Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Garcia.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I remember sitting at a picnic table on my college campus in Massachusetts, writing in my journal about a sudden realization that I should go into teaching. If I had told my younger self that in 20 years, I would open up a school in my home, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.
I was a relatively quiet and compliant little girl growing up. But, in college, I discovered an inner voice that questioned the status quo: “Is this what life or education has to be like? Why are we doing it like this? Is there a better way?” I began reflecting on these questions in different areas of my life. I also knew at that point that the faith my parents first introduced to me as a child was now my own. Because my relationship with God had become the most important one in my life, I ultimately directed my questions to him and let him be the one to spark my creativity and inspire the direction of my life.
Fresh out of college, I jumped into the world of teaching, first as a long-term substitute teacher and then in a position in a public middle school in the city where I grew up. My questions there only increased. Working in a school with students underperforming on statewide tests put us as teachers under scrutiny from our leadership and the state. I appreciated the accountability and the professional development. However, I felt zapped of creative energy while we were made to jump through all the hoops of teaching to a test.
After three years in the public schools, I began to rethink teaching. Taking a break for a year, I focused on a trade in esthetics (the spa was certainly more relaxing than the schools!), and I continued to work with children in inner-city and overseas ministry.
The following year, I learned about another teaching opportunity in a different setting, and it redeemed my desire to teach. For several years, my husband and I taught in a private, University-model Christian school. We formed a community with people who became like family to us. We greatly admired the parents who dared to pioneer a new school that aligned with their values and lifestyle. There, I continued to grow and flourish as a teacher, having ample opportunities to “run” with curriculum and develop strong ties with students, all of which we loved.
Fast forward to 2015. My husband and I sensed a significant shift. We moved our young family to Texas, where we put our careers aside and attended Bible school together. After graduation, we decided to settle in Texas. I was involved in ministry and worked as a private tutor from home while homeschooling my children.
Anticipating the birth of my fourth daughter, we planned to have our older two daughters attend a charter school while I stayed home with the younger two. But then came a gentle but persistent nudge to keep them home, so we bravely began our Fall 2019 school year together. No one could anticipate the arrival of Covid-19 and an isolated season home in 2020. Fortunately, life went on mostly as usual for us. I was grateful that my girls could continue to learn with no interruptions while using a curriculum we knew was a good fit for our family.
The following year, I taught another family’s children alongside my own until they moved out of state. The experience showed me how much I missed having more students to teach. My children also enjoyed learning with a friend or two. Looking to find another income stream for our family and motivated by our last experience, I put an ad on our neighborhood’s homeschool Facebook group, thinking I could help a family or two who needed support.
The response was more than I expected! Increasing numbers of families are choosing to pull their children out of the current school system for various reasons. At the same time, parents are juggling jobs and the many responsibilities to raise a family and realize the benefit of hiring outside help to come alongside them in educating their children.
I began to listen to the needs of the number of families who responded to the ad and developed a Monday-Friday drop-off program that would work for the group we had. We met in my home, where I had dedicated our large game room space as a classroom. We started with 12 students (kindergarten through eighth grade) and ran it like a one-room schoolhouse. One other teacher worked with me, and halfway through the year, we added a third teacher to instruct our different math groups at their level. I called our microschool “Harbor Homeschool,” a safe haven for students to learn in a small, joy-filled, faith-based environment.
This school year, I opened up another large room in my house for the school, and we expanded our numbers to 24 students. We also added to our program, providing students with four core subjects and optional electives. Families are still reaching out to inquire about our school, and we’ve started a waitlist. I view this year as a bridge between what we did last year and what we are becoming.
As I’m preparing now for a third year, I’m reflecting again on the many questions I first had in college. Because of my past experiences teaching, it’s easy to fall back on what we’ve always done. But now, my thoughts are on higher heights! We are very excited to add a few changes next year and provide our families with more detailed information in early 2024.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve certainly had my share of struggles to overcome. Yet, with much prayer and thanks to the support of my family, school parents, and two fantastic teachers, the journey has been fulfilling and has brought much joy to my heart.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the director and lead teacher at the school.
Harbor Homeschool, as we call it now, is known for being small, faith-based, and having a positive environment where students within a range of ages learn together. Our space is cozy since we meet in a home and naturally develop a close-knit community.
Our smaller Math and Language Arts classes allow us to evaluate and work with students more closely to help address their needs. According to statistics, students need to catch up in their reading, writing, and math skills due to Covid. Because we want to lay the right foundation and help them master the concepts they struggle with, we place them in groups based on their level within a subject and not necessarily by grade. This allows us to slow down when needed and accelerate them when they catch on.
At Harbor, we teach our classes from a Christian worldview. Scripture and Biblical principles are woven throughout the curriculum and our discussions. We start every morning with a devotional and prayer for our day. Based on our original curriculum, we also offer elective classes this year—Art, Music, Life Skills, and Physical Education & Theater. Students see biblical principles come alive through creative expression and have an opportunity to showcase their work at a special presentation for parents twice a year.
Aside from our Life Skills elective class, we seek to create a culture at Harbor that gives students consistent practice in honing life skills. We take time out every week for “Real-Life Wednesdays,” where they participate in projects that simulate real-life situations and employ mathematical, writing, organizational, and financial skills, among others. Students prepare and interview for various jobs, including bankers, store clerks, and even officials who collect taxes. Students have ways to earn classroom money and buy the supplies they need. An unexpected outcome is that our enterprising students even create their own businesses to multiply their efforts.
And speaking (earlier) of original curriculum, we are developing more of our curriculum for next year! I am incredibly grateful for a few brilliant individuals who have joined hands with me behind the scenes to create a revised program that integrates a solid Biblical foundation, life skills, and proven cognitive-enhancing activities and games into our academic studies. We seek to develop the whole child—body, soul, and spirit—and to support families.
If I could mention one last thing, I would share my hope for our future. In our current location, we are limited in our spaces. I dream of having a place with land where we can grow and gather as needed and where students can cultivate gardens, interact with animals, and have space to run and explore other life skills. We are preparing to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, enabling donors to invest in an innovative education for children and the spaces we need to accomplish our goals. While our first two years have been somewhat of an educational experiment, I now see a vision of what we will be and look forward to casting that vision for next year. We plan to relaunch with a similar but new name that reflects our true identity as a school (rather than a homeschool hybrid) and a gathering place for families in the community.
We genuinely want “Harbor” to be a place where young minds and hearts receive the knowledge and the skills they need to be all God has created and called them to be.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Forming genuine relationships with our families is important to us. I also feel strongly that staying humble and maintaining the position that we are all still learning in life is necessary for growth and success.
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