bbcovert@juno.com

I have a homeschooling friend who describes herself as a real homebody. There’s no place else she’d rather be. This column is not for her (or any of you kindred spirits), because leaving home is the only way to attend a conference! You may be lucky enough to have one within shouting distance, but often there is a drive involved, and sometimes even an overnight stay. For many homeschoolers these conventions are a great way to connect with the homeschooling community, find out about new curricula and other educational materials, and revive the excitement of the homeschooling challenge. 

I’ve attended small, medium, and large homeschool conferences. In fact, I recently went to the smallest one ever. The cost was only $10, and if you registered early, you got a coupon for $10 off the merchandise. It was like getting in free! I attended three workshops, browsed through the books (and bought a few that I couldn’t live without), and bought a new educational geography game that I’d seen last year and still wanted. It was a very pleasant day, and only a forty minute drive from home. 

There is something comforting about being in a gathering of like-minded people. As a homeschooler, I’m often at home with only my two children for company; my world seems very small. It’s easy to feel like an oddball in a neighborhood where all the other children climb off a bus an hour after school let out. Then you walk into a homeschooling convention and discover lots of people who do what you do and believe what you believe. It’s an instant boost! Even if you are shy, you know how to start a conversation with every other person there. “How many children do you have? How long have you been homeschooling? What do you know about such-and-so curriculum? What do you do for field trips?” For me, meeting other homeschooling families is as good a reason as any to attend a homeschooling conference. 

Workshops are another great excuse for attending a convention. You have a variety of topics from which to choose. Some workshops are how-to classes, others are idea-generators, and still others offer inspiration and encouragement. Some are education-specific, but others are more about lifestyle. At some events you may purchase tapes of workshops you loved or workshops you missed. After a year of being the teacher, it’s wonderful to sit in a chair and be taught instead! And the best part? There’s no pop quiz! 

No convention is complete without vendors. The workshop speakers themselves sometimes have merchandise or a service to sell. Often there are other vendors as well, and I’m not talking hot dogs here. At the largest homeschool conference I ever attended, the vendors could have filled a football field! Besides offering every brand of curriculum for every possible course of study, there were educational games, puzzles, and toys. There were homeschooling T-shirts and tote bags. At one conference we found matching mother and daughter jumpers! (My daughter and I fondly wear ours on Mother’s Day each year.) There were videos and audiotapes, art supplies, science experiment kits, and world maps. The books available covered the gamut from fiction to fact, geared for the parents, aimed at the children, and covering every topic you can imagine. It was a book-lover’s paradise! It’s a great place to get a close look at all those materials you’ve contemplated in a catalog or online. 

Whether you are a new homeschooler desperately treading water in an ocean of confusing options, or a veteran homeschooler who’s built her own boat and paddled it for years, you can find something of value in a conference. The new homeschooler may leave feeling better-equipped to deal with her feelings and her children, and the veteran may return home with that burned out fire re-kindled and ready for the next adventure. It’s worth it to attend at least one just to find out what all the hoopla is about!

Copyright 2003 by Brenda B. Covert