Step ONE. The most crucial step to home education success is creating a powerful homeschool mission statement. Knowing your “why” is important for focus, creating goals, decision-making, and will save you time and money in the long run. Once you have your “why” you can go on to create a mission statement and goals for your homeschool. These steps may take some time, but it is critical to keep your focus on why you are choosing to home educate.
Curious about the #1 Reason for Homeschooling?
A Mission Statement Keeps You Focused
Without something to work toward, it is easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the world of homeschooling. The internet has opened up a whole new world of opportunities and resources for homeschoolers. This is both amazing and frustrating at the same time. The possibilities are endless, and so are the choices.
How do I pick a method? Choose the best curriculum? Know if my homeschool is successful?
You need a “North Star” to guide you! A Mission Statement.
(See below on how to get your FREE Mission Statement Builder workbook!)
A Mission Statement Guides Your Goals
Some states require you to write out goals for your homeschool each year. Even if it is not required, goals are always a great idea to make evaluating and measuring success tangible. Setting goals is as simple as taking your mission statement and breaking it down by subject and creating actionable, measurable goals for each child. Goals are important for each child to track progress throughout the year as well as adjust and make changes as necessary.
Check out HSLDA for more on how to set goals for your homeschool!
Decision-making Simplified
Who wouldn’t want help making decisions simpler? Avoid decision fatigue by filtering them through your Mission Statement first. You can quickly eliminate clutter from your homeschool by asking the simple question: “Does this line up with my Mission Statement?”
This filter can be applied to:
- Selecting and purchasing curriculum
- Deciding whether or not to join a Co-op
- Choosing extra-curricular activities
- Finding what methods best fit your homeschool
- Creating your calendar and prioritizing
- Preventing frivolous purchases
Guard Rails for your Homeschool
Just like we create guard rails for our children through expectations, rules, family values, rewards, and consequences, we need to set guard rails for our homeschool. If you don’t know when you get “off track”, how will you know when to get back on? There will be times when you lose momentum, get sidetracked or discouraged. Having a mission statement to refer back to will come in handy to reset your homeschool.
Avoid decision fatigue by filtering them through your Mission Statement first.
Never Changing Mission, Ever Changing Methods
Even if we are not homeschooling, we are teaching our children. Just because we outsource all, some, or none of their academic education, will not significantly change our Mission Statement, only the methodology. It is important to regularly evaluate your Mission Statement. If something is not working or supporting your goals, then changes often need to be made to how you are doing things, not why.
Revisit your mission statement and goals at least once a year. Semiannually, or even quarterly review can be beneficial to keep your homeschool and running as smoothly as possible. A life altering event (moving, job change, illness etc), may require adjustments to your Mission Statement, especially as your kids get older. Your Mission Statement does not need to be set in stone, but don’t let perfection keep you from ever creating one.
Be sure to download your FREE workbook and create your personalized Mission Statement today!
If you download the mission statement builder, leave a comment and let me know what other resources you would like to see!
