Kathleen Mueller

Kathleen is a Christian homeschool program director and teacher of 25 years, with expertise in the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason and a passion for fostering academic experiences that instill a love of learning.

Her journey began in 1996 in San Diego, California, when she felt a calling on her life to transition from a career in Human Resources Management to start a licensed home daycare, providing unique, enriching experiences for children in a holistic, home-based setting. Faith, compassion, and a humble heart were at the center of her mission to use her gifts to create a nourishing and supportive atmosphere where children would grow and flourish.

She immersed herself in the study of early childhood development whilst building a program centered around nourishment of body, mind, and soul: providing nutritious home-cooked meals, introducing classic literature, poetry, music, and arts and crafts, and encouraging outdoor sensory activities like drawing and coloring with chalk, experimenting with sand and water, blowing bubbles, bouncing balls, and observing the natural world. She kept journals detailing every aspect of the business from nutritional plans to the children’s imaginary play and achievements, and produced monthly newsletters highlighting activities, learning experiences, and milestones. Her passion and commitment earned the trust and respect of her families who saw their children thrive in a positive environment stimulated with equal amounts of structure and freedom that encouraged good habits while fostering natural curiosity to discover the world through independent, self-exploration.

In 1998, with two of her own young daughters coming of school age, she decided to establish a private homeschool, Shepherd’s Summit Christian Academy guided by her faith and belief that education should embrace God’s creation and inspire an inextinguishable love of learning through a rich feast of ideas found in living books– books that warm the imagination, nurture thinking, deepen our understanding of life, and communicate knowledge mind-to-mind.

Thus began her K-12 homeschool adventure which would span two decades teaching her four student daughters. From 1998 to 2019, she managed every aspect of their education, from curriculum selection and teaching to college application submissions. Her educational approach, grounded in Charlotte Mason’s methods, emphasized creativity and a deep understanding and appreciation for the presence of God all around. She meticulously crafted individualized curriculums that blended academic learning, hands-on application, and her daughters’ unique interests in drawing, journaling, exercise, cooking, sewing, music, gardening, homesteading, and volunteer work. Their success is a testament to the merit of a purposeful home education that cultivated enthusiastic and creative lifelong learners with exemplary character, morals, and values.
Her oldest daughters went on to secure full-tuition scholarships from Concordia University, Irvine, graduating with Honors, whilst her youngest received scholarships and grants from Westmont College, Santa Barbara—each obtaining degrees in diverse disciplines across Applied Sciences, Social Science, Natural Science, and the Arts.

In 2017, driven by her belief and conviction that an intimate and timeless approach to education is ever valuable for today’s youth, Kathleen began offering customized homeschool teaching experiences for families, as well as consulting for those interested in homeschooling themselves. Over the last seven years she has worked with students from diverse situations and backgrounds, including those with special educational needs.

Believing that her destiny is to serve others, she now feels drawn to direct and teach homeschooling pods—small, close-knit educational communities for like-minded families seeking an intimate community educational experience. Her micro-school, based in the Greater Atlanta, Georgia area, will offer children opportunities to explore a simpler life that emphasizes meaningful connections, boundless creativity, and the joy of being present in the moment. Kathleen is passionate about providing daily experiences where children can create lasting memories and rediscover the timeless beauty of life, free from the distractions of the digital age.