White Hart Academy

03/01/2024

Homeschooling is as simple or as difficult as you make it. I can help you keep it simple while putting your children way ahead of their peers.

02/13/2024

We are getting more views here lately. I don’t post much as my consulting business is on hiatus, but I am happy to answer any homeschooling questions you might have.

01/10/2024

This is great!

Kindle | Paperback

12/26/2023

Homeschooling should be joyous. If you and your kids are miserable, you need to change how you are doing school. There isn’t one right way to educate children.

Since you are probably taking a break from lessons right now, this is a perfect time to rethink how you are doing things. PM me if you would like to discuss some new and wonderful options.

11/06/2023

I wish I had written this. It is so eloquent and so important.

“So, what you’re saying is that all history is biased,” he says matter-of-factly.

He’s heard these things countless times but he’s finally at an age where he can actually hear them.

“It depends on your use of the word ‘history’,” I say.
“If you mean ‘history’ as in, what happened in the past, then no. But if you use the proper definition of the word history as understood by historians, then ‘the past’ is what actually happened—and ‘history’ is how we EXPLAIN what happened. History is how we make sense of historical facts.”

“Oh…that actually makes sense. So then, how do you know what actually happened?”

I beam. A beautiful invitation into one of the most important conversations about the subject of history one could ever discuss:

The pursuit of truth.

“I love that question”, I begin.
The sun is descending into the horizon but as I catch his eyes in the rear view mirror, I pull my glasses off.

“See these?” I hold them away from my face for a second. “I need these to see far distances. When I put them on, I can see differently than I can without them. That’s kind of like the concept of a ‘worldview’. My prescription is unique to me, and Im going to see things differently than anyone else.” I put them back on. “Facts don’t change, but people do. Opinions change, worldview can change, and therefore—-historical interpretation will change, sometimes person to person and DEFINITELY generation to generation. The trick is to understand the person’s individual prescription.” I tap the rim of my glasses.

“Hmm.” He looks out the window.
This isn’t the fun stuff—the mock battles at the re-enactments or the cool and gory facts about weaponry. But this is the heavy, important, meaty stuff, the stuff that will shape his understanding of what historical truth is.

“So. There’s what actually happened—which is ‘the past’, and the past is proven by historical fact. Then there is how we make sense of the past, fill in the gaps, try to make connections and understand what happened and why—and that’s called ‘history’. Historians sometimes agree with each other, and sometimes they totally disagree, but they are ALL trying to make sense of historical fact because none of them were actually there.”

He nods slowly. “Ok…I get that.”

“So what’s the truth? First, we only actually know what can be presented by evidence—primary sources, for example. Chronicles, military records, medical and government records, archeological evidence, that kind of thing. They aren’t perfect but without bringing people back from the dead, it’s the best we can do. Then, we compare primary sources with what other historians have written over time—and what secondary sources say. Then over the years and decades and centuries we get this mounting body of evidence that can help us decipher what the truth of a certain event is—to the very best of our ability. But then, out of nowhere there could be a new revelation of evidence which could alter what we collectively know. It’s what historians spend their lives working on.”

The harvested fields fade, lonely, into the growing darkness. We turn towards the light of our small railroad community, leaving the fields behind.

“So, all ‘history’ has some measure of bias—but that’s ok if you can understand the worldview of the person trying to make sense of historical fact. You can start to sort of w**d out what you KNOW is someone’s opinion, and get to what is considered ‘good history writing’. And that’s why honesty is so important—even if the evidence changes your worldview or challenges preconceptions you had about something. Good history writing is honest, and it’s only goal is the truth. Do you see?” I tap my glasses one last time.

“…That’s pretty cool mom.”
I can’t tell if he’s humoring me or happy I’m winding down, but I know it hit home.

We build layers of understanding, brick by brick, until they can withstand all the bias, propaganda, and sheer nonsense that’s floating out there in the world of history writing. It takes time.

I have all the time in the world.

10/24/2023

I know I don’t post often, but I am available to those who seek homeschooling advice and assistance. I’ve just been busy with other aspects of my life recently and since my kids are grown, my mind is not daily on homeschooling anymore.

08/05/2023

People have a million reasons NOT to homeschool, but you only need one to say yes to homeschooling: your child

08/02/2023

I’m here to answer questions, so post them here.

02/19/2023

I know I don’t post very often here, but I am always available to answer homeschooling questions. Feel free to PM me anytime.

05/14/2022

Just a reminder:
your homeschool does not have to look like anyone else’s.
That’s the joy of it.
I am happy to help you design yours.

03/01/2022

I know I don’t post here often, but I am available for consults anytime.

11/25/2021

I do most of my posts at Homeschooling Hints. Please join us there for general info. If you have specific questions about homeschooling your children please ask them here.

10/07/2020

October is often a crazy month for homeschooling parents. This prayer can help in so many situations!

09/01/2020

Need some help with homeschooling or virtual schooling? Contact me at Deanette Rogers, Homeschool Coach on Facebook!

08/26/2020

This is a map of public school districts and their method of schooling for 2020-2021 (or at least the first quarter) in the state of Virginia.

If you are homeschooling you are in charge. You set the plan, the standards, and the philosophy. There is no need to teach social distancing in the school. There is no need to take temperatures or draw blood. There is no concern of the internet failing you. Life goes on.

08/12/2020

08/05/2020

I have moved from occasionally sharing information to opening a Homeschool Coaching practice!

03/30/2020

I am the administrator for Corona Homeschooling during the quarantine. Please join us there for lots of homeschooling ideas!!

02/27/2020

An excellent checklist of some important skills! Sometimes teacher-parents get so caught up in ensuring academic success that we forget to teach the obvious.

09/20/2019

When homeschooled kids reach high school, parents often question their abilities to continue schooling their own children. Well, mine stayed home until college. Both went to fine colleges. One is still studying. The other just bought her home, is striving toward the career of her dreams ( and is on track to get it by age 25), and has a wonderful life. You don’t have to know everything to provide opportunities for success. You simply need to provide the opportunities. Your children are the ones that have to decide what success means to them and then go out and achieve it.

06/28/2019

The hardest part of graduating all your kiddos is what to do with your supplies!

05/31/2019

It has been some time since my kids sat at these desks but I just can’t seem to part with them! Sometimes desks do wonders for focus on a task.

03/15/2019

One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that you get to watch your kids grow instead of letting someone else enjoy it.

01/28/2019

Someone asked me recently what was the most important thing to teach our children. I knew the answer. We need to teach children HOW to think, rather than WHAT to think. It is in the HOW that we create minds capable of solving our biggest problems, healing the worst diseases, creating the greatest beauty, and transcending the greatest trials.

11/12/2018

The advantages of homeschooling are innumerable. One is that your children can be taught to honor the flag, our veterans, those who died in battle, and the current military. Such honoring means more than a Monday-bill holiday. It means respect!

10/08/2018

As your kids grow up, they don’t always do and look as you expected. That’s ok. Just keep parenting in those moments that you can. Contrary to society’s beliefs, they don’t magically become adults at age 18, or 21, or even at 40. The difference is that you are no longer the event planner and the number one go to person; you become a life coach.

04/29/2018

As spring warms the earth and our desires to be outside, this is a perfect time to take science lessons outside. Gardening, entomology, weather studies, clouds, animal husbandry, multi-media sculpting, sketching, poetry, and so much more can be enhanced by taking your homeschool outdoors.

04/21/2018

Welcome to the White Hart Academy page. I have been homeschooling for 21 years and am happy to share what I have learned. Please feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to answer in a timely fashion.

I am an educator by training and trade who chose to join the homeschool community even before my children were born, working as a private tutor for another family. Once my children were born, I became a real homeschool mama and named our school White Hart Academy, honoring my husband’s family crest.