“From the standpoint of education, genius means essentially giving birth to the joy in learning. I’d like to suggest that this is the central task of all educators. It is the genius of the student that is the driving force behind all learning. Before educators take on any of the other important issues in learning, they must first have a thorough understanding of what lies at the core of each student’s intrinsic motivation to learn, and that motivation originates in each student’s genius.”

— Thomas Armstrong

I spoke with a recently retired elementary school teacher. She became a teacher fresh out of college, eager to connect children to their education and excited to do what she loved. But after 30 years of teaching, she was faced with a choice; she could continue to teach or she could retire. She chose the latter. As she began her story, I felt like I already knew another version of it. "The bureaucracy only cares about test scores. I wasn't teaching anymore, I was just drilling kids. I didn't love what I was doing anymore."

Many of the seasoned teachers I've spoken to have been feeling this and if the teachers are beginning to lose their joy in teaching it can be even harder to instill a genuine love of learning. I didn't want to take my chances, but even still, I found the same sentiment rings true for me as a home educator. As a mother, of course I want my kids to be educated, of course I want them to love learning, but how the hell do you make sure it sticks? How do you make them love learning? Over the last two years on my journey through homeschooling I have learned a lot about myself and about what needs to happen for us to make this successful. I am constantly having to put myself in check. "Where is this frustration coming from?", "Why am I getting so angry over this?", "He's not NOT going to learn to read...just be patient Allison."

That's me - I'm Allison. I am a young mom of three who has chosen to follow this craaazy idea that I can homeschool my kids! And as you can tell, I don't have it all figured out. But, here's what I do know and here's what I believe --

I believe that when kids are built up to enjoy themselves and to have fun, the learning comes without pause. I often forget this and get caught up in the "work" that needs to be done but what I know is that humans are born, BORN, with this innate need to learn. We want to ingest everything around us. From day one, we see babies soaking in their surroundings and processing that information and as they grow they continue to discover the world around them inevitably absorbing it all when left to their own intrinsic motivation. This is why I choose to homeschool, this is at the very heart of my teaching philosophy. What motivates my children? How can we learn together? What is the value in what I am teaching? How can I give birth to the joy in learning here?"

Ultimately, I homeschool my children because I see an immense value in being able to create a life at home that fosters love, kindness, compassion, individuality, acceptance, open communication, strong relationships, and a genuine love for their own growing knowledge. Homeschooling allows me to build a unique kind of relationship with my children, for me to know them better, understand them better, and to see their character be built. It allows me to adventure with them, take interest in their interests, it expands my own knowledge of what they are learning so that I can learn along with them, and it allows us to spend more time with each other as a family. Homeschooling creates a space for conscious learning and growth to be a lifestyle and not just one component of our day but the moving force behind our quality of life. All this good stuff doesn't mean that homeschooling is without it's challenges or better than public school, there are many days we wrestle with whether we’ve made the right choice...but that is a post for another day. :)

Today, I'd like to introduce us.

My name is Allison, I am a born and raised Southern California girl who loves the ocean, nature, education, my garden, technology, photography, birds, art, community, and music. I am a college drop out (ha! Look at that!) who majored in Child Development and Early Childhood Education. The goal is to someday go back to school and finish what I started. I am a part time event planner specializing in community events and weddings, a full time mom of three and a small pet crew of two pups and a tortoise. Outside of my family and homeschooling, I find myself the most passionate about children, psychology, education, and community. I have spent the last ten years creating community groups, events, and fundraisers for families, mothers, and nonprofits and have recently slowed down to focus on new community based projects, like this and homeschooling!

My husband, Andy is a California State University of Fullerton graduate who majored in Political Science, so naturally he works in music... 😂! He is the Vice President at a record label in Los Angeles and works his ass off for us everyday. He was also raised in SoCal and has spent most of his days passionate about his family, music, fishing, cooking, events, entrepreneurship, and the great outdoors. He has spent the last ten years building experiences in the music & food industry through several festivals while managing and eventually taking ownership of a local all ages music venue that continues to bring talent to all demographics. Last August, he underwent emergency back surgery when he suddenly couldn’t walk and lost all sensation in his lower back and legs. With the help of family and friends, he has made great recoveries but still has some ways to go! (We're just a little proud of him!)

Together, Andy and I have three kids! Our son Addison, age 6 and our two daughters, Ellis - age 3, and Maisie - 18 months. Addison is in Kindergarten and loves Pokemon, lizards, birds, nature, fishing, painting, and riding his scooter. Ellis will be in preschool this fall and loves singing, dancing, painting, dressing up, playing her guitar and ukelele, bubbles, and playing outside. And Maisie, well, she's just along for the ride right now but she is the craziest of the bunch - well coordinated, daring, and full of joy. This is our little circus and it's absolutely a crazy show-stopping experience some days but we love it and are so grateful for every second of it.

I am excited to share our homeschooling journey with you! The Handpicked Education will be a small pocket of the internet that my partner, Ashlee and I have curated and put together based off our own experiences and things we'd like to share with fellow homeschoolers and anyone interested. We can't wait to share what we're learning with you!

- Allison

HP Blog

Meet The Serraos