Vicki Bentley Archives

This week on HSHSP Ep 142: Homeschool Coaching with Vicki Bentley of HSLDA.

HSHSP Ep 142: Homeschool Coaching with Vicki Bentley of HSLDA

Ever felt stuck, confused or intimidated in your homeschooling adventures? It might be time for some homeschool coaching! Join Vicki and her friend, Vicki, for a delightful discussion on homeschool coaching (and some history of homeschooling).

Vicki Bentley is a homeschool coach, working with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. The homeschool mom of 8 daughters, Vicki has also fostered more than 50 kids AND is a military wife.

Vicki Bentley, Homeschool Coach with HSLDA

Photo used with permission.

Both Vickis have many similar *history of homeschooling experiences*. Vicki Bentley and Vicki Tillman began homeschooling back in the early days of the homeschool movement. In those days, it was difficult to find publishers who would sell curriculum to homeschooling families. There was no internet so finding other homeschooling families could be a chore. There were few opportunities for group activities or support. Therefore both Vickis helped start and/or run several homeschool organizations.

Vicki Tillman totally agrees with Vicki Bentley when she says she has lived by these mottos:

Start things up
Just walk through the next open door

Vicki B. originally found other military homeschooling families when she ran into another military mom while running errands. They started and ran a 300-family homeschool field trip and support group. Then she joined Virginia’s newly formed state-level homeschool organization, HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia). She developed and taught a how-to curriculum for new HEAV homeschooling families.

Vicki Tillman and Vicki Bentley talked about their similarities in running homeschool groups and starting things when there was nothing.

“You do what you need to do for your kids,” says Vicki B.

Vicki Bentley connected with Homeschool Legal Defense Association back in the early 1990s after she moved to Virginia. Her husband started working for them and Vicki joined him shortly after that.

Vicki Tillman remembered back in those early days, homeschooling was not legal in most states, so homeschoolers needed to fly under the wire and exercise caution. She pointed out the common drills practiced by many homeschooling families:

Fire drills
Tornado drills
Truant-officer-at-the-door drills

Homeschooling families needed legal support! That’s why Homeschool Legal Defense was formed.

HSLDA started in 1983 by 2 homeschool dads who were attorneys. Because homeschooling was not legal in many states, HSLDA represented homeschool families in court. Now that homeschooling is legal in all 5o states, they continue to provide homeschool legal support where needed, along with providing compassion work and homeschool coaching for all ages. Vicki Bentley is one of the homeschool coaches.

As homeschool coach, Vicki Bentley offers a number of services:

One-on-one advising
Symposiums
How-to workshops

Like her friend, Vicki Bentley, Vicki Tillman also provides homeschool coaching (through 7SistersHomeschool.com). Her coaching services are like Vicki Bentley’s services. She pointed out that neither Vicki is in competition with each other in their 2 organizations. Rather, they were Titus 2 moms together supporting the 2 million homeschoolers in the United States today.

Both Vickis love that their generation is able to give back to the homeschool community through homeschool coaching!

To obtain coaching from Vicki Bentley at HSLDA, contact her through her coaching page. (You’ll need to join HSLDA to use these services.)

You’ll also love her many how-to posts at HSLDA and her personal website: Everyday Homemaking.

Join Vicki and Vicki for a delightful talk about the history of homeschooling and about homeschool coaching.

You’ll also enjoy these posts.

How to Start a Homeschool Organization (Interview with Carol Top of Homeschool CPA podcast.)