Hi, I’m Jamie.
Twenty years ago I was a telemarketer who filled out my resume with 12th grade as my highest level of education.
Today I am a smitten wife, homeschooling mother, headmistress, executive director, and business consultant who, if the opportunity presented itself, would still be listing 12th grade as my highest level of what is widely considered formal education. What is formal education? If I may give it a simple definition: an education which has the approval or authorization of an authority or public body.
However, as is my typical style, I’d love to push back against that. I would argue that the education I’ve received over the last 20 years qualifies my current level without it having come from an institution. Authentic. Legitimate. Legal. Valid. Bona Fide. Proper. Accepted. vs. Authorized. Accredited. Approved. Certified.
I believe I’ve earned the right to be called an educator, and although I spent years defending that out of insecurity, I now defend it out of ability.
What happened in the last 20 years that you need to know?
In 2001, the single most miraculous thing in the whole of my existence, apart from God making me His daughter, was God making me a mother. In the midst of my own rebellion, God gave me a baby boy, Ethan Lane, whose existence single-handedly stopped the world from rotating around me. My time as a single mother taught me that God truly doesn’t ever give you a responsibility without providing you the capability.
In 2003, with our sweet Emma Rae nestled in my womb, I waddled down the aisle as my daddy gave me and my boy away to my man. Greg went from being a single man, living at home, caring for his ailing mother, to a husband and father of two overnight. I’ll let you imagine those first few years! God has blessed us tremendously, and we will soon celebrate 16 years of marriage.
In 2004, I started a business as a sole proprietor selling skin care and makeup. Women wanted quality skin care. I sold quality skin care. I absolutely loved meeting the needs of clients with the products I believed in.
In 2008, we had been homeschooling for a year, and I realized my attentions were divided. Overwhelmed and anxious, I chose to let that passion go and focus on schooling my two children.
In 2012, shortly after the birth of our Elsie Kay, I had the opportunity to once again meet the needs of clients with not just a worthy product, but a worthy program. The program was Classical Conversations.
In 2016, after four years of trying to reconcile with their business model, I realized it wasn’t possible for me. Overwhelmed and anxious, I chose to let that passion go and focus on schooling my two children.
Moving forward without a community was not something we, neither my friends nor I, wanted to consider. We were all asking the same question: “Could we create a quality program which would not divide our attentions? A program by us, for us?”
People wanted something, and I knew, with hard work, I could figure out how to get it for them.
So we created a small nonprofit organization of Christian homeschoolers called Appalachian Classical Academy. We have found a beautiful harmony by assigning competent tutors to desired courses that offer viability and flexibility, with just enough accountability.
Two months after our first community day, and nine weeks before he was expected, our family welcomed our 3 lb. Easton Wayne. All spinning plates crashed, all pieces scattered, and just as his brother before him, he single-handedly stopped the world from rotating around me. All responsibilities of the academy fell to the amazing staff I had hired as I spent 9 weeks simply providing my skin for warmth, my heartbeat for security, and my milk for nourishment.
The rest of our first year as an academy had highs and lows. We were new, we were getting our feet under us. I was juggling this tiny human and 12 employees, but we came out at the end with great insight to improve upon. The last two years have been such a blessing to us. While we have celebrated obvious growth our students have experienced as a result of our academy, we have also suffered hardships, even loss, and God has shown us what it means to lean and to support.
In 2018, after realizing so many people desired my help to provide something similar to their local families, I began donating my time to coach new friends in the 3 areas of a sustainable program: business, administration, and curriculum.
Mindful of the probability of divided attentions, I wanted to give this new passion its proper space in my life. This led to the creation of Jamie Buckland: Classical Program Consultant.
Thanks for coming by. I do hope you find just what you need. After all, the ENTJ/Enneagram 8 in me would not mind having the opportunity to help you do just that.
