Heather Magnuson

I discovered the beauty and richness of classical education when I began homeschooling my two boys nearly fifteen years ago. When I first learned about classical education I knew that this was the type of education I wanted for my children, (It was the type of education I wish I had had). Being a military family, we moved from place to place with frequency, and homeschooling allowed us stability in the midst of constant change. We were fortunate to be able to put down roots in Panama City, FL in 2015 which prompted me to found a Christian Classical homeschool co-op—Arete Homeschooling Collaborative. I have been the Director of the co-op since our first classes in 2016, and I teach various classes each year—my favorite of which are the Literature and Composition classes. One of life’s greatest joys is to see the light illuminated within my students, to see them begin to think about a story beyond the plot level, to question what a story is telling us about humanity, the world, and the journey of the human soul. A close 2nd to literature, I am also passionate about teaching Spanish. Like literature, learning another language expands a student’s understanding of the world, of creation, of the student’s own language, and introduces a measure of humility. I have had the opportunity to teach Spanish-English dual immersion 1st grade, English as a Second Language, and High School Spanish in public school before I began a family. Recently I taught Spanish I and II online to homeschoolers through another platform. I am thrilled to share my passion and experience for the Spanish language with Kepler students this year. I currently hold a M.Ed. in Bilingual/ESL education from the University of Central Oklahoma and am in the process of completing an M.A. in Humanities with an emphasis in Classical Education from the University of Dallas. In addition to a love of books and discussing books, I enjoy travel, nature, and pickleball. When I’m not curled up on my screened porch, surrounded by plants, cuddling with my dog and cat I can be found basking in the glory of God’s creation—kayaking down one of Florida’s beautiful natural springs, walking along one of our pristine beaches, hiking, or biking. Although I’ve had the opportunity to live in many different places across the U.S. and around the world (Costa Rica, Honduras, Japan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Missouri), my favorite place to live is always the place where I find myself right now, which at the moment happens to be Northwest Florida.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is founded on the truth that students bear the imago Dei and are worthy of dignity, honor, and respect. As image-bearers all students have a capacity for reasoning and understanding. They are not receptacles for information to be fed into; neither are they objects to be molded into shape. Rather, they are humans capable of wonder with God’s law written into their hearts. My duty as a teacher is to work alongside parents in the cultivation of the humanity of my students. With parents, I serve as a guide to my students in the journey towards their telos—the ultimate end of becoming fully human by becoming Christ-like or in a single word: wisdom. My responsibility is to lead my students towards wisdom; therefore, I am as concerned with their souls as I am with their intellect. My goal as a teacher is to fan the flame of wonder within my students and direct their affections towards the higher things through meaningful encounters with truth, goodness, and beauty.

Statement of Faith

I believe that humans are created in the image of God and that we were created to be in communion with God. However, because of the introduction of sin into the world through the Fall in the Garden of Eden, we are separated from God. It was for this reason that God sent Christ into the world, born of the Virgin Mary and fully human. It is only because of Christ's death on the cross and resurrection into Heaven that the broken relationship with God is able to be reconciled.

I currently am a member of First Presbyterian Panama City, a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) Church. PCA churches teach from a reformed, Calvinist perspective; however, the co-op that I founded is multidenominational with students from Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, etc. backgrounds. I am sympathetic to the the specific beliefs of all my students, and as a teacher focus on what unites us instead of what divides us. I also believe that healthy discussions about our differences can lead to better understanding and strengthened relationships.