Homeschooling 101

Have you been homeschooling and still feel a little
lost? Are you new to home education or thinking
about homeschooling in the future? Home education
can be overwhelming. Whether you are on the fence
about home education, just starting off or need to
review the basics, this workshop is for you. Join

us as a panel of home educators share their ‘how-
to’s’ about getting started. Come see how different

doesn’t mean wrong. Ask the questions you need
answers to like “Am I qualified? How do I prepare?
Where can I go for help? What should I avoid? What
does Manitoba law require?” Plan to come and be
inspired to start to home educate your way.

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Organizational Tips for the Homeschool Mom

Diane Kroeker

Have you ever met one of those magical unicorn
homeschool moms that have a perfectly clean
house, a homeschool plan you can only dream of,
and pre planned meals on the table 3 times a day?
I’m not one of those moms! I think they are as rare
as unicorns and most only exist behind filters and
fancy camera angles on pinterest and instagram. But
I have learned a few tips and tricks over 10 years of
homeschooling and 15 years of raising children that
I want to share with you. We’ll discuss planning out
your day without feeling trapped by a schedule, how
to keep your house clean (clean enough) without
cleaning all day every day, how get meals on the
table 3 times a day without feeling like a full time
chef (hint: kids are pretty good at feeding themselves
when they are hungry), and more.

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Running the Homeschool Marathon: Ten Training Tips

Zan Tyler

Homeschooling is more like running a 26-mile
marathon than a 100-yard dash. If you want to
complete the race successfully, you must develop a
training strategy that builds your strength, stamina,
and vision and enables you to persevere until the end.
We will discuss lofty topics like creating a powerful and
sustaining vision. And we will look at down-to-earth
topics like pacing yourself, choosing curriculum, and
developing homeschool mentors and friends. Zan Tyler
provides training tips that will help you complete the
God-given task of homeschooling and help you and
your children “run with endurance the race that lies
before us.”

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Being Davids on Goliath’s Battlefield

Vanessa Brobbel

This session will look at the world issues of our time,
and how they can affect the way we interact with those
in our sphere of influence. History, geography, social
studies, and political sciences all point to the same
thing: If we hold fear in our hearts, this is what we
teach others to live in. The Canadian Church has much
to glean from the testimonies of those who stand
amidst direct opposition. We need to be prepared to
walk onto the battlefield no matter how big the giant
is and recognize in Christ we are more then adequately
equipped to win.

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Inspiring Moms to Gather Together

Angela Wiebe

As homeschoolers, we all hear the question, “what
about socialization?” But how often do we seek the
answer for ourselves?
Homeschooling offers a big, beautiful way to do
life surrounded by those we love the most. It also
necessitates that we pour out all we’ve got every day,
sometimes many times over. It can simultaneously
invoke feelings of blessing and desperation, fullness
and loneliness. For our health and effectiveness, we
need to stand together with other women who are
also purposing to raise their families to honour Christ.
So let’s explore, together, some of the ways we can
reach out to build community, connect with each
other, unload a bit, and laugh along the way!

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Dad’s Essential Role

Roger Smith

What’s a dad to do? In a busy home, dads often find
themselves being dragged along in all the activity
involving the children. But can it be another way? The
influence of the father can be the thing that helps all
the activity stay on course. Dr. Smith will share ways
he and others have made significant contributions to
the home in the midst of a busy career. This session
will not be an attempt to produce guilt about failures,
but will offer solutions and hope for increasing the
influence of dad in the home, resulting in everyone
being more happy.

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Managing Fear in the midst of Chaos

Jan Smith

Fear can paralyze us in the pursuit of something
good. Even avoiding fear does not eliminate it, so we
must attack it a different way. In this session, Jan will
share practical ways that we can manage the fear
that arises and the chaos that accompanies it. A bit
of humor will shed light on the fact that some of our
fears are imagined, while other real issues escape our
notice. Some time-tested tips offered here may help
with the fear, even if the chaos remains.

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The Inspiring Task of Raising Servant Leaders

Zan Tyler

Servants make the best leaders. Teaching your
children to love and serve others is the second most
important principle you will ever teach them. This
principle, in turn, provides the necessary foundation
for training them to become leaders. Come to this
workshop and learn how you can effectively teach
the lessons of service and leadership in the midst
of your already-full homeschool days. We will also
discuss how to build powerful, life-changing service
and leadership projects into your children’s everyday
lives. Be prepared to see your children come alive as
they experience the joy of serving others!

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Raising G Rated sons in an R rated world

Joe Tyler

Joe Tyler discusses the key issues dads face as we
strive to instill a Christ-centered vision in our sons.
Joe addresses the cultural pressures on our young
men and shares practical advice to counter the
culture and instill a vision of purity in our sons and
daughters. Because of the frank and sensitive nature
of this discussion, we request that only men attend.

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Fostering an Adventerous Spirit

Roger and Jan Smith

Having watched their children approach life with
gusto, sensing few boundaries, the Smiths will share
some of the things they think made it possible for
their children to think outside the box, and live like
it! Stories from others they know, and examples from
scripture will be used to help make the ideas and
approaches applicable to your home. We all want our
children to be brave. This session will examine what
that may look like in its development.

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Laughter is the Best Medicine: Marriage Lessons from Real Life

Joe and Zan Tyler

Come enjoy a refreshing session of encouragement
and laughter as Joe and Zan share candidly about the
ups and downs of married life (including their biggest
fight ever), while focusing on the biblical principles
that have served as the unshakeable foundation of
their marriage. Understanding and embracing the
magnificent biblical vision of marriage is the key to
a vibrant relationship. The Tylers continue to enjoy
their 3 grown children (and their wonderful spouses),
7 grandchildren, and over 40 years of marriage.

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Help! The High School Years Are Coming!

Roger and Jan Smith

Many parents are confident in managing decisions
and educational choices through the middle school
years, but shake with fear when looking ahead to the
high school years. The issues do seem to have greater
consequences, but Dr. Smith will show a mindset and
approach that can energize you to make them the
best years. Your emerging adults can become the one
who praises you, instead of being your greatest critic.
Together, you can not only save tons of money, but
you can launch your teen to find their own purpose.

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Creation in the twenty first century

Alex Scharf

Here we will discuss whether or not this discussion
is still relevant and why it matters. Do we really
“Follow the Science” and base our conclusions on the
evidence? Do facts matter? How do we communicate
with them? How do we sort out confusing messages?
With a focus on critical thinking – who can we trust?
The Slippery Slope.

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Life in the Fiery Furnace: How to Heal and Prevent Homeschool Burnout

Zan Tyler

Have you ever said, “My kids are out of control!”?
Homeschooling places great demands on parents
and leads to great expectations. This combination
can set us up for an intense sense of failure and
disappointment. Homeschooling doesn’t always go
according to our plans. Even when we are doing our
best to follow God and love our families, we may
find ourselves in the “fiery furnace,” like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
In this session, Zan explores the causes of burnout
and shares ways to avoid them. This workshop
contains many practical tips for finding joy in the
midst of trials. It also encourages a biblical vision for
what you are ultimately trying to accomplish in your
children’s lives through homeschooling—a vision that
will sustain you through the hard times and difficult
days that are sure to come.

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Talk With Me: How Conversation Stimulates Learning

Zan Tyler

Relaxing and enjoying your children is an important
part of homeschooling. Focusing on conversation
with your kids is an important key to that.
Conversation is also an essential tool in providing
a rich educational experience. In the traditional
classroom environment, students have an average
of eight to ten individual interactions with their
teacher each day. In your homeschool, these verbal
interactions can number in the hundreds and greatly
enhance the quality of education your children
receive. Explore strategies to minimize conflict in your
home and promote camaraderie, enthusiasm, and joy
in learning. Conversation is the key! Conversation IS
core curriculum.

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Discipline That Draws Children Closer

Roger and Jan Smith

Conflict with our children can cause a great gulf
between us. Discipline in the home is a must, but it
need not create tension between us and our children.
The Smiths will share how Biblical discipline is often
misapplied, but more importantly, how we can pattern
our family discipline after that of our Heavenly Father.
Stories of parents doing it well will empower you
to make needed adjustments in your approach to
discipline.

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Is there a Different way? Help me know my Options

Roger and Jan Smith

When getting started, or when change is needed, it
helps to know the options that may be a better fit for
you and your child. This workshop will discuss several
approaches (they all work) and review some of the
curriculum providers in each category. Finding the one
that is a best fit for you and your child will increase
your success and reduce frustration. Information from
this session will enable you to make more confident
choices as you face decisions for education.

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Highschool and Beyond and Pre-Requsites

Phil and Trisha Guse

Phil and Tricia provided the entirety of their five
children’s education at home. Tricia was the kids’
teacher until 2014 when she began her practice as a
registered midwife. At this time, Phil took over the
daily oversight of the kids’ education as he continued
to run their farm. At that time their oldest child was in
grade 11 and their youngest was in grade 5. As of 2022
all the kids are still talking to them so it seems they all
survived without too many scars…Please join Phil and
Tricia as they share their joys and challenges, sorrows
and victories in the amazing adventure of home
education, with a focus on high school and beyond.