I’m thrilled to announce that tomorrow, I’ll begin recording interviews for Season 2 of my passion project, The Homeschool Podcast! I have plenty of really exciting guests with stories you will absolutely love and learn from.

I launched this podcast last year to support newer homeschoolers and help them reconnect with the core principles of homeschooling. My goal is to encourage a fresh perspective on the diverse educational options available today.

Let’s face it—our current educational system is facing serious challenges, as reflected in our students’ low rankings in the most recent conclusion of PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).

Local education advocates are pushing for skills-based hiring over traditional diplomas for entry-level positions, and while I agree with this idea, I believe many of our school teachers still need to fully grasp the K-12 curriculum to implement it effectively.

Add to this the problematic contradiction of the “no child left behind” policy, where students are given passing grades and promoted to the next grade level despite not being able to read, write, or attend the classes where they were supposed to receive their skills training.

Personally, I think that the current people sitting in DepEd also need to alter the way they see homeschooling and how it addresses some of the issues of the current educational system. They need to venture beyond what they think they know because the educational and business landscapes have changed dramatically over the years, given the rise of technology and online resources. I’ve watched their interview in an online homeschooling convention during the pandemic lockdown and I think that they need to shift the way they see and approach education.

Who is Michelle Padrelanan?

Anyway, moving forward, I want to share what I have learned from my interviewees from season 1 of The Homeschool Podcast, starting with Michelle Padrelanan.

Michelle is one of the founders of Education For Life (EFL), a group of homeschool moms who organized homeschool conventions and conferences to help educate and encourage homeschool families from different stages. She started homeschooling her children in 2002. She has 4 children, all of whom she homeschooled. Two of her older children, Beth and Naomi, graduated from college with Latin Honors. Beth has recently taken on the position of Marketing Manager in one of the top hotels in the Middle East.Naomi is also carving her own name in marketing here in Manila.

READ: Should You Independently Homeschool Your Child?

10 Things I Learned from Michelle Padrelanan:

1.It’s perfectly fine to make frequent changes to your curriculum to find what works best for your children.

2. Take advantage of the many free homeschool books and materials available for download, printing, and binding.

3. A computer, a strong internet connection, and a printer are enough to get you started.

4. Make reading aloud to your kids a priority.

5. The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a viable option for independent homeschoolers to transition into a traditional school setting.

6. It’s okay to take breaks from homeschooling when life requires you to focus on urgent matters.

7. Use daily life and circumstances as opportunities to teach your children valuable life skills.

8. If you want to see positive changes in society and the country, do your part by teaching your kids how they can contribute.

9. A working dad can be just as valuable to the homeschool journey as a teacher dad.

10. Don’t forget yourself in the process. Your children will eventually grow up and lead lives of their own—that’s the goal of homeschooling. Be sure to allocate time for your personal growth and prepare for the day your homeschool journey concludes.

But wait, that’s not all!

Michelle was able to transition her kids successfully to College. If you want to hear her stories on how she was able to do so, and to better understand the 10 points I shared with you above, you need to listen to her full interview on The Homeschool Podcast.

Watch my full conversation with Michelle here:

Or listen to the podcast here:

Where to contact Michelle:

Michelle is currently completing her Masters in Psychology. She is a speaker and has helped many families through her homeschool training online and in person. If you want to work with her, you can contact her through her email at. [email protected] or through her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/michellepadrelanan

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**We are an unschooling family. If you have any questions on self-directed learning or unschooling, or regular homeschooling, or if you have any topics you’d like to suggest on the podcast, you may email me at [email protected] or message me on Fully Housewifed on Facebook.