A mother with 15 years of teaching experience shared her unique journey of homeschooling her gifted daughter. To her family, this has been a blessing and a journey of growth.
“As we near 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 all the efforts paying off spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”
Mrs. Borrink has worked in the field of education for 15 years, with a diverse range of experiences. In her first job, she taught 12 students in grades three to five at Hillsdale College. Later, she taught elementary classes at a traditional Christian school, a classical Christian school, and a public charter school.
She also taught middle school students in a public school for several years. After leaving the classroom environment, she worked part-time from home as a special project coordinator at a charter school company.
However, after 15 years of teaching, when she began to feel the industry was no longer the right fit for her, she decided to leave.
Even before her daughter was born, Mrs. Borrink and her husband David Borrink considered homeschooling as a default educational option for their children.
“When homeschool blogs were just starting to gain popularity, I encountered some outstanding Christian homeschool mom bloggers,” Mrs. Borrink said, “These women excelling in parenting and homeschooling processes inspired me.”
The Borrinks reside in Michigan, aiming to have a family culture that allows them to make lifestyle choices collectively, free from any control or influence of the school system.
“Our goal is to create and enjoy a simple and comfortable life together,” Mrs. Borrink said.
From the beginning of their homeschooling journey with their daughter, Caroline, Mrs. Borrink noticed she was a bright child but faced challenges in areas like handwriting and math.
Initially, she didn’t think much about it until she was invited to join a group of gifted homeschooling bloggers where someone pointed out that Caroline might be twice-exceptional.
“Looking back, I missed those signs because I didn’t understand what a twice-exceptional (2E) gifted child was,” she said. “It wasn’t until I read a list of characteristics of 2E kids in a book that it dawned on me.”
The Borrinks had Caroline tested by a neuropsychologist, who confirmed she was a 2E child. The doctor informed the parents that this meant their daughter would face “a unique set of gifts and challenges.” He also assured them that homeschooling Caroline was the perfect choice as the classroom environment would be “the least suitable” for her special needs.
Mrs. Borrink adopted a “relaxed homeschooling” approach, allowing her to tailor the curriculum based on her daughter’s needs. The key emphasis was on fostering strong family relationships throughout the educational journey.
“The child contributes to the plan, but the parents bear full responsibility for the child’s education,” she said.
Caroline was able to flexibly create her own homeschooling experience with materials ranging from picture books, games, and art supplies to workbooks.
“For several years, we attended a Christian homeschool co-op annually, taking a few classes. In high school, we utilized traditional textbooks, video courses, and our own course plans, including a variety of content from movies to reading literature out loud,” she said.
The parents leveraged their individual strengths to assist Caroline in her homeschooling journey, with Mrs. Borrink overseeing the formal education aspect while Mr. Borrink took charge of games and creative areas. Together, the couple ensured their daughter received the best education.
To accommodate Caroline’s personality, the parents often had her homeschooling sessions in the afternoon rather than the morning.
One of the greatest gifts homeschooling gave Caroline was the time to develop at her own pace and in her own way.
“She didn’t have the pressure of traditional school academic expectations,” Mrs. Borrink noted.
Having ample time allowed them to truly study Caroline’s strengths and weaknesses. Mrs. Borrink shared a positive experience where Caroline overcame challenges in cursive writing, developing a “lovely handwriting” through consistent effort.
Homeschooling also enabled the family to focus on their faith.
“We believe God is an integral part of every subject, whether literature, art, math, science, or history. Because we homeschool, we not only have the opportunity to learn together but also to see the power of God in all things,” Mrs. Borrink said.
When sharing her homeschooling experience with her daughter, Mrs. Borrink expressed gratitude for the hardworking pioneers who paved the way for them to have the freedom to educate their children.
For families considering homeschooling their children, Mrs. Borrink shared, “It provides [children] the chance to explore personal interests, grow, and develop at their own pace.”
This report was adapted and translated from an original article published on The Epoch Times website.