Cindy West

Speaker & Workshop Teacher

My passion is teaching!  I’ve known since the first grade that I would be a teacher – and I’m so very thankful to the Lord for revealing His perfect will for me early on.  With a Master’s Degree in elementary education, I found myself teaching in a public school for five short years before coming home to be mommy and teacher to my then one-year-old daughter.  How blessed I am eleven years later to say that I am mommy and teacher to three wonderful children!  I wouldn’t trade our days together for any amount of money!

God continues to burn in my heart a desire to teach others as well as my own children.  I wait patiently for Him to open the doors, but open the doors lately He has!  Encouraging women in their walk with the Lord and/or homeschooling is truly one of my favorite things to do.  I absolutely love sharing from my heart and experience with others!

I was blessed for nearly two years to lead a “Teacher’s Lounge” weekly at the Georgetown Homeschool Co-op, which allowed me to prepare devotions and teach workshops to the ladies regularly.  Although I have decided to step away from that position this year, I will continue presenting workshops to the group on occasion.  Other recent speaking engagements include:

• Christian Home Educators of Kentucky (CHEK) Homeschool Conference 2008 & 2009
• Christian Home Educators of Kentucky (CHEK) Leadership Conference
• Home For His Glory
• Teaching Homes in Northern Kentucky
• Capital Area Christian Homeschoolers
• Firm Foundation Homeschool Co-op
• Sherman Church of Christ Ladies Banquet
• Mt. Zion Christian Church Ladies Event

My newest project is writing!  I developed the idea and became the project manager for Creative Nature Study with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  I have published a grammar curriculum for 3rd and 4th graders based on living literature and, with my partner, I recently opened Shining Dawn Books where we sell our NaturExplorer nature study units.

I also review curriculum for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and The Curriculum Choice.

I’ve taught and written about a wealth of topics including nature study, homeschooling creatively, Charlotte Mason style learning, organization, living math, fine arts, unit studies, creative Bible study with children, and raising children who love the Lord.  I have a list available of prepared workshop topics that I’d be happy to pass on to you.

I appreciate your consideration for me as a speaker or workshop teacher to your group.  You may contact me at cindykwest@hotmail.com or NaturExplorers@gmail.com.

“Your Creative Homeschooling Workshop was one of the best attended at the CHEK convention!”

“Thank you for inspiring me to try something new.  Our homeschool has been so bland lately and I know my children will be excited that I have new ideas.”

“Thank you for giving me real-life examples of what to do with my children.  I’ve wanted to create a homeschool that relies less on workbooks, but I never could figure out exactly what to do until now.”

“You’ve inspired me to get outside in God’s creation.  I never realized how much learning could take place outside the classroom walls.  My children will be so excited!”

“Thank you for re-igniting my passion for teaching.”

“Thank you for reminding me that school is secondary to raising my children to love the Lord.”