Teaching from Rest

This lovely book by Sarah Mackenzie, is a timeless read for any homeschool mom whether you are just starting out or you’ve been homeschooling for many years. Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace is a short read and it’s divided into three parts.

Whose Well Done Are You Working For?

This section is actually my favorite. It’s full of encouraging ideas on how to consider our time as homeschooling mothers. You’ll read reminders that:

• We are working for God and forming the souls He has entrusted to us.
• Our job is to be faithful to our calling as moms and teachers.
• Being present and purposeful is a goal. Slow down!

Curriculum Is Not Something You Buy

This is the nuts and bolts section of the book. It’s full of down to earth ideas and reminders of how to organize your time and priorities in your homeschool. She spends time explaining each of these concepts and more in Part 2.

• Simplify curriculum including concrete ways to do so
• Simplify your schedule
• Use review as a tool
• Implement a morning time
• Recognize that resources are there to help you and not to keep you captive

Be Who You Are

The last section focuses on using your strengths as a mom and teacher to make your job easier. You’ll learn how the following items will work to your advantage:

• Know Your Limits & Your Strengths– I often say, if Mom is not comfortable with what’s happening, it makes the work more difficult. Know what you can handle is excellent advice! But, how do you implement that?
• Know Your Students– This is another piece to the puzzle of getting your homeschool groove.
• Grow Intellectually as a Mom– Sarah explains how this affects our homeschools and how to go about it.

Extra Resources for Teaching from Rest

There are some companion materials that go with the book, Teaching from Rest. They include:

• Companion Journal– A pdf download that lets you take notes on the book and consider its contents.
• Audio Companion– A collection of recorded conversations with four educator-mentors
• Audio Book– The unabridged version read by Sarah Mackenzie
• Book Club Periscope Sessions– Have you watched any Periscopes? They are the fun new way to interact with homeschoolers and curriculum providers. Sarah hosted three “Scopes” on each of the three sections of her book.

You might also like:

• The Read Aloud Homeschool
• Homeschool Methods and Philosophies
• How I Homeschool

-originally published February 2016

Heather Woodie (27 Posts)

I’m a homeschooling mom to our fantastic four– two teens at home and two graduates off to university. I’m a former middle and high school biology teacher who has embraced the independent nature of homeschooling and I mentor my children through authentic, student driven projects and learning adventures. You can get practical homeschooling advice and take courses related to homeschooling high school at Blog, She Wrote.