Successful Administrator and Homeschool Mom

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Many of the working, homeschooling moms possess good planning and organizational skills to be able to juggle all the duties that they are responsible for. For a work at home mom, one important skill is to be able to properly schedule their work time and teaching time.

We continue our series of Successful Homeschooling Schedules of Working Moms with an interview of fellow Classical Conversations mom, Administrator, and friend, Nicole Moliere.

 

Hi Nicole! Please tell us about yourself, what do you do for a living and who cares for your children while you work?

Hi Maritza! I run the administration department for the church my husband and I pastor. Recently, we started a business and I administrate for that as well. I also direct our local homeschool group, Classical Conversations, which I started a few years ago. By the grace of God, I am able to work at home.

That’s great Nicole! Could you please share your work schedule with us?

Sure! It varies depending on what is going on at the time. For our homeschool group, my most busy time is over the summer preparing for the upcoming school year.  For our ministry, I am usually working on a Saturday evening. For our business, I have papers to sort through daily on the evenings. But, I try no to focus on workload and time too much.  I enjoy the areas that the Lord has given me to work in.

It’s certainly a blessing to enjoy your job…Nicole, how long have you been homeschooling for and what are your children’s ages?

 

We are going into our 6th year of homeschool. My son will be 9 and my daughter will be 8.

When do you homeschool and how long does it take on an average day?

We have a rotating schedule, depending on what activities we have going on at the time.  On the days we actually stay home we tend to school around 5-6 hours a day, with lunch in between. On days we are on the run anywhere from 3-4 hours either in the morning or afternoon, depending on the time of the extracurricular activity. In the summer we focus on math, reading, and geography but not everyday, since we like to do leisured summer activities.

Do you do all the teaching, or do you have assistance?

I do all the teaching.  Every once in a while when a concept is difficult for me to teach or if the kids aren’t grasping them, my husband will help.

 

In what ways has working benefitted your homeschool life and/or vice versa?

Working has helped because it helps me stay “outside and others” focused. I also believe it shows my kids how multifaceted we are and can be. We can always do more than we think we can. It is easy to have small vision and only be focused on the here and now…I won’t homeschool forever, and I am blessed to be able to work on different projects that will likely outlast my homeschooling journey.

That’s an excellent point of view! Do you have time for extracurricular activities?

Yes!!! We have had seasons where we participated in extra curriculars every day of the week. I have found that I have to do what works for us in the season we are in. For now, both of my kids have the opportunity to pick one extra curricular activity that they want to do for the year (karate, sports, dance, piano, gymnastics). In addition we are part of a few co-ops, and we go on field trips twice a month.

Do co-ops benefit you in any way? If so, how?

Absolutely, I am a strong believer in community. I don’t encourage anyone to homeschool in isolation. Just being around  people who are doing what you do is so rewarding and encouraging.

Do you utilize a “boxed curriculum” or do you gather sources together to form your own curriculum?

We use “Classical Conversations” for our bones. While it is absolutely enough and does not require additional materials, I do add a science and history program. I try to incorporate areas of study that my kids gravitate to and enjoy.

 

What Homeschooling approach do you follow?

If I had to define us we use the classical method with a bit of Charlotte Mason…but truly we do what works best for our family.

 

What would you say is the main challenge you face of working with a homeschooling lifestyle?

My main challenges are avoiding burnout, staying motivated when we break, and remembering to rest in the process. I find that we lose momentum when we take long breaks without a schedule, so I try to keep some level of consistency even when we are on break. Homeschooling can be very strenuous because our kids are with us all the time, and they aren’t only learning textbook knowledge. They are learning life, and character. They are watching how you handle real life situations. That can be mentally and emotionally taxing, because we are far from perfect. I am forever at the feet of Jesus asking for help and I try to use my mistakes and shortcomings as an opportunity to point my kids to Christ.

Amen to that!…What is your best time management tip you would share with a working mom who is just beginning homeschooling?

Do what works for you, not anyone else. Everyone’s life looks different and at the end of the day we only have grace for what we are called to do. So figure out what works best for you, and stick to that!

Nicole, thank you so much for your time.

You are very welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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