want to be in a traditional school to try it out for a year and the other two are feeling like they want to stay at home? Is that something? If you were reviewing it, that might mean that you have different things going on in your family?

Mandy Davis 20:53
Sure. So my daughter’s are now in fourth and sixth grade. And, you know, we definitely include them in the school choice. And I think it’s also an important conversation to have pretty regularly with your children, just so they understand. This is our family school choice. Others are doing XYZ. How are you feeling in our journey? How can I continue to support you in this journey? And, you know, if one of the girls came and said, I’d like to explore traditional schooling opportunities, which both of my girls have already been through both a public and private school setting, as we kind of make the shifts that work best for our family. But we would definitely explore that further. You know, what would this mean for your education this year? What would it mean for your schedule? What how could it, you know, shift a current dynamic? What could it lead to? Where were our positives with this? And what are going to be our checkpoints? How will we know that this was a good choice? How will we know it’s going well, and continue the conversation from there?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 22:15
I like how intentional that is, and how inclusive, inclusive it is, of your daughters and what they’re thinking and feeling. And I think a lot of times kids just want to know they have a choice. They may not even disagree with something. They just want to have that voice that agency is so important.

Mandy Davis 22:33
Absolutely. Absolutely.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 22:36
So what’s next for you and your mission?

Mandy Davis 22:39
Oh, gosh, I think that, you know, we’re just very, I’ve been using this word a lot lately, but we’re just very content right now. We’re very happy in, in what we’re doing. With homeschooling, we’re very happy living a slow and quiet life out here. And if I can relay this message of, of contentment, of hope of, you know, making time for these conversations around school choice and how you can make your school choice work for your family, then I can’t think of a bigger blessing.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 23:22
I love that. Mandy, I always like to take a little time and have some turbo time questions so the listeners can get to know you better. May I ask you some turbo time questions?

Mandy Davis 23:34
Sure. Yes.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 23:36
Great. What is the last book you read?

Mandy Davis 23:39
I just read Little Women as a part of reread Little Women as a part of my book club.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 23:46
Oh, love that book. And my mom loved that book. I mean, it’s such a It’s epic. Yes, it was. It was just the perfect timing to read it a nice to inspirational folks that you would love to meet.

Mandy Davis 23:59
Okay, I think I will go with Sally Clarkson, author of giving your words author of several books and speaker and Ainsley Armenta of wild and free and as well as an author, and I’m actually very fortunate that I will actually get the opportunity to meet both this fall. I’m speaking with them at a wild and free conference in mid September.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 24:22
Oh, I love that. Congratulations.

Mandy Davis 24:24
Thank you so much.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 24:26
What’s the biggest thing you wish folks knew about student driven or place based learning about more than authentic learning?

Mandy Davis 24:35
I think I wish that they knew that. It looks different for every child. And it’s not always happening and able to be supported in classrooms across our nation today, as I think we’d like to hope that it was. But with that in mind, it is essential for home lines learning.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 24:57
Absolutely. How about a pet peeve of yours.

Mandy Davis 25:01
Probably socialization used as a buzzword and homeschooling and comparing the COVID shutdown and emergency at home learning to homeschool, right?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 25:15
How can others be activist to transform learning?

Mandy Davis 25:19
Keep talking about school options. Just keep talking on all platforms, there’s going to be pushback, there’s going to be times that opinions and facts are shared and others will not agree. But we have to be able to have these conversations so we can make big changes that are going to benefit our future and children’s future.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 25:42
Absolutely. And what is something that most people don’t know about you?

Mandy Davis 25:47
Probably that I am an introvert. And I very deeply overwhelm in large social situations. But by the way, I did have a public school upbringing. So it’s not a socialization piece there. It’s, it’s just who I am.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 26:04
Absolutely. And I wrap up with a magic wand moment. So I’m handing you the education evolution magic wand. Mandy, if you could wish one thing for the learning experience of our precious children, what would it be?

Mandy Davis 26:21
That every child would be able to learn at their pace in an environment where they felt loved.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 26:28
Oh, Mike drop that works. Thank you so much for your hard work and for your willingness to create community and to share with other families. And thank you for being a guest today on education evolution.

Mandy Davis 26:43
Thank you so much for having me.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 26:53
Mandy is a mother on a mission. I know that feeling well. And her definition of activism as being willing to have those hard conversations, and then willing to take that discomfort and make a change to better serve. In this case, our learners is an apt definition. In our micro schools, I also experienced what Mandy shared as a benefit of non traditional learning. It is so important during the process of learning that we have time for that emotional component for coping for soft skills, for clarification, paraphrasing, active listening. And we have to let kids have a voice and work at a pace that fits each learner. She does this and it’s not a surprise that she sees her daughter’s thriving.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 27:56
I appreciate how Mandy debunks two major myths. The first that students are who are homeschooled or in a micro school are not getting the socialization they would get in a large traditional school. When students are empowered to own their learning and lead their conversations, there is a great deal of socialization happening at school. And when they’re not burdened with hours of bookwork. In the evenings, they have a chance to socialize with peer groups on topics of particular interest. The second myth is that homeschooling is the same as the schooling we experienced during the lockdown phase of COVID. Homeschooling is not. I encourage you to check out Mandy’s Instagram and websites, you will see something that looks very different than kids glued to a screen in synchronous or asynchronous environments like we experienced during lockdown. We are fortunate to have so many choices for how our children are schooled. And in many states, the funding can go along with our choice. So let’s not keep overlooking this privilege. We need to make active choices and revisit them to make sure our learners have the best possible learning environments for their passions, purpose, learning style and specific needs. There are so many choices out there if we take the time to explore. And Mandy strongly encourages that parents connect with others and learn before they make a big choice.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 29:30
Many people have used the pandemic experience to reevaluate their lives. And I know our Gen Z young adults are also questioning their lives. Slowing down and making sure that our lives have meaning is important. I know that right sizing is something that is driving my decision to step away from running lead prep. Even though founding and leading this micro school has been a source of joy for me these past 10 years. It’s wonderful that Mandy and her husband are finding the right size and pace for their family and their values. Magic Wand. Of course, every child should be able to learn at their pace. I appreciate Mandy emphasizing this. I know I am grateful when people slow it down if I’m doing anything mechanical, and I appreciate when I get to zip ahead on things that tie in to reading and writing. As adults, we often have things at our own pace. The traditional lockstep assembly line schooling pace, does not serve our youth and needs to be dismantled. And in its place, we need to make sure that what we create is, as Mandy suggests, an environment where each child feels deeply loved. Mandy is making the schooling she wants happen for her children. Inspirational. Thank you for being a part of the education evolution.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 31:12
I know how challenging it is to make changes inside your own school or community. I’ve spent years working with schools around the world on creating learner centered programs. And it always struck me how much schools were able to get done with the right tools and guidance. If you’re ready to make changes like this in your own school, let’s talk and put together an action plan. Visit educationevolution.org/consult for a free 15 minute call. And let’s see if we’re a good fit for more work together. Thanks again for listening. To support the education evolution, subscribe so it lands in your podcast app and gets out to more decision makers. Then rate and review it. For more information in shownotes go to educationevolution.org. Education Evolution listeners. You are the ones to ensure we create classrooms where each student is seen, heard, valued and thriving. We are in this together and we need you. Let’s go out and reach every student today. Thank you for listening, signing off. I am Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your partner in boldly reimagining education.