What's your degree?

Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Latin.  I went to a small Catholic college that emphasised a liberal arts education.  It’s beautiful, now, to be sharing that richness with my own children.

I have a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (K-12), vocal emphasis.  I always imagined I would teach for a while and then get my master’s in vocal pedagogy, but instead I got married and never pursued that degree since I would have not wanted to get it at the local university.  I taught elementary music for 6 years before becoming a SAHM with our first child.  I never dreamed I would homeschool after teaching, but God began to spark the desire in me when our daughter was 2 yrs. old.

Music is still a huge passion of mine, and I am so grateful that I am able to use it in ministry now.  I sing in the adult choir, direct the children’s choir, and teach lower elementary music at co-op.  During the summer I help in the worship arts camp at our church as well.  I completed my first level of Kodaly (music education philosophy) training while I was teaching before I was married.  I am strongly considering continuing to get my certification for my co-op students.  I have been asked to go on a missions trip to teach music in preparation for presenting the Gospel in Eleuthera at the schools, but this year my husband does not have a peace about me going.  I would like to be able to go in the near future as this seems like it will be an annual trip for a few years.

I have a BA in Theatre, and Dramatic Literature. I worked and volunteered in this field for a few years, got married and took a break from it. Got back into community theatre, then stopped again when I had our son. I had once thought of working in film or television, but I am so happy to be living and loving the family life God has blessed me with!

I was a few credits shy of my degree in Criminal Justice when I found out I was expecting my first.  I wanted to join the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, but evidently God had other/ better plans!

I have a BS in Industrial Design and worked as a graphic designer for 5 years. It was a blast working at a small web design shop in Boulder, Colorado. My teammates were and are some of my best friends and I loved working in a creative environment. I never thought I would homeschool, but once I dove into motherhood I feel in love with that too. I did freelance web design for a while, but there is no time for it now that I have 3 kids.

Industrial Design was a super fun degree (my senior project was designing and building a rocking chair!) and it was fun applying it to web design. Wouldn’t change a thing!

I’m a few credits shy of an elementary education degree (early childhood through 4th grade). I don’t regret not finishing at all! Teaching was what I was going to do to pass the time until I had babies. My first, now 10, came along much, much earlier in our marriage than planned, so I got to live my dream early! If I could write a letter to my 18yo self, I would warn myself that I would have a huge interest in holistic health and nutrition and that I wouldn’t use one thing I learned in college. Lol

After I feel better, my plan is to become a nutritional therapy practitioner.

It has been so interesting reading about all of your educational histories!! And how surprising that there are lots of music/drama/artsy/fashion types here!  I also have a BS and a MME in Music Education (K-12).  I taught 5yrs. in a public high school (and loved everything except the loud, nagging parents.  Thankfully, there were only a handful of that type.  The rest were fine!)

It was teaching in a public school, seeing how the teachers’ hands were really tied and admiring the characters of the previously homeschooled students that pushed me over the edge into homeschooling. 

I’ve taught private piano lessons (usually only 2 or 3 students at a time) since my public school days.  Right now, it’s something I do for fun – I even barter lessons (for having my dishes washed and my kitchen floor mopped!) instead of taking money. 

I’ve been saying since I started homeschooling that college only taught me some classroom management tricks,how to research, and gave me some letters behind my name – which gave me the confidence I needed to start homeschooling.  I so admire mothers with no “further” education who up and homeschool.  That’s what it’s all about.  I think it’s a sad statement that I needed someone else’s approval in order to feel “qualified” to homeschool. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.  I guess it’s really a statement about our culture and how we hand over our responsibilities as parents without really thinking it through.  We just assume we’re not qualified to be parents!  How topsy-turvy!

I don’t wish away my music degrees – they’re fun.  But when I grow up, I want to be a librarian.  And I want to sew all my own clothes.  And I want to work in a library and wear a fabulously well-fitted and well-sewn wardrobe.  I figure I have about 12 years til I can start working on the library degree.  I’m working on the sewing skills in spare moments now. 

🙂 Great topic of conversation!