My husband and six of our children just spent three blissfully nerdy days in Greenville, SC, at the Great Homeschool Convention. In the early years of our (currently) 21-year homeschooling journey, I attended conferences to hear the speakers; for the next few years I’d skip the speaking sessions in favor of the expo hall (those were the years I alternated between pushing a stroller and waddling along expecting our next addition); next I worked for vendors (Math-U-See and Quaver Music) and mostly stayed in a booth.
Now I’ve come full circle: because we participate in a Classical Conversations community, I don’t have to analyze and agonize over what books we’ll use, but now I find myself hungry for the speaker sessions again.
I’m no longer interested in beginner subjects—how to teach spelling or choose a co-op that’s right for you; honestly, I’m bored with homeschooling as a topic. But worldview? Teaching the classics? Shakespeare? Classical education? I’m all over that.
The Great Homeschool Convention combines a rockstar lineup of speakers and sessions with a massive vendor hall and optional entertainment and speakers for an additional fee on Friday and Saturday nights. We attended An Evening with Dr. Ben Carson last night in a packed ballroom.
His is a story to inspire children and adults alike. We streamed Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
He challenged us to spend 30 minutes a day learning something new. It’s easy to spend so much time teaching our children that we forget to teach ourselves.
This is the first time our whole family attended a homeschool conference. Someday my kids will quit analyzing other homeschoolers and just embrace them as their people. Yes, a lot of us are different, both parents and kids. Instead of denim jumpers, my bags held my latest Stitch Fix (review to come!), not that I’ve seen a lot of denim jumpers lately anyway.
Homeschooling has progressed beyond stereotypes.
My 14, 17, and 19 year olds participated in the Teen Track, a series focusing on topics like moral relativism, creation science, and worldview. The Great Homeschool Convention sessions were so diverse and engaging that at times members of my family sat in as many as four different ones at once, based on our interests.
No one said, “Seriously? We’re going to a homeschool conference as a vacation?” Everyone loved it, discovered new interests, and we learned both together and separately, as a family.
If you can make it to a Great Homeschool Convention, I highly recommend it for either you or your whole family.
Due to my husband’s work schedule, we weren’t able to attend. I am like you in that I’ve come full circle. I want to hear the speakers again! Thanks for the little taste.
Oh, and I would have loved to have spotted you there!
It’s a great conference and already scheduled there for March 12-14, 2015!
I am new to homeschooling. The jumper and skirt stereotype was in my head. Going to The Great Homeschool Convention wiped that out of my head. I saw a lot of trendy moms and dads.
There are lots of stereotypes, but I think homeschooling has finally become pretty mainstream.
You have a beautiful family, and I wanted to thank you for your blog. I’ve been reading for awhile, and have enjoyed it. You are an inspiration to me, because I am going to start homeschooling next year.
Wonderful, Angela! Thanks for reading and congrats on the decision to homeschool. 🙂
Oh Dawn! I wish I’d known you were there. We were there with two out of three of our boys. We treat it like a mini-vacation as well. Great review on the GHC!
Doggone it! It would have been nice to meet you. Maybe next time? 🙂
I recognized “my” downtown Greenville in your photo before I even read your post! Isn’t Falls Park beautiful? I didn’t realize there was a homeschool conference here.
Claresa, it’s at the TD Conference center and yes, the downtown area is amazing!
It was fun to meet you there when you stopped by Time-Warp Wife’s table! 🙂
Nice meeting you, too, Ashleigh!