Tuesday, November 9, 2010

My 3rd Philippine Homeschool Conference Favorites

Can I just say, GOD IS AMAZING?!! Come on people, say it with me, GOD IS AMAZING! :) He really knows our needs, desires and thoughts. His ways are really far beyond our ways, thoughts higher than our thoughts! He alone knows His plans for EACH and EVERY one of us, just like He said in Jeremiah 29: 11-13!

Last October 30, hubby and I were so blessed to be part of the 3rd Philippine Homeschool Conference. It was worth every centavo we paid (we were able to avail of the P500 early bird registration fee!) and hubby and I are so grateful to God for providing for this "investment" in our family and kids' lives. I don't have a lot of time to post EVERYTHING I want to write about the Conference right now (more on WHY in another post! :) hehe. Suspense, suspense!), but I will try to sum it up in the following list:

My Top 5 Favorite Things About The 3rd Philippines Homeschool Conference:

1. The inspiring and informative talks 

There were two keynote speakers: Pastor Peter Tan-chi, Christ Commission Fellowship's dynamic leader and Philippine homeschooling pioneer (one of the main men behind The Master's Academy) and Ms. Luanne Shackleford, one of the authors of A Survivor's Guide to Homeschooling and a veteran homeschool mom.

In a nutshell, homeschooling and parenting in general, is heart work and hard work. Without the Lord's guidance, both tasks are very hard to do. Training up a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 6:22) so that he will not depart from it when he is old is something EVERY PARENT should strive hard for (including hubby and myself of course! We've a long, long way to go in becoming the Godly parents our kids deserve! *sighs* But we all gotta start somewhere right?!)

Other points that struck me: "The more you listen, the more you understand your children. The more you understand your children, the more you can influence." Bam! Right through the heart, Lord, Your words cut me! What a loving reminder to LISTEN and UNDERSTAND Timothy (and Rysse) more. Especially on difficult days.

And the pointers on how not to react when your child is acting up (I am now publicly confessing my sins, Lord! Guilty of everything listed below!!! Your grace alone can save me!):

-Do not be angry.
-Do not raise your voice.
-Do not send "busy" signals.
-Do not use words "you never..." or "you always...." 
-Don't answer immediately.

The reminders above apply not only to our kids, but I believe to our spouses as well. Right?! Anyway, since we are convinced and convicted that homeschooling is for us, I realized that I really need to work on my OWN heart and attitudes. This is where I (and hubby) would need all your prayers. (Thanks!)

2. The panel discussion with veteran homeschoolers, recent homeschoolers AND homeschooled kids themselves :)

We learned a lot through the panelists' sharing of experiences and tips. My MOST favorite part here was when a question was brought up related to socialization (this almost ALWAYS comes up when you talk about homeschooling!) - "Where can homeschoolers find friends who they can grow up with? (i.e. get best friends, etc). 

One of the homeschooled kids, a college freshman from Ateneo quickly replied: "My parents are my best friends. I am so blessed to have them support me and pray for me and be with me all the way." (Something to that effect.) Aaawww.. hubby and I exchanged looks after this and both said,"Hopefully Tim will also say that one day." (And Rysse too of course!) Just goes to show, homeschooling can really strengthen the bond between family members, especially parents and children!

3. The exhibit featuring different businesses and services that may be of help to homeschooling families.

We had fun going around the different booths and getting our "map" stamped by the different exhibitors so we could be eligible to win a prize (we didn't however, but that's ok!). There were also 2 photo booths, and hubby and I had a laugh getting our pics taken :) It made for a nice souvenir too! :) I also got some business ideas from the exhibit, which I will blog about in my other "home" online soon. :) Woohoo! Thank You Lord for Your blessings!

4. The chance to meet fellow Homeschooling Mommy bloggers :)

Thanks to my blogs, Facebook and being part of the Pinoy Homeschool yahoogroup, I was able to "meet" other homeschooling mommy bloggers like BlessieMonica and Michelle. It was SO nice to be able to meet two of them in person at the Conference, and it felt like we'd known each other for years! (Too bad Mommy Michelle couldn't make it, I wanted to thank her in person for answering all my questions through her blog posts. Hope you're much better now Mommy Michelle!) 

Because of the Conference, I also got to know Martine who had been serving on the working committee of the Conference, and Chame, a homeschooling mom included in the panel of speakers, who previously had been "unschooling" her son. We are now friends on Facebook and get to exchange messages about homeschooling and the like. Cool huh?

By serendipity, God-chance or whatever you choose to call it, I was also able to meet Irene, whom I discovered was the one and the same Catholic homeschooling mom my friend Michelle had mentioned to me. She had shared their homepreschool curriculum with Michelle, who in turn shared it with me. (We haven't started using it though, since we haven't decided on a particular curriculum yet!) Irene and her husband Arnold are one out of the five Catholic homeschooling parents from Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP), a Catholic charismatic community based here in the Philippines. Incidentally, our community, Couples for Christwas established in 1981 by LNP as its outreach to evangelize married couples but it severed its ties from LNP in 1993.

Up to now, I am just AMAZED at how God has used homeschooling to connect our family to other Christians and Catholics who want to hand down the Faith to their children and form their kids according to God's ways. 

Last but not the least, my no. 5 fave thing about the Conference was:

5. The time spent with the Lord and with hubby :)

The whole day, from early in the morning (kids were still asleep when we left, thank you Lola! We love you!) up to the end of the Conference (and even beyond, we picked the kids up and went to a birthday party after!), I was blessed to spend time with hubby sans children. Being on mission for the past 5 years, with no one else to watch the kids for longer than 2 hours, it was great to spend time with my Honey. He is my no. 1 supporter when it comes to all my advocacies and adventures, and sharing the HS Conference with him while there were many moms around without their respective partners was truly a great gift from the Beloved. Indeed, we could really feel the Lord's presence with us all throughout the Conference. It made me all revved up and inspired with so many ideas for future events for homeschoolers, especially the Catholic ones! Woohoo! Truly Jeremiah 29: 11-13 aptly describes how great our God is!


The conference ended on a high note with the launching of HAPI - the Homeschoolers Association of the Philippine Islands! With HAPI, homeschoolers and wannabe homeschoolers in the Philippines are able to link up more effectively, and are also able to receive information and tips that are relevant to their journey in home education. HAPI will also be lobbying to have a special Home Education Department under the Department of Education, among other things! Sooo exciting! 

Can't wait for what else the Lord has in store for us homeschoolers in the Philippines! :) Amazing blessings coming our way, thank You Beloved! :)

P.S. Here are some pics of the Conference. For more photos, please go to my Facebook page :)

Stage set-up

Pastor Peter Tan-Chi: Parenting Is Heart Work and Hard Work

TeacherMama Monica :)

Luanne Shackleford: Homeschooling - You Can Do It!

Afternoon Panelists

Chame and Dan Abbey

Homeschooled kids (Martine is no longer a kid, but a pro-homeschooling mom herself now! :)

"My parents are my best friends." Aaawwwww....

Edric Mendoza, HSLDA's official Philippine representative launches HAPI

Homeschoolers dance onstage 

Too bad I wasn't able to take a pic with Mommy Blessie!  :) We missed Mommy  Michelle too!


6 comments:

Blessie Adlaon said...

Hi, Teacher Mama Tina! Those were great talks, right? I loved Luanne Shackleford's homeschooling book too. So full of practical advice right from the first page and right up to the end. Highly recommended!

Monica said...

Hey Teacher Mama Tina! Great post and pictures! Hope to see you again soon :)

Chris said...

great post!! :D

i was really blessed by the conference too!

teachermamatina said...

Hi Mommy Blessie, Mommy Monica and Mommy Chris! :) Thanks for the comments! Praise GOD for the grace and conviction to homeschool our kids! :) Let's organize a special "meeting" of homeschooling mommy bloggers! :)

Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag said...

Hi, Teacher Mama Tina! Thank you for this post. It's encouraging for a young mom like me who is interested to homeschool my son also. I'm Teresa and a member of the Light of Jesus community. I was part of Christ Youth in Action and Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon (under Ligaya) when I was single. I'm interested to learn about the preschool curriculum you mentioned from an LNP couple. Hope to meet you and the other Catholic parents you mentioned in your article one day.

Unknown said...

Hi Teresa! Thank you for your comment.Praise God for using this blog to reach out to moms like you! I got your message on FB, will reply to you there! :-) God bless always dear!
P.S. You can also try checking out the links I have provided here in my blog - there are LOTS of free resources for homeschooling preschool! But the bottom line is, don't feel pressured to start your child so early! :-)

Teachermama Tina writes about

" Jesus Tree 3rd Philippine Homeschool Conference 4th Philippine Homeschool Conference About Teacher Mama Achievements Advantages of Homeschooling Advent Advent Activities Advent Crafts Advent Traditions Advocacies Affirmation All Hallow's Eve All Saints' Day Angels announcements Archangels Arma Dei Articles Arts and Crafts Assumption of Mary Babies Baby Einstein Baby signs Back to School Beginning Homeschool Bible Memory Verse Blessed John Paul II Blessed Mother Teresa Feast Day Blessings Blog Giveaways blog updates Bo Sanchez Books Breastfeeding and Homeschooling Catechism for Kids Catholic Catholic Activities and Crafts Catholic Books Catholic Cartoons Catholic Comics Catholic Education Catholic Feast Days Catholic Filipino Academy Catholic Filipino Homeschooling Catholic Heritage Curricula Catholic Homeschooling Catholic Icing Catholic Lesson Plans for Preschool and Kindergarten Catholic Parenting Catholic Unschooling Catholic Vacation Bible School Celebrations Character Development Child Discipline Christian Cartoons Christian Parenting Christmas Christmas Crafts Christmas greetings Classical Homeschooling College at Home Common Childhood Diseases Confessions Conversion of St. Paul Crafts Creative Activities for Homeschoolers Creativity Daily Schedules Day of the Unborn Child Department of Tourism Different Schooling Styles Discernment Discipline Divine Mercy Drawing E-books Earning Extra Income Easter Easter Activities Easter Treasure Hunt Eclectic homeschooling Education Education for Parents Educational Toys Educational Websites Encouragement for Homeschoolers Encouraging Writing Epiphany Epiphany House Blessing Equipping Catholic Families Events Exaltation of the Holy Cross Expo Mom Family Family Activities Family Bonding Family Traditions Fathers and Homeschooling Feast Days Field Trips Filipino Holidays Filipino Homeschool Filipino Homeschoolers Finances for Homeschoolers First Day of Homeschooling 2012 First Friday meet-ups Five In A Row Forever For Always No Matter What Free Bible Stories Free Children's Online Bibles Free E-books Free Online Books Free Online Comics Free Resources Free Workshops Freebies Frugal Homeschool Ideas funny videos Giveaways God God's Call to Homeschool God's Provision God's Provisions Godly attitudes Grade Levels Gratefulness Guardian Angels Halloween HAPI Heaven Help for Homeschoolers Holidays Holy Days Holy Heroes Holy Week Activities Holy Week Tips and Reflections Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands Homeschool Benefits homeschool bloggers Homeschool Burnout Homeschool Conference Homeschool Curriculum Homeschool Dads Homeschool Domination Homeschool Events Homeschool Goals Homeschool Help Homeschool High School Homeschool Moms Homeschool of Asia and Pacific Homeschool or Not Homeschool Planning Homeschool Preschool Homeschool Providers in the Philippines Homeschool Resources Homeschool Routine Homeschool Schedules Homeschool Statistics Homeschool Style Homeschool Support Homeschool Tips Homeschool Updates Homeschool Vision Homeschoolers Association of the Philippine Islands Homeschooling Homeschooling and the Working Mom Homeschooling in the Philippines Homeschooling Infographic Homeschooling is a Call Homeschooling Solutions Homeschooling Styles homeschooling videos How to start homeschooling How to teach kids about Holy Week and Easter How to teach reading I Recommend Ignatian Imagination Importance of Play Independence Day Ideas Infographic Inspiration for Homeschoolers Is Homeschooling For Your Child January Feast Days Jesus Christ July to Aug 2012 activities June 12 June 2012 activities K-12 Curriculum Kids Kids and the Bible Kids Books Kindergarten Lessons Kingdom-seekers Academy Kolbe Kolbe Academy Language Learning Styles Learning through Play LEGO Pilipinas at SM MOA Lent Lenten "decor Lenten Activities Lenten Countdown Lenten Crafts Lessons Learned Life Lessons Life Skills Literacy Losing your patience Love and Relationships Love for Learning Making Up Stories Mama Mary Mama Mary's Birthday March 25 Marian Feast Days Marriage Benefits Mater Amabilis May Ideas Michaelmas Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Mommy Mundo Mommy Talks Mompreneurs Monster Mama Month in Review Mother Goose Mother's Day Motherhood My Masterpiece Movement Nagging Nanay Notebook Nanny National Holidays Nativity of Mary Natural Family Planning New Year's Resolutions Nursery Rhymes October Feast Days Online Resources Organization Orientation Our Catholic Faith Our curriculum for SY 2012-2013 Our Homeschool Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of the Rosary Outreach Activities Palm Sunday Parenthood Parenting Parenting Bliss Parenting for Eternity Patriotic Filipino Books Phonics Programs Planner Play Pilipinas Play to Learn Pope JP II Prayer Prayer for Protection Prayer for the Unborn Praying about homeschooling Preborn Jesus Preparing for Christmas Preschool Preschool Lessons Preschool Science Preschoolers and Reading Printables Pro-Family Pro-God Pro-Life Pro-Life Activities for Homeschoolers Pro-Life Crafts Pro-Life Philippines Pro-Poor Progressive Schools Read aloud Reading Reading Program Reasons for Homeschooling Reflections Religion Resources Resources. DIY Review Reviews ROCKERs Rosary Routines Rysse Sacraments Saint Cartoons San Lorenzo Ruiz Saul to Paul Schedule Scripture Memory Verse September Feast Days Service Activities Sibling Relationships Sideline Jobs Sign Language Simple Homeschool Simply Living for Him Single Parenthood Smart Parenting Social Interaction Socialization and Homeschooling St. Cecilia St. Faustina St. Francis of Assisi St. Gabriel St. Lorenzo Ruiz St. Michael the Archangel St. Padre Pio St. Paul St. Raphael St. Teresa of Avila St. Therese of Lisieux Stepping Out of the Grade Level Box Successful Homeschooling Super Saturdays Support for Homeschoolers Susan Lemons Teacher Mama's Mama Teaching Infants Teaching Kids To Be Grateful Teaching Nannies Teaching Toddlers Teaching Toddlers about God The Annunciation to Mary The Learning Basket The Mommy Journey The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Therese Thinking Out of the Book Timothy Toddler Signs Toddlers and Jesus Truly Rich Mom Truth TV-free Activities Unschooling Value of Children Videos about Saints What Kids Say Why Homeschool? Why WE Homeschool Wordless Wednesday Work with the Poor Workshops for Homeschoolers World Breastfeeding Week Writing Yaya