Léo's Insights

While our favourite story is not so much a story, it must be told because it represents the single most important observation we have had the privilege of making in our thirty plus years as facilitators. This “story” is about our own family. Even though we didn't decide to home educate our own children until … Continue reading "Our Favourite Story"

My family is a bit strange. I suppose most people think the same thing about their family and likely it is true, but in different ways. Most families have a go-to person who seems to have a bit more intuition regarding computers and phones than the rest. Normally, it is not a parent who is … Continue reading "Restart"

Last time, I left you hanging regarding what transpired with the student I had busted when his backpack fell over revealing his dad's hunting knife. I had given him the option of telling his dad or I would. After dealing with me, he announced his imminent death as he went home to tell his father … Continue reading "The Knife Story (Part 2)"

The classroom was very quiet as the students focused on an exam I was administering. I was walking around, keeping an eye on things, when I was suddenly shocked into emergency mode. As I was walking past a particular student, his backpack fell over and out came an 8-inch hunting knife. Not wanting to cause … Continue reading "The Knife Story (Part 1)"

I thought this particular fellow was aiming to win the couch-potato-of-the-year award. Both he and his sister were children of an older couple who had married late and seemed lost with teenage kids. While his sister was a hyper-motivated academic powerhouse, the brother was not. We tried to encourage the boy to do at least … Continue reading "From Start to Finish"

While we are thankful for having had very few failures regarding our ability to visit our families, there are quite a few stories we can tell about family missteps and memory lapses. Setting aside emergency situations such as children breaking bones, there have actually been so few instances of being “stood up” or surprising families … Continue reading "The House Was Not Home"

We have been blessed with good travel experiences. In the thirty years we have been facilitating, we have had very few travel issues other than the occasional speeding ticket. We have been marooned in snowdrifts only three times, stuck in mud twice, twice we have been partly in a ditch with our truck and camper, … Continue reading "Super Happy About Supper"

I have never been a fan of standardized testing or evaluations, as I simply refuse to believe there is such a thing as a standard or average person. I was a successful teacher, well liked by most students, respected by my colleagues and despised by my enemies. I took professional and personal development very seriously, … Continue reading "Dear Mr. Gaumont"

Many years ago, as we were just getting started with Education Unlimited, Faye and I were asked to visit the sister of one of our home educating moms, as she was experiencing some grief regarding her son's school experience. We arranged to visit the folks that evening. We had a very good visit with this … Continue reading "Mom Learns English"

Of all the techniques, methodologies and other pedagogical effects I employed in my teaching career, nothing beats this one. I called it Question Period, ostensibly named after the same in our Federal House of Commons. I love learning things and am not at all threatened when someone knows more than I do. In fact, the … Continue reading "Question Period"

Every once in a while, a person can say something that finds a place of immortality in time. Such a thing happened to me over twenty years ago when I told a story to a few Mennonite families who, while very wonderful people, seemed stuck in a time warp I could not comprehend. I was interested … Continue reading "How to Cook a Ham"

Occasionally, something so absurd occurs that one wonders what planet the idea originated on. Of all the home education issues I have witnessed, this one stands out as the most useless and illogical exercise in futility. I received a call from a lawyer with a group called the Home School Legal Defence Association or HSLDA. … Continue reading "Home Education Truancy"

In the past, schools operated by the district in which I was working were open to registrations from anywhere. That is, schools were not restricted to accepting students only from within their catchment area. This was especially important to high schools which were catering to an older cohort of students able to travel on their … Continue reading "Scat Test"

Still on the topic of providing something concrete to help teach something intangible, I often used imagery to help students understand abstract concepts. Time and space are two such concepts. We really do not know what either really is except that it is associated with the temporal rather than the eternal. In fact, the only … Continue reading "What Will You Sacrifice?"

We are fortunate to have a great example of teaching techniques we can follow, as the best teacher who ever lived was Jesus Himself. After all, He was addressing the men He created. When home educating, parents are also addressing the ones they created so they would do well to emulate how Jesus went about … Continue reading "Best Teaching Practices"

It is simply amazing what a single word or negligible action can create. I have personally taken some very harsh criticisms and serious personal insults over things so small, I had to really think hard to imagine how it could have been offensive. I have actually seen a single misplaced word completely destroy a potential … Continue reading "Where To Sit"

As previously mentioned, Education Unlimited has been at the forefront of digital technology usage since our very beginning. In fact, my wife, Faye, and I were the first to perform our facilitation duties as a couple while using one of the first laptop computers available. This presented us with the ability to complete all our … Continue reading "The Computer Issue"

Those of us who tend to be leaders, movers and shakers often believe we are on our own. That is, we are more likely to see ourselves as loners, as the people who are with us are usually following us rather than walking beside us. While this may be the perception we have, it is … Continue reading "Who Has Your Back?"

Last time, we discussed how student records are handled and how one can see patterns of behaviour when studying the contents of those records. By that I mean not only a student's behavioural issues, but also those of a school which is funded at a higher rate when students are deemed “special needs.” The particular … Continue reading "Setting A Child Straight – Part 2"

Once upon a time, all student records were paper. Thankfully that is now in the past. EU had many filling cabinets full of documents no one ever read or asked for. When a student left our school for another, we obligingly packaged up all the student's records and sent them to the new school, which … Continue reading "Setting A Child Straight – Part 1"

A silly song we sometimes hear says, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” As funny as this may seem, it is true. Similarly, everybody wants to be free, but nobody wants to exercise freedom. An interesting observation may help you to understand what I mean. I have been a bird … Continue reading "Do You Actually Want To Be Free?"

No one knows when Jesus was actually born. I cannot lay claim to having more information than the rest, but scholars think it was sometime in October. God's incarnation on earth is the most significant event in all of history so the fact that He came makes His actual date of arrival of little significance. … Continue reading "Cancelling Christmas"

I must admit, the young lady was very attractive. Not only was she pretty, but she had a confident demeanour that went beyond her good looks. She did not play the arrogant “aren't I pretty” game, and most of the young fellows would have loved to ask her out on a date. However, she was … Continue reading "Boredom With Class"

There was quite a commotion in the classroom before class was to begin. A young lady, obviously of means, was showing off her new blue jeans. Other girls were oohing and ahhing over what was obviously something to be desired. The young lady with the new pants was enjoying all the attention her jeans were … Continue reading "Expensive Blue Jeans"

I put one hundred and ten percent into everything I do. I say one hundred and ten percent because I have been blessed with an extraordinary amount of energy and I was taught to be dedicated toward excellence in fully completing any task. As a consequence, I really worked hard to be the best teacher … Continue reading "Expectations"

Even though I had an advanced education in Biology, most of my teaching career was comprised of teaching French. I suppose this had something to do with me being bilingual because this was also around the time Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau declared Canada a bilingual country so every school was scrambling to make students … Continue reading "On Being a Mom"

I have now told two of my favourite stories about having contests with parents as a teacher. I must admit I can only think of two more episodes where I found myself on the wrong end of parental anger. The one is very easy to dismiss as a quirk. The only child in the family … Continue reading "In Loco Parentis"

Last week I set the stage for a showdown between myself and the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the school at which I worked. During the last class of the day, the chairman's frustrated son had showed a clear lack of decorum when facing a failing grade on his exam. He was removed … Continue reading "A Life Lesson Learned – Part 2"

I was happy to have a full-time job after a few years of trying to support my family as a supply teacher, even though my new job was an hour's drive away. I had been offered the job mid-year, as the students had driven the teacher I was replacing nuts. I knew it was a … Continue reading "A Life Lesson Learned – Part 1"

I am likely bragging a bit, but in all my years in the classroom, it was rare to find myself in confrontations with parents. This claim is supported by the fact that I still remember the few I had. One parent with a grievance did not contact me, nor did he contact the principal. He … Continue reading "Preaching in Class!"

We often get phone calls from desperate parents wanting to escape a school system that is simply not working for them or their children. This problem can easily be explained with a single word: standards. Likely the biggest reason for failure in the school system is the erroneous belief that standard expectations can be applied … Continue reading "One More Reading Story"

We had the privilege of working with a family composed of both natural and adopted children. It was a very interesting experience to see the unique family dynamics. While discussing the educational program of the older children, a tiny girl barely a half meter tall came carrying a Bible that could have outweighed her. Her … Continue reading "More Reading Stories"

Last week I told the story of the late-blooming boy who demonstrated no interest in learning academic subjects, particularly reading, until much older than the “industry standard” of reading by age six.  Once puberty hit and this young fellow began reading, he quickly excelled and became a power reader. His dad was a successful investment … Continue reading "Building a Library"

He was certainly an energetic boy. As he zoomed past his mother and me, I realized this fellow now registered for home education through us was not ready for formal education. I asked his mother if she thought he was ready and her answer somewhat baffled me. She did not think the lad was ready … Continue reading "Learning to Read"

Every family has its quirks and its outstanding features; its strengths and weaknesses; how it shows up in public and its secrets. Every family is weird in some way. Most children want something different from the family in which they grew up regardless of whether their family was good, bad or ugly. My dad was … Continue reading "Don't Judge"

I must admit this is hard to believe. If I count my first lab assistant job at the University of Saskatchewan, this year marks my fiftieth year as a teacher. So, in celebration of this milestone, I decided to finally record some of the multitude of stories I've accumulated over the last half century as my vlog … Continue reading "Fifty Years of Teaching"

I want to end this year's vlog series by sharing a bit of ridiculousness that was prevalent when we began our home education journey, oh so many years ago. I was one of very few certificated teachers home educating his children in the late 1980s.  In fact, what made me a real unique creature was … Continue reading "Burnout: Back to the Basics (Part 39)"

Although ministry is very rewarding when seeing people healed from what ails them, it is also painful as we tend to suffer with those who are suffering.  We see a lot of pain every year during our facilitation travels. Maybe it is because we have friendly faces.  Perhaps it is because we are older and … Continue reading "The Bomb! Back to the Basics (Part 38)"

With over thirty years of facilitation under our belt, my wife, Faye, and I have witnessed pretty well everything, both good and bad.   We were the very first to visit our assigned families as a couple.  This sure turned a lot of heads as it set a new trend.  There are still a few … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 8: Back to the Basics (Part 37)"

Now that we have reviewed the definition and history of facilitation in Alberta, there remains one more thing to discuss.  Do you have the right facilitator to help you through your home education journey?  Here are a few general considerations to keep in mind. First and foremost, you are the boss.  I know I have … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 7: Back to the Basics (Part 36)"

Many years ago, when I first started facilitating professionally, which means when I started getting paid for facilitating after years of pro bono service to our local school division, my wife and I were assigned a family in Viking, Alberta.  When we arrived, we found a lady so nervous her hands were shaking and her … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 6: Back to the Basics (Part 35)"

Now that you know how the term “facilitator” came into being and why it is largely a made-in-Alberta phenomenon, we will proceed to describe what facilitation entails.  But first, let me explain why facilitation is necessary. Government does not “usually” dole out money without strings attached.  While Alberta's funding of home education is unique and … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 5: Back to the Basics (Part 34)"

Once private schools were given the right to sponsor home education, yet another new educational phenomenon came into being in Alberta.  Most funded private schools knew little about home education, yet were attracted by the possibility of increased income.  This is when third party contractors with home education expertise came into being, allowing schools to … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 4: Back to the Basics (Part 33)"

As the home education population of Alberta grew, so did the ways in which schools ascertained the educational progress of these students.   As one of the first certificated teachers to be home educating in this province, it was assumed I knew what I was doing.  While Faye and I were left alone by our … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 3: Back to the Basics (Part 32)"

Home education became part of the Alberta educational landscape for the first time with the 1988 School Act, and at this time, non-resident school boards also came into being.  We can assume the creation of non-resident school boards was to mitigate the persecution some home educators were experiencing by their local school boards.  Now, smaller … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 2: Back to the Basics (Part 31)"

If you were to mention home education facilitation to home educators anywhere other than in Alberta, you are likely to get strange looks.  Most have never heard of it.  “Home education what?” they ask.  “What is it?  What does it entail?  How is it that teachers come into your home?  Isn't that an affront to … Continue reading "Facilitation – History Pt. 1: Back to the Basics (Part 30)"

I once read a saying that says it all!  “Education is going from an unconscious to conscious awareness of one's ignorance.”  Perhaps this is a good way to end our series on opposition to home education.  You see, the biggest misunderstanding regarding home education is that it is about training children.  It is, of course, but … Continue reading "Testing Home Education – Part 10: Back to the Basics (Part 29)"

Now that we have talked about the pushback, opposition, obstacles and other potential persecution one can expect as a consequence of deciding to home educate, let's look at how to effectively deal with opponents, be they government, third-party agencies, schools, facilitators, family, friends, and/or children. First, let's discuss who you are.  I believe I have repeated … Continue reading "Testing Home Education – Part 9: Back to the Basics (Part 28)"

It is not uncommon for older children to bear a grudge against their parents for having kept them out of what they perceive as the real world.  After all, your decision to do things differently does result in the children being different, which they quickly realize as they venture out into the world.  Is this … Continue reading "Testing Home Education – Part 8: Back to the Basics (Part 27)"

Now that we have addressed the biggest opposers of unschooling within the home education community, let's address what may be the biggest surprise of all.  It is not unusual for home educating children to oppose your resolve to teach them at home.  Natural curiosity is usually the impetus for home educated students wanting to go … Continue reading "Testing Home Education – Part 7: Back to the Basics (Part 26)"

We have now dealt with a few sources and manifestations of home education persecution.  Once you have found your rightful place and authority in the home, there remain two other possible sources of opposition to your plan of doing things your way, at home. The first bit of testing may actually come from your facilitator.  … Continue reading "Testing Home Education – Part 6: Back to the Basics (Part 25)"