Camila Johnson spent twelve years teaching in public school, mostly middle school English, before she brought her two youngest daughters home. In this episode she tells Steph why "teaching to the test" pushed her out of the classroom, why she let her daughter skip the tears over neat long division, and how her own herbalism training became Eden's Table, a Bible-rooted K-12 herbalism curriculum families learn together at the kitchen table, one herb a week.

In this episode:

• Why a test-driven classroom left kids without the life skills Camila wishes she had learned
• "We don't have standardized humans": following your child's curiosity instead of a checklist
• Why homeschooled kids who spend time around adults and kids of all ages grow into well-rounded humans
• How Eden's Table is set up: open and go, one herb a week, with history, geography, Latin roots, read-alouds, recipe cards and family discussion cards
• Where to start if your kids span several ages
• Camila's advice for overwhelmed moms: learn alongside your kids, it's okay not to know

Update from Camila since we recorded: her first print run has moved. Kits are aiming to ship July 2027 and are guaranteed on or before September 30, 2027. The curriculum itself is finished, and you can still try the free sample lessons on her website.

Resources mentioned:

• Eden's Table curriculum, free sample lessons, the constitution quiz and Camila's online course: https://edeninstitute.health
• Mountain Rose Herbs (where Camila sources herbs for the curriculum): https://mountainroseherbs.com

Connect with Camila Johnson / Eden's Table:

• Website: https://edeninstitute.health
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edenstablehomeschoolcurriculum/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdensTableHomeschoolCurriculum
• Substack: https://substack.com/@camilajohnson1

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This year, for the first time, Steph’s kids are technically public school students. In this episode she shares why her family enrolled in a hands-off online charter school while she keeps choosing curriculum and teaching at home. She explains how the funding decision compared to Idaho’s new Parental Choice Tax Credit, and her honest feelings about state testing. If your plans changed this year, this one’s a reminder that adjusting isn’t failing.

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Our curriculum this year:

• Language Arts and Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful: https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum
• Math: Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/math
• Typing: TypingClub: https://www.typingclub.com

Funding options for Idaho families:

• Braintree Academy (the program we use, also available in Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Wyoming): https://www.braintree4me.com
• Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit (official program site): https://myschoolchoice.idaho.gov/
• Idaho State Tax Commission, credit details and advance payment: https://tax.idaho.gov/taxes/income-tax/individual-income/popular-credits-and-deductions/parental-choice-tax-credit-and-advance-payment/
• Homeschool laws by state (HSLDA): https://hslda.org/legal

Note for Idaho families: you can’t claim the Parental Choice Tax Credit for any semester your child is enrolled in a public school, charter school, or virtual charter, so check before you enroll.

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Corrections and updates (as of October 3, 2026)Texas ESA: Texas Education Freedom Accounts actually fund students for the first time this school year, 2026-27. Homeschool students get $2,000 a year. Check the official site for next year's dates.Maryland and Iowa: I described these funding bills as moving through committee right now. Both states' 2026 legislative sessions ended in the spring. Iowa's homeschool tax credit didn't make the list of bills that passed, and I couldn't find any record of Maryland's HB 1204 passing. Watch for them to come back next session.Ten Commandments case: I said an appeal to the Supreme Court was planned. It's already happened: the ACLU and Texas families asked the Supreme Court to review the case on August 17, 2026. The Court hasn't said yet whether it will take it. I'll share updates as they come.

Sources: NCES, public school enrollment projections: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cga/public-school-enrollment K-12 Dive, birth rate decline (citing Bellwether): https://www.k12dive.com/news/where-and-why-public-school-enrollment-keeps-declining/826269/ New Hampshire HB 1268 (NHPR): https://www.nhpr.org/education/2026-07-13/ayotte-signs-bill-loosening-homeschooling-requirements Texas Education Freedom Accounts (official site): https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/ Iowa 2026 session recap (Iowa Capital Dispatch): https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/05/04/the-2026-legislative-session-is-over-heres-what-passed-failed-and-what-is-already-iowa-law/ https://machemd.org/legislative-update-what-maryland-homeschoolers-need-to-know/ https://hslda.org/post/hb-5468 https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/03/gov-brad-little-signs-public-school-moment-of-silence-bill-into-law/ https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/split-fifth-circuit-oks-texas-ten-commandments-in-classroom-law https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/supreme-court-asked-to-review-texas-law-requiring-the-ten-commandments-in-public-schools https://ballotpedia.org/State_policies_on_cellphone_use_in_K-12_public_schools https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108/text/CHAP0331