Every year (and sometimes in the middle of it) we take a look at our homeschool and start evaluating and planning. There are articles to read, decisions to make, and curriculum to acquire. And it’s all a complete waste of time. At least, it is if you don’t have a vision and a clear homeschool mission statement to help you carry it out!
What happens when you start planning your homeschool year without a vision? What will you get when you make decisions apart from a mission? Chaos, mostly.
The fact is, there are way too many options. There are too many methods, styles, curriculums, co-ops, classes, and opportunities to consider. If you don’t have a filter to run these options through, you will end up wandering far more than you intended.
There are different ways of looking at vision, mission, objectives and goals. The way I see it, vision and mission are mostly interchangeable. On the other hand, when you boil it down, Jesus is our vision. Our mission is to homeschool for the glory of God, and align our efforts in that direction.
Casting a Vision, Defining the Mission
What does it mean to have a vision for your homeschool? How can you define your mission? Here are some questions to ponder:
- What do I want the end result of our homeschooling journey to be?
- What inspired our decision to homeschool?
- What is the purpose or value of homeschooling?
- What do I want my children to say about their homeschooling experience when they have graduated?
- What constitutes true homeschooling success when it’s all said and done?
- How do our family values and culture influence our homeschool vision?
Although it may take a while, once you’ve really nailed down your homeschool vision, it’s not something that will change a lot in the future. It is the anchor that keeps you going on the hard days and persevering when you are just plain tired. It is your compass, helping you to navigate the homeschool waters, set good goals, and make balanced decisions.
Writing Out Your Mission
Take some time to start the writing process yourself. Begin by thinking over the questions above or talking them through with your husband. Write down what you come up with.
When you’re done, is there anything missing? Anything else that really influences your homeschool vision? Re-write, pare down, and make your mission statement as concise as possible without losing the important points.
Our Homeschooling Vision and Mission
Here is what we have so far for our own homeschool mission statement.
Jesus is our vision.We purpose to educate our children in a way that brings glory to God.
- Raising them up to know and love the Lord
- Teaching them how to love their neighbors as themselves
- Equipping them for the work God will call them to do for His kingdom
- Providing the social, moral, and educational environment that will help them thrive most
We believe homeschooling is the best choice to accomplish this vision.
- Proper socialization
- Parents as primary influencers and educators
- A reverence for God and His Word
- A biblical worldview
- Godly character training
- A solid work ethic and family values
- Strong relationships with siblings
- Flexible education that is tailored to needs and interests
- Rigorous academics, but with a focus on relationships above all else
- Serving others together in the name of Christ
Your Mission Statement
There are many ways to think about and write your mission statement. The idea is to find what fits your family best and what will help you define goals to keep you focused in the right direction. When you’ve developed your mission statement as best you can, write or print it up. Put it in a visible place: on the wall or in your planner.
Here is what we have for our mission statement right now.
How about YOU? What is your homeschool vision and mission?
Tauna Meyer
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Joyice says
EXCELLENT!!!! I love this post. Thank you so much.
Melanie (Wren) says
Tauna, wonderful post! I’ve always struggled with writing mission statements…at least until I was blessed to review “Flourish” earlier this summer. She finally communicated to this nuts-and-bolts gal how to envision the big picture that we need for our family. I love what you’ve shared…and thanks for all the great links!
Tauna says
I enjoyed that book as well! Great encouragement and tips for busy moms. 🙂
Leah Courtney says
This is great! I did this a few years ago. And knowing our vision and goals really does help me in narrowing down all the great things to choose from.
I want to be headed in the direction God wants us to go- not just following along with what everyone else is doing.
Tauna says
Yes that’s a really good point. Would much rather follow God’s lead than my wandering curriculum eye. 😉
Kimberly Baker says
I am writing a blog to encourage homeschool mommas. The main point is to have a mission statement. I am going to put a link to your page for them. Thank you for the step by step instructions. This will be very helpful for them. God bless.
Amber says
I am so happy to have found this guide for writing mission statements. We are about to begin our homeschool journey with our 5 year old in September. I have known that a mission statement would help me organize and prioritize education styles and curriculum choices but I have struggled with getting it done. Thank you for your help!
Tauna says
You are so welcome! 🙂
John Smith says
Great Share! The internet can provide you with a wide range of homeschooling resources. There are different websites which you can visit, and once you’re in their site, see what requirements are
needed in order to access the homeschooling courses.
Jen says
Thank you, Tauna, for this timely reminder. After a frantic season of preparing to release our older three to their next stage of life, I have felt like I was drifting, lost. This morning I finished reading _The Seed_ (Jon Gordon) and purposed to start fresh. Finding and/or rewriting our vision and mission is the perfect place to ground myself to do this all over again!
Tauna Meyer says
I’m so glad it was a blessing to you with good timing – God is wonderful like that, isn’t He?
Dana says
How timely! I’m so so thankful for that important reminder —-Jesus IS our mission! Love ❤️ your thoughts! Thank you so much
Tauna Meyer says
You’re so welcome!
Erika says
Thank you so much for this post! I have been needing to write a mission statement for our homeschool and haven’t found anything to help. I now have a much better idea of what a mission statement needs and how it should look for our family.
Tauna Meyer says
You are so welcome! I’m glad it was helpful. 🙂