Looking for a knowledgeable, inspiring, engaging speaker for your homeschool event? Consider Cindy West of Shining Dawn Books and Our Journey Westward!

Homeschool Speaker & Workshop Teacher

My passion is teaching!  I’ve known since 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 mom and teacher to my then one-year-old daughter.  How blessed I am twenty years later to say I have been mom 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.  Encouraging parents in homeschooling is truly one of my favorite things to do.  I absolutely love sharing from my heart and experience with others.

My Professional Bio

At Our Journey Westward, I have written for more than thirteen years about creative homeschooling. I have also authored and published the NaturExplorers series, Homeschooling Gifted Kids: A Practical Guide to Educate and Motivate Advanced Learnersa grammar curriculum for third and fourth graders based on living literature, a how-to book for living math, and a step-by-step book for homeschooling in the Charlotte Mason style, among other books. I also teach online, nature-based science classes to children in the No Sweat Nature Study membership

Additionally, I’m an educational consultant who presents professional development workshops for the Center for Economics Education program at Eastern Kentucky University.

I speak regularly at homeschool conventions around the country and during online conferences. You can find me as frequent guest on homeschool podcasts and teaching special live events for parents and children, too.

About My Workshops

Charlotte Mason Flair

  • Just What Is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling?
  • Living Math: What, Why, and How?
  • Using Living Literature to Transform Your Homeschool
  • Creative Nature Study is Real Science
  • How to Use Nature Study in Middle and High School
  • Nature Journaling for Normal People
  • Nature Study Without the Nature Walk
  • Artist Study: It’s Way More Valuable Than You Might Think
  • Building Wonderful Foundations with Gentle Math for Early Learners
  • How to Start Your Day Beautifully with Morning Time

Unit Study Flair

  • Homeschooling with Unit Studies: It Works
  • How to Plan Unit Studies: A Step-by-Step Lesson
  • Why & How to Easily Add Project-Based Learning to Your Homeschool
  • Purposeful & Meaningful Ways to Add Hands-On Learning to Your Homeschool

Practical Homeschooling

  • Homeschooling Gifted Kids – You CAN Do It Successfully
  • Your Homeschool Method and Curriculum Work for You (Not the Other Way Around)
  • Brain Training: Unlocking Your Child’s Potential
  • Brain Training in the Special Needs Homeschool
  • Creative Homeschooling: Practical Ideas to Add Interest to Your Day
  • Logically Thinking (Your Children Will Thank You for Adding Logic to Your Homeschool)
  • Teaching Economics in the Homeschool: It’s Important (and Easier Than You Think)
  • Practical Strategies for Organizing Unorganized Learners
  • Don’t Sweat High School
  • How To Plan Student Led Courses in High School
  • A Different December (Creative Christmas Schooling)
  • Homeschooling in Kentucky

Biblical Homeschooling

  • Raising Children who Love the Lord
  • Keep Children Engaged with Creative Bible Study

Many of these topics can be tailored as “lectures” for large audiences or “hands-on” workshops for smaller groups.  I am also available for all-day, intensive training sessions for groups of 15-30.  You can learn more about each topic by visiting the page detailing each of my current workshops.  I’m happy to develop a workshop according to your needs with a few weeks’ notice.

Testimonials

Notable National Engagements

Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE)

Indiana Association of Home Educators Conference (IAHE)

Homeschool Iowa (NICHE)

Illinois Christian Home Educators Convention (ICHE)

Great Homeschool Convention: Cincinnati (GHC)

Christian Home Educators of Kentucky Conference (CHEK)

Christian Home Education Network Conference (CHEN)

Recent Podcast Interviews

Feel free to ask me for access to any of my Homeschool Masterclasses to learn more about my speaking style. Below are a few sample masterclasses.

You can also get a flavor for my speaking style by listening to a few of these interviews with various popular homeschooling podcasters.

You'll love these homeschool podcast interviews covering everything from nature study to frugal homeschooling.

Contact Me

I would love to talk with you about the possibility of speaking at your event!

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