This is Why You Need a Homeschool Mission Statement
Remember a few years ago when mission statements were all the rage? They were almost universal in the corporate world, where every meeting, project, and product was rolled out with a carefully crafted mission statement. They were also ubiquitous in education, where schools and even individual classrooms drafted mission statements that encapsulated the basic principles of the institution or class.
Though mission statements have become faddish, it’s easy to see why. After all, they are a useful psychological tool to provide clarity, purpose, and a sense of direction. Mission statements serve as a set of guiding principles that influence decision-making and ensure actions are aligned with the core values of an individual or organization. A mission statement is like an ideological anchor you can keep coming back to reconnect with your fundamental purpose. What are we doing, and why are we doing it?
Mission Statements for Homeschooling
Homeschools, too, can benefit from having a mission statement. If you’ve found that your homeschooling year tends to start strong but then goes adrift as the semester progresses, you may want to consider drafting a mission statement to help keep your focus. Here are some pointers for writing a homeschool mission statement.
Confer With Your Spouse and Family
Because homeschooling is a family endeavor, it’s best to confer with your spouse when drafting a mission statement to ensure that everyone is on the same page. If your kids are old enough, you might want to involve them in the conversation as well. Drafting a mission statement should be a collaborative effort that reflects the family’s ideals.
Think About the Fundamentals
Mission statements are about core principles. They demonstrate the fundamental rationale for why you are doing what you are doing. It’s good, therefore, to review the fundamentals of your homeschool. What is the reason you homeschool in the first place? What principles guide how you homeschool? What do you hope to accomplish for your family through homeschooling? Thinking about these fundamentals will help you ground your mission statement in the values that are important to you and your family.
Write Your Statement
Hopefully, these discussions and reflections will help you to distill your ideas and crystallize them into a single statement that sums up the fundamental principles of your homeschool. It’s important to note that a mission statement is not a goal. Rather, a mission statement is a declaration of principles. Principles that determine what kinds of goals you set and how you go about achieving them. (For more on goal setting, see our articles here and here.)
Post Your Statement
It’s helpful to keep your mission statement prominently displayed in your home. This helps reinforce the idea that the mission statement is a core part of the family’s homeschool. And having it posted where you can see it will help you reorient yourself in difficult moments.
Sample Mission Statements
What should a mission statement look like? There’s no correct answer. The important thing is that it is clear and expresses the core values of your family’s homeschool. Let’s take a look at a few examples. Here is a sample mission statement from the excellent blog The Coop Homeschool:
“Our mission in homeschooling is to live to glorify God with joyous learning experiences and acts of service. We want to help our children to be able to identify their calling in life, through freedom, struggle, bonding, and fun, while preparing them to be able to pursue their calling with excellence.”
Another excellent example comes from Janelle Knutson’s blog article on homeschool vision statements:
“To raise and educate children who love the Lord with all their hearts and minds, who are equipped to defend their faith, and who are dedicated to using the gifts and talents God has given them to serve and bless others for the glory of God.”
These statements are both excellent examples. They are clear, concise, and exemplify the educational, personal, and moral values of the families.
Conclusion
A well-crafted homeschool mission statement serves as a guiding light, keeping your educational journey aligned with your family’s core values. Mission statements certainly aren’t essential. After all, it won’t make or break your homeschool. However, they can be helpful, especially if you feel like your vision is adrift. With a mission statement in place, you’re better equipped to foster an environment where your children can thrive academically, personally, and morally, all while pursuing a shared family vision.
What would you like to add to this conversation? To share your tips, experiences, and questions, you can join me and other homeschoolers in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group. I would love to hear from you!
