Greetings Eddies!

Yesterday we dropped our (belated) homeschool holiday gift guide - but we forgot the most important entry:

The OpenEd Store is officially live.

All merch is sold at-cost. We're not trying to make money on this, we just want you to have cool swag! store.opened.co.

Go tell your friends to grab their gear. And now let's talk about a homeschool mom who stopped teaching her kids (wait, what?).

Let's dive in.

THOUGHT: How to Homeschool(without being a natural teacher)
‍TREND: The Unlikely Schoolhouse
‍TOOL: Hybrid Homeschool Toolkit

How to Homeschool (Without Being a Natural Teacher) 

Dalena Wallace has homeschooled six kids for 13 years. "I'm not gifted at teaching," she admits. "I just don't feel like it's something that I do really well."

Most homeschool moms feel pressure to become great teachers. Dalena did the opposite - she admitted her weakness and built around it. Tutors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Co-op on Wednesdays. Online curriculum that grades itself. She kept the days she's good at (Mondays and Fridays) and handed off the rest.

"I'm curating it thoughtfully, prayerfully, and intentionally based on our family's needs."

Watch clip | Listen to full conversation with Dalena

The Unlikely Schoolhouse

The Wichita School District – Kansas's largest – lost 6,000 students in the last decade. In addition to fewer kids being born in the recent decades, families are moving into a growing ecosystem of hybrid homeschools, microschools, and co-ops. Dalena runs WISE - a network connecting these schools across Wichita. Her vision for what comes next is simple.

"My dream for the future is that there's a school in every neighborhood, just like there's a church in every neighborhood."

Many churches already have the classrooms. They have playgrounds. And most importantly, they sit (mostly) empty Monday through Friday. The infrastructure for the next education already exists. Someone just needs to unlock the doors.

Learn more about WISE

Hybrid Homeschool Toolkit

After 13 years of hybrid homeschooling, Dalena has one filter for curriculum: "Does it grade itself?"

Her picks:

• Teaching Textbooks for math - kids log in, watch the lesson, do the problems. Mom checks progress online but never grades papers.
• Veritas Press for classical history (great for high schoolers, didn't click for middle school).
• The Good and the Beautiful is gorgeous, she says, but too parent-intensive. She couldn't keep up with six kids.

But her top recommended resource isn't actually curriculum. It's the “village.” Retired teachers who miss working with kids. Homeschool graduates who want experience. Neighbors who can teach sewing or baking.

How are you building your village?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Who knew the author of "I, Robot" was also a proponent of Open Education?