Over the past several months, we’ve had the joy of listening to Heather Vogler on the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Show. She has shared about World Book Online, a resource provided to members of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, interviewed Gena Suarez about how to get the most out of your homeschool convention, and interviewed Dr. Mark Hamby, the founder of Lamplighter Ministries. Heather joined The Old Schoolhouse® marketing department in the fall of 2019. She works primarily with the affiliate programs within the company. She also wears a few other hats, including hosting Homeschool Live interviews, copywriting, and other marketing projects.

Let’s Learn More about Heather! 

Q: Please tell us a little about your family. How many children are you homeschooling? (Or how many children have you homeschooled?) What are their ages/grades? 

A: I have five children. My oldest is in eleventh grade, and my youngest is in kindergarten. My children have known nothing other than the homeschooling world. We have homeschooled since birth, while we were on the mission field for thirteen months, and throughout various seasons of their lives. 

Q: How long have you been homeschooling?

A: It’s hard to believe that I will be graduating my oldest next year while still in the beginning stages of homeschooling with my youngest at the same time. I feel like I am starting all over again with fresh new eyes and over a decade of experience!

Q: Tell us about your personal homeschool style.

A: Eclectic. I tailor each year for each child. Every child is different, as are their needs each year. Initially, I started with a boxed curriculum, but I have developed confidence over the years to customize each child’s education based on their needs. This could look like a unit study in one situation or a lesson I created for another. Textbooks are excellent for math, spelling, and grammar, but the world is our classroom, and resources are so readily available for other subjects that it looks different from year to year and student to student. 

Q: What do you do outside of The Old Schoolhouse®?

A: Our family lives on a thirteen-acre homestead where we incorporate teaching traditional skills into our educational model. This includes blacksmithing, knife-making, sewing, baking, and growing plants and produce. We enjoy growing for our family and have recently branched out to selling at local farmer’s markets. I personally thrive on growing and selling flowers and seeing the joy that it brings to other people. 

Q: What have you learned from your homeschooling experience?

A: Homeschooling is 90% home and 10% schooling. The schooling aspect is important, but the discipline, character-building, and relationships established in the home environment are where you spend most of your time. I have learned not to be discouraged when I find that a school day has been “lost” because I was breaking up squabbles or teaching my children the practicality of loving their neighbor. Nothing was lost, but when Scripture and Biblical principles are applied, even if I feel burned out in the natural, so much was gained in the spiritual. 

Q: What is your favorite homeschool subject to teach?

A: Reading. I love teaching my kids how to read. Seeing them “get it” for the first time is so rewarding! Of course, seeing them develop this skill is equally as rewarding.

Q: Are there any homeschool subjects you outsource?

A: I have used online math programs and dual enrollment courses for my oldest. 

Q: What is your favorite resource from The Old Schoolhouse® for helping homeschooling families? 

A: My new favorite resource is iST. The iST platform hosts a few of the SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses in an interactive format, and my daughter finds that she loves this new format. It makes it easier for me as a mom, and it is engaging for her. Plus, I am finding that she is learning so much—it is a win-win!

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to homeschoolers, what would it be?

A: Don’t be afraid to switch it up. If something is not working, change it. If your washing machine does not clean your clothes correctly, you would be looking for a new one, so why not do the same with curriculum? It’s okay to change curriculum mid-year if what you are using is not a good fit. If you have a physical product, there are many places where you could sell it online if you are concerned about losing money. Then you can use the money to buy something new.

Q:  Are there any final words about homeschooling you would like to share? 

A: You are doing awesome! Homeschool moms do not hear enough that they are doing an amazing job. Focusing on our shortcomings, perceived failures, and past mistakes is so easy. God looks at you and rejoices because you are doing a task in which, in order to succeed, you must rely on him, not yourself. Psalm 139:17 says,

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

We might look down on ourselves, but God thinks highly of who He has created us to be. We are created in His image, and He has good plans for our future.