Heather Woodie

I am a homeschooling mom of four kids ages 10, 8, 6, 4 and wife to a handsome chemical engineer for 13 years. Before raising a family, I taught middle school science and have a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Now teaching at home means the chance to provide the extraordinary for my children. We felt the pull to homeschool when the local public school wasn’t sure what to do with our son who came to school already reading. We finally brought him home half way through first grade and haven’t looked back! As a former public school educator I had to learn to let go of a few things and I had to embrace the idea that public school is not a one size fits all endeavor. I quickly owned the idea that education does not have to look the same for everyone and the simple desire to teach your children can make for a very good teacher and it is always a pleasure to meet parents who do this well. For me that is one of the keys to inspiring new homeschoolers- the idea that just because it’s conventional doesn’t make a traditional classroom the only way to educate your child. Once you get a parent on to that idea, there’s no stopping them! Every year is more of an adventure and filled with immeasurable blessings for our family.

Between family and homeschooling time, I am on the volunteer staff for MOPS International as an Area Coordinator for NY State. I love to exercise especially since learning I can read while I walk uphill on a treadmill (though I don’t always present that way) and I love to scrapbook in my secret lair. I have a real thing for paper, pictures, stamps, and ribbon- lots of ribbon. Being at home with my children gives me gobs of creative energy which I unleash in little bits at a time it seems. I began blogging in 2007 as a way of sharing our homeschooling with those we love who live far away. I’ve never been one to keep a journal, but blogging makes it a lot more practical for me and I realized what I really enjoy is writing for an audience! It quickly grew to be a passion of mine and instantly became a medium I could use to encourage others along the way. One of my favorite things to do is to encourage others “professionally” through training and life experience whether it be other teachers (in my teaching career), other volunteer leaders and moms (through MOPS Int’l) or other homeschoolers (through my blog). I am honored to have been asked to contribute here at Heart of the Matter because it means experiencing the privilege of encouraging homeschooling families outside of my blog readership. I’ve been homeschooling four years and you can read about those adventures on my blog, Blog She Wrote .