About
My name is John Hitchcock, and would like to share with you why this site exists.
The concept of this site had its origins about half-way through my public school teaching career. Early on in my classroom experience I had gone beyond the “questions at the, end of the chapter” type of teaching. I actually took the phrases “relevant learning” and “lifetime learning” literally, and purposefully focused my teaching on making those phrases happen.
Growing up on a farm in the Adirondack mountains of New York State, I learned early on the benefit of actually doing things that had long-term benefit. From winter camping trips to building my own amateur radio equipment, the benefit of learning by doing was an integral part of my life.
As a public school teacher I bought into the anti-homeschooling concept. Lack of social development, untrained teachers and poor academics were the standard criticisms of the homeschool situation. I lived this delusion for several years, not knowing the facts about homeschooling. But gradually, bit by bit, my attitude began to change.
In the earliest years of my teaching career, one concept began to totally consume my thoughts.
In all things… The Mind Matters Most!
In the twentieth year of my public school career, a series of God-guided events directed me into the Christian school arena. During those twenty-plus enjoyable years, I happened to meet several parents who were doing the homeschool event.
Our daughter actually blazed the trail in our family towards the homeschooling adventure. A former teacher in a Christian elementary school, she left that arena and started her three girls in the Classical Conversation homeschool system.
I gained some higher degree of comfort as she instituted the program of Classical Conversation and observed how our granddaughters were progressing. My confidence in homeschooling increased even more as my wife (a former elementary and middle school teacher) assisted our granddaughters in their studies and activities.
While continuing with my day-job in the classroom, I ventured into becoming an adjunct professor in a four-year Christian university both in the traditional classroom and an adult degree completion program. Eventually I left the Christian high school and returned to the public school classroom. An opportunity soon appeared and I transitioned into an independent study academy, a combination of traditional and homeschool experiences.
As a science teacher, I took literally the concept that science existed to search for TRUTH. Nevertheless, in some areas, the truth of science seemed to be based on philosophical ideas of a humanistic society. Simply put, the concepts of origins and development of life as expressed in evolutionary theory did not align with the established methods of science.
It gradually became obvious the search for truth could never be limited to the narrowly defined role of science. There must exist a more fundamental and universal basis for all inclusive truth. I base that thesis on one simple fact:
There is ABSOLUTE TRUTH and it is based on the BIBLE!
The mind is addressed in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Phillipians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Living and learning on those concepts produces a marvelously condensed teaching in how to do life which is rewarding to the person and of service to others.
Harry Blamires is one of my favorite authors. In his book The Christian Mind, he makes the statement, “Idealists are the most tortured of all people.” I admit to being an idealist, but I am also an optimistic pragmatist. As such, I hold strongly to the idealistic goal that education can be relevant and actually last for a lifetime. The practical part of this is that there are ways to accomplish these important goals… and I am equally confident my experience and perception can help you in this homeschool for high school adventure.