Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace

"Teaching From Rest" by Sarah McKenzie is a WONDERFUL way to start out your school year. It's not a heavy read, and it's so practically applicable and encouraging. This calling we have responded to in obedience is glorious, yes, but it is hard. We can be sure God's enemy will attack us in our minds and our feelings and try to distract us with things that are unimportant so that we lose sight of what is important. God's enemy definitely seeks to disrupt the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us and our children through our homeschools. This book has been so helpful to have my compass "recalibrated," every so often (I try to reread it yearly), to be reminded of our goals and of common pitfalls to avoid. It has been a huge comfort and encouragement and helped me to discard so much anxiety that I hadn't even realized I was piling on. It's so good to be lifted up and refreshed with the Truth, to be encouraged by a fellow homeschool mom who loves the Lord. I highly recommend this book!

I stumbled upon this book while searching for homeschooling resources, and after reading the glowing reviews, I knew I had to get it. A year and a half into homeschooling, I was burnt out, discouraged, and constantly feeling ‘behind.’ This book was exactly what I needed. It challenged my Type A, checklist-loving mindset and reshaped my view of what I thought was a successful homeschool day. There were moments in the book that were so profound that I had to put the book down and just cry—tears of relief, recognition, and renewal. I have never felt more seen, understood, inspired, and challenged all at once. There are also very practical ways the author offers to begin "teaching from rest," like how to adjust your schedule to one of simplicity. One of the quotes (out of so many, I mean I literally could have highlighted the entire book, haha) that struck me was, "Today do less. Do it well." What a gift it is to slow down, embrace each moment, and cultivate my children’s education with intention, love, and wonder. Restful learning is not just for the homeschooler - I truly feel that so much of these concepts can be applied in all areas of our lives.

If you are new to homeschooling, read this first! Sarah Mackenzie is the single most encouraging and inspiring writer and speaker I have come across in my 6 year homeschooling journey. Her words will breathe a vision, meaning, and purpose to what you are embarking upon, and inspire you as a parent in general. This book is must-read, and one that I read each year to set my mindset for the schooling journey ahead. Sarah is so readable, relatable, and has the tone of an understanding friend more than the expert she is. This, along with her Read Aloud Family, book are my top two favorite books I ave ever encountered when it comes to parenting. Recommend both, as well as her entertaining and informative podcast The Read Aloud Revival, for parents in general, (especially (Read Aloud Family). Sarah will guide you into making “meaningful, lasting connections with your kids” and breathe new life into your relationships with them, whether you are a homeschooler, or a parent who seeks deeper connections with your children.

I stumbled upon this book while searching Amazon for encouragement to continue my homeschooling journey. I had cast a broad net searching for anything homeschool related that might be that life ring I could grap hold of, and be pulled from the depths of the murky, churning, discouraging world I was in. I have a high-schooler that does his work well, without complaint, mostly independently. I have an elementary student who does her work well, loves a challenge and also works well, mostly without complaint. Then I have my middle-schooler. This one, whom I dearly love, is the reason I purchased this book. Our days with one another were far from restful. The days were cyclical. They started with positive encouragement to do his work that turned into nagging and threatening to do it or else. After reading this book I realized that for this child I was asking too much. Every child is different, I know. But this book gave me permission to "lighten the load" for my beloved son without compromising his education. In fact, lightening his load actually HELPED him to do his work so much for efficiently and with excellence. I was able to guide him in the assigned work without damaging his spirit, (which is something that took a beating almost every day) and it allowed him to see that he CAN do his work - well, and within a timely manner. He has finally seen in himself what I have been trying to show him - that he is capable!! I love the many other ideas that Sarah talks about in this book, but for the the chapter on lightening the load was life saving. I found this book towards the first part of our homeschooling year. It was so freeing to live out the remainder of our year in peace. I've since found Sarah's website, Amongst Lovely Things, and her Read-Aloud Revival membership site. I don't usually jump on bandwagons, but I'm happy to hop aboard this one.

If you only have time for one book to read on homeschooling, this is it. The wisdom shared is honest, validating and 'food for the soul'. It's not a book on choosing curriculum or scheduling, although she does mention this. It truly is a book on teaching from rest, on teaching from a place where what matters is nurturing your children's heart, placing your relationship and time with them in the proper perspective and trusting God in all things. I love that this book does not have any fluff. It gets to the heart of the matter quickly. It's a short and easy read but so deep and reflective in the ideas presented. Get the audio book if you don't have time to sit down and read. Sarah reads it beautifully.

As a homeschooling mom who also has a baby and runs a part time business from home, I've been trying to focus on slowing down for the little moments this year. This books was so encouraging! It's a fast read but really packs a punch with the content. Every page has something to uplift and refresh you. I'll definitely be rereading this right before we start our school year in the fall. Sarah gives some great tips for goong through your day to day from a place of rest, and I can't wait to apply them to our homeschool! Another book you may like if you're trying to teach from a place of rest is The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

First of all, this is a good book. A very good book. I read it three times in a row to let its wisdom sink in. It gives an excellent reorientation toward a God-dependent commitment to the souls of our children, the reason that most of us are homeschooling in the first place. And it's not just philosophical; it's also practical. Sarah Mackenzie gives good suggestions for pursuing a restful home education setting, rather than a frenzied, academic-success driven one. But, I found myself wondering, how will this model look in the high school years? The author herself hasn't yet plunged into the waters of homeschooling high schoolers, waters that often feel very icy with uncertain post-secondary plans, SATs, dual credit options, and college applications circling us like sharks! She encourages parents not to worry if we don't finish the math book this year as long as we've focused on the deeper things of goodness, truth, and beauty, and I love her advice. For those of us with teenagers, however, who will soon need to enter or reenter the world of textbooks, standardized evaluations, and transcripts, our kids just need to finish the math book this year or they can't move on to the next level of math. Whether they see the beauty in Algebra 2 or are inspired by it is very easily shuffled off to the side in the necessity of passing the CLEP test so we can get a jump on college credits and possibly afford a college education. I'd love to see a Teaching High School from Rest after the author has the homeschooling of a few teens under her belt!

I have had this book recommended to me countless times and I'm bummed it's taken me this long to read it! Sarah writes with truth and encouragement. I appreciated her practical tips and resources found throughout.

A yearly reread for this homeschool mama! When the going gets tough in February, and I feel like we’re not measuring up and doing enough, I pull out this gem to remind myself that it will be just fine and why we chose this lifestyle. Sarah Mackenzie has a gentle yet straight forward way of reminding you exactly why you what you were called to do. Mine is highlighted, tagged, annotated and colorful now, and I wouldn’t have this friend any other way. If you homeschool, you should have this in your home library!

A very easy and quick read. Definitely a must for any, Jesus believing, Home Ed mum. So good to be reminded of the reason we Home Ed, based on biblical truth. The author refers to Charlotte Mason principles but is helpful whatever educational pedagogy you hold for your family, We are reminded our children are made in God’s image. We just need to offer what we have and trust Him for the journey.

I am not a home schooler, am always curious to learn about it. Overall it's a good glimpse into a homeschooling mom's life. Fast and excellent read.

I am a Homeschool mom, and this book helped me to see that I need to enjoy my kids and not complete my to do list!

Un apapacho para el alma de todas las mamás que deseamos educar a nuestros hijos en la Verdad. Sencillo y muy claro.