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.

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.

So thankful to have been invited to a book club for this book. So many life giving reminders, lessons and quotes I want to revisit frequently

Very helpful reminders of the importance of teaching from rest. Perfect for any family, not just homeschooling families. Inside the book is a link to more helpful info.

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!

This was my first exposure to schole. Definitely gave me some good perspective that was so needed. Thanks so much