A mom of a gifted child—with 15 years of experience in the teaching profession—is sharing her unique experience of homeschooling her daughter and how it’s been a blessing and growing experience for her family.
“As we approach the end of our [homeschooling] journey, I can say it has been completely worth it,” Mrs. Sallie Borrink told The Epoch Times. “We can see how all of the hard work spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally has paid off.”
Having spent 15 years working in education, Mrs. Borrink has had a wide range of experiences. At her first job, she taught 12 students in a third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classroom at the Hillsdale Academy. Later, she taught elementary-level classes in a traditional Christian school, a classical Christian school, as well as a public charter school.
She has also spent a few years at public schools, especially at the middle school level. After leaving the classroom setting, she had the opportunity to work from home part-time as a special projects coordinator for a charter school company.
However, after 15 years of teaching, she left the profession when she began to feel it was no longer a good fit for her.
Embarking on the Homeschooling Journey
Even before her daughter was born, Mrs. Borrink and her husband, David Borrink, felt that homeschooling their children was a “default” educational choice.
I met some great Christian homeschool mom bloggers when blogs were new and popular,“ Mrs. Borrink said. ”Those women, who were well along in their parenting and homeschooling journey, inspired me.”
The Borrinks, with their roots in Michigan, desired a family culture that would help them make life choices together–and not be controlled or influenced by whatever the school system dictated.
“Our goal was to create and enjoy a simple and cozy life together,” Mrs. Borrink said.
From the beginning of their homeschooling journey, Mrs. Borrink noticed her daughter, Caroline, was a bright child but really struggled in areas such as handwriting and mathematics.
Initially, she didn’t think much of it until she was invited to join a group of gifted homeschool bloggers, where someone pointed out that Caroline might be gifted.
“In retrospect, I missed it because I didn’t understand what it means to be a twice-exceptional (2e) gifted child,“ she said. ”When I read a list of characteristics of 2e children in a book, it all made sense.”
The Borrinks chose to have Caroline tested by a neuropsychologist who confirmed she was a 2e child. The doctor told the parents this would mean their daughter would have an “unusual set of gifts and challenges.” He also reassured them that homeschooling Caroline was the perfect choice, as being in a classroom environment would be the “worst fit” for her due to her special needs.
Mrs. Borrink took the “relaxed homeschooling” approach, which meant she could change the curriculum according to her daughter’s needs. The main focus is customized education with an emphasis on strong family relationships.
“The child contributes to the planning, but the parents have the overall responsibility for the child’s education,” she said.
With the flexibility to create their own homeschooling experience, Caroline was taught with picture books, games, and art materials. At other times workbooks were introduced.
“For several years, we participated in a Christian homeschool co-op for a few classes each year. In high school, we’ve utilized traditional textbooks, video courses, and our own curriculum plans that include everything from movies to reading literature aloud,” she said.
The parents used their own individual strengths to help Caroline in her homeschooling journey. By allocating the formal part of homeschooling to Mrs. Borrink and the play and creative area to Mr. Borrink, the parents ensured their daughter received the best education possible.
To fit with Caroline’s personality, the parents tended to homeschool Caroline in the afternoon instead of the morning.
One of the greatest gifts homeschooling has given Caroline is time to develop in her own way and at her own pace.
“There was no pressure to conform to the assembly-line academic expectations of a traditional school situation,” Mrs. Borrink said.
Having an abundance of time has allowed them to really work on Caroline’s strengths and weaknesses. Sharing one positive impact, Mrs. Borrink said Caroline, who has dysgraphia, struggled with learning cursive writing. But with consistent time and effort, she has been able to overcome the challenge and has now developed “lovely handwriting.”
Homeschooling has also allowed the family to focus on their faith.
“We believe that God is an integral part of every subject whether it is literature, art, math, science, or history. Because we are homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to not only learn together but also see how God is at work in everything,” Mrs. Borrink said.
To families who might be considering homeschooling their children, Mrs. Borrink said: “It affords [children] the opportunity to explore their individual interests, grow, and develop at their own pace.”
