Home » OTA Interviews »
Website: https://www.lookwerelearning.com
Twitter: @lookwelearn
How do you find yourself in the position/job that you are in today? What led you here?
I was homeschooled and I was bored out of my mind. I knew if I got the chance to teach my own kids at home, I’d want it to be a fun learning experience for them. Once we learned that some of our kids had ADD/ADHD, we committed ourselves to adapting our home education to their unique needs and that’s the foundation of our website.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
Finding new ways to teach classic topics to our kids, sharing learning resources with readers, creating new products for the education community
How do you feel you are helping to improve the image of homeschooling and/or education?
I feel that we’re showing that homeschooling families with special needs can still make a success of learning at home, even when there are multiple children with learning differences.
What software/apps/tools can you not live without?
- Asana – for project organization
- Focus At Will – music for focus
- Homeschool Binder – for lesson planning
- iCalendar – for time blocking during the day
What is your greatest strength?
I’m super curious. I always want to learn more and share what I find out with others.
How do you see education changing?
Education is becoming more inclusive. Instead of insisting that students all learn the same thing in the same way, educators are adapting their teaching styles and materials to include a variety of viewpoints, historical events, literary characters, and methodologies. It’s making it much easier for students to relate what they learn to their personal experiences.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone who homeschools?
Give yourself time to find your own way. It may take months or even years before you form a solid homeschooling philosophy that works for YOUR family. But the time is worth it. Don’t give up before you reach that point.
What is the biggest struggle you have when it comes to educating your children / helping other people educate their children?
My biggest struggle is staying on a concept until my kids have mastered it. I struggle with ADD myself and I can get bored easily when I have to teach something repeatedly. This year, we’re working on using more flexible teaching methods to keep the material fresh until the kids really grasp it.
What’s your smartest shortcut or productivity hack in any part of your life?
My best productivity hack is to time block. I set aside a certain amount of time each day to work on my business, to teach the kids, and to take care of the home. Narrowing my focus for that amount of time does wonders for my productivity.
What is the one book you would recommend someone to read?
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
What’s the best advice you have ever received?
I read a quote by Robert Browning that really touched me: “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” It really underscores how valuable a mother is to her children. And it helps me to appreciate the impact I can have as a mother and an educator to my kids.
How do you prepare for your day?
I get up a couple of hours before my kids do. I spend that time praying, reading my Bible, meditating, exercising, and writing out my plans for the day. Then I work for a while, so that I won’t start the day “behind”. It helps me calm down and be more intentional when it’s time to teach.
Tag the one person in the education and/or homeschooling world that you would love to meet and interview.
Eva Goldstein-Meola is not only co-founder of Open Tent Academy, but an instructor as well as a former homeschooling mother. She has lived in New Jersey, Florida, Western Massachusetts, Northern Virginia and now resides just outside of Jerusalem. Eva holds a Master’s Degree as a Consulting Teacher of Reading and Writing, IEW certification and a Bachelor’s Degree as an Elementary Teacher. She has also been involved in education since 1986 as a Private Tutor, Teacher, Reading Specialist, Homeschooling Mother, Homeschooling Teacher and Business Owner of an Online Education Consortium.
