Classical, Traditional, Unschooling?

I blogger friend posted regarding how God has used unschooling in her home to educate her children. I thought I would join in on the conversation. I have posted in the past about how we choose to educate our children; however, I am always reevaluating how "school" gets done.

My guess is there will always be an educational debate: public school vs. homeschool vs. Christian school, unschooling vs. traditional vs. classical homeschool. The options are immense, and one can be easily overwhelmed.

Having been a traditional classroom educator, I find that my strengths lie with textbooks, formal testing, and schedules. To some, that will make them cringe. Truthfully, I have been learning as we go that letting up on some of that is a good thing. That is not to say that schedules and some formal assessment are bad. I have found that there is no perfect way to educate my kids. For one thing, they are all different: in their learning styles, interests, and abilities. However, for my own sanity, I need to have some sort of scope and sequence to keep order in my home. Without order, Mommy can go a tad crazy.

There are many days that I wish I could set aside the expectations of other educators who do not know my kids and explore the world in which my kids live. Some days like that are good. I have watched my son in particular grab on to a concept and run with it. His eyes light up as he delves into anything he can get his hands on to find out more about what he is studying. That is way beyond cool! He is learning in a way that will stick and will make him smile too. On the other hand, though, there are many things in life that we need to learn that honestly we don't really want to learn. We have no choice in many cases. Take adverbs for example. There are fun ways to teach them, but my kids would not gravitate to grammar by choice. This is where I think that a combination of teaching styles is necessary.

Over the last year, I have changed up our reading curriculum drastically. We use whole pieces of literature and many unit studies. The kids seem to prefer that, and they are learning better with that format than with the bits and pieces of lit that an anthology in a lit program provided. I struggled with what to include. Do I go with only what would interest them? Would that do them a disservice when they went to college? Just because a piece of literature was traditionally taught, did that make it a necessary component of my curriculum? As we have gone on, they have enjoyed the novels, endured the poetry, and could take or leave the short stories. I will continue to tweak the curriculum as we go.

I have had my big girls read additional books that develop them as young Christian women, and they have developed a passion themselves. My little man just today went down to the "library" in our basement and found a book that he fell in love with. He even blogged about it! My little one is enjoying diving into American Girl books, learning the history that goes with them, and writing her own plays with some American Girl software.

We will be formally testing this month at a private school nearby. For me, it has been a good tool to evaluate my kids. Again, maybe it is just engrained in me as a trained educator.

As you can see, our format has morphed from completely traditional very scheduled to a more comfortable, flexible traditional environment. I feel we are always learning, even as adults who are not "in school." As I educate my children, I have the privilege and challenge to find the awe and opportunity to learn in every day of life no matter if the textbook is open or not.

 

Gratitude

#227 - 237

It is cold today, yet the sun was shining.

I drove miles in the mommobile today and yet stayed within a ten-mile radius.

My toddler slept little today, so he went to bed early, peacefully.

My sweetie made it home from work earlier than anticipated, so he could do the evening sports runs.

Princess made it to five feet tall, so she wore a bigger smile today (my tickles helped with the smiles).

My little man had baseball practice in the cold and showed his team how fast he could run the bases. Dad was timing him from the car, where it was warm.

A large table was available at the bookstore tonight, so both sweetie and I could use our computers easily and have room for our sweet treat and Venti tea.

A laugh fest is planned tomorrow night in our home, so we are looking forward to some great family time.

I took two kids to doctors today and had to wait a minimal amount of time.

Princess made dinner tonight in the craziness of the afternoon, so I didn't have to worry about it. It was delicious.

My phone's earpiece in the car allowed me to talk to my sister for a few minutes as I rode from one appointment to another.

 

What are you thankful for? Sometimes, when life goes differently than anticipated there is opportunity for blessings to sneak in.

 

Self-Employed

Over ten years ago, God led my sweetie and me to take a step of faith and begin a law practice in our home. Being self-employed comes with its own risks, sense of adventure, and feelings of fear. It also allows more time as a family, more chances for my sweetie to coach our kids' teams, and flexible vacation days. I would not trade it for anything. For a large majority of the time, my sweetie made his office in our home. As the kids grew and the firm grew, God led my sweetie to another Christian with whom he partnered and now they have office space close to our home.

I consider being able to stay home and educate our kids one of the biggest blessings of this adventure. Many wives have had to work outside the home as a new business is getting off the ground. God has chosen to bless us in that I have worked as a substitute teacher a grand total of two months.

Money can get tight when you don't draw a regular paycheck and all the expenses of the business fall on your shoulders, especially in this economy. God continues to teach us how to be more responsible and resourceful with what He has given us. Keeping this in mind fosters a more grateful heart when God chooses to bless with some perks in the business.

For example, my sweetie came home with boxes of delicious chocolates today. They were a gift from a radio station on which his firm advertises weekly. This same station has provided car show tickets for my son to enjoy with some friends. Friday, I don't have to cook because a client is inviting all of us to his pizza shop for dinner. Again, the kids are thrilled. The last time we were there, we were treated to canolis after dinner. This was a first for the kids. (Where have we gone wrong that we live near South Philly and the kids didn't know what a canoli was?). Another perk is a huge time saver for me. My sweetie and little man get their haircuts free from a local barber who is also a client.

The firms where my sweetie worked made it difficult to keep family, church, and work in the proper priority, but the decision to be self-employed was neither easy nor quick. God had to practically hit us over the head. Over the years, He affirms to us that we are right where He wants us. The blessings both large and small that blanket our family provide comfort for when life gets scary and difficult.

I am very proud of my sweetie for the hard work and heart that he pours into his business. His job is not easy and he deals with difficult people with difficult lives. God is using him to impact others, though.

Becoming self-employed was one of the scariest, blessing filled, faith step of our lives. We are still walking by faith.

My Favorite Season

No, it is not NCAA tournament play, nor is it the baseball/softball season. However, both of these fall during my favorite time of year – spring. Previous blog posts have hinted my inclination, but I thought I would just go right out and say it, again. I love spring!

Maybe it is the hyacinth that bursts overnight brightening my winter bleak yard. Maybe it is the perfectly formed trumpet flower of the daffodil that makes me smile on my way to school. Maybe, now I can open the windows and air out the mustiness of the long winter and inhale the fresh air. Maybe now, the sun will shine more brightly, longer, and warmer so that my many kids will get their itchies out in other ways than tackling each other in the family room. Maybe now I can spend more time in short sleeves and cute skirts and less time in sweats and layers.

Now, I can see the end of the school year. Now I can look forward to getting more reading done. Now I can enjoy sitting outside on the back patio smiling, watching, and enjoying my kids just that much more.

Every season brings its own blessings and hurdles. Spring's sports schedule challenges our family dinnertime tremendously, and it is always hard to keep the kids and me on track to finish the school year strong. Despite these, I always look forward to the newness and brightness of spring.

What season is your favorite? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Gratitude

Take the time, friend, to write down a few things that you are thankful for today. I am blessed to think about some of my many blessings alongside my little one today at the coffee shop while waiting for softball practice to be over.

#216 – 226

I am thankful for . . .

• Free water ice on the first day of spring
  
• God's promise of spring revealed in daffodils and hyacinths
  
• Goldfish snacks
  
• Free wi-fi at the coffee shop
  
• Family movie nights
  
• Chick-fi-la gift cards and coupons that make dinner with family easier
  
• My baby's weight remained stable despite her not feeling well
  
• Restful days despite long nights
  
• Garage sale season
  
• Bags of clothes with which to bless others
  
• Paint touch ups
  

 

 

 

 

It started out as . . .

.. . just a random verse, chosen to memorize by a fifth grader who just opened her Bible and pointed to a verse. It turned out to be anything but random.

We headed to the van for our weekly hang time, the little kids and I. My little man declared he needed help learning his verse for next week. There was no better time than the present, so he climbed into the seat next to mine and we dove in.

Revelation 4:2 "And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne."

"Are you sure that is verse? Let me check that out."

"Yes, Mom. All the other good verses were chosen (?), so she just picked one randomly."

"OK, then, let's get to it."

I read it over to myself, and the verse on the page transformed before my eyes from the ordinary to the extraordinary. My little man and I then had an exciting time discussing what God was saying in His Word.

Let me share with you some of the WOW moments from that evening. First of all, there is a throne. Someone is in charge. Secondly, this throne is in heaven. Not here on earth. Not some other universe. A throne sits in heaven. And guess what else? Someone is sitting on it. It is not empty.

Read on in chapter 4 and it gets even more intense. Check it out. This throne has a rainbow around it that looks like an emerald and flames of fire in front of it. There is thunder pealing and lightning flashing and voices crying. In front of the throne lays a sea as clear as crystal. Surrounding this throne are four beasts whose sole job is to give God the honor that he is worthy of. This praise never stops. Never. Never.

Now, here is something else to ponder. There are 24 other seats in this throne room. I am not sure whose these are, but despite their position, these elders don't take advantage of the seats. Instead, they fall face down in front of the throne and place their crowns at the feet of Him who sits on the throne.

This is no ordinary throne room. With all the hype of Prince William marrying, we have a small glimpse of royalty, formality, and due respect. This description blows all that out of the water. Put yourself into the words of Scripture. I wish you could have been there with me and seen my son's face as we felt God's word become a little more real.

If you read my post yesterday, you would remember that some current thought is that our goal is to bring heaven to earth, and that God is too loving to send anyone to hell. I think they are missing Revelation 4. There is a heaven that is beyond anything we can think or imagine here on earth. It is beautiful and full of praise and worship, but more than that, it contains the throne room of a God who really sits on the throne. He is powerful, demands honor, and is in charge. Nothing on earth can ever come close.

I am thankful for a God who sits on the throne, and I look forward to seeing heaven for myself knowing that my face will be facing the ground as well.

A random verse? Not so much.

 

 

Curiosity Journal

I am reading . . .

The Moonstone – still. The jury is still our as to whether it is worth my time to finish. I need to find some other books that thrill me. Any suggestions?

I am playing . . .

Yesterday, Angel had softball practice for only an hour. That is not enough time to make going home worthwhile. So . . . I loaded the boys in the van with me and we headed out to the adjoining field and playground. We ran, kicked the ball, ran, slid down slides, ran, looked at the creek, and ran some more. You get the idea. It was nice to see the boys playing with something that doesn't have to be plugged in.

We pulled down the Thomas trains this week. They were a big hit. After we finish dinner and clean up, the boxes come out and the floor dramatically turns into a train town.

I am learning . . .

My faith is much better placed on my Savior than on my inept abilities to run things myself. God preciously kept me awake the night before my baby's ear surgery this week so that He could talk to me. I needed to talk to Him. I looked forward to the time I would spend waiting with the birth mom the next day in the surgical center's waiting room. We have talked in the past, and I was hoping to continue. God sweetly reminded me that things will not change because of my grandiose plans, but rather because of my being available to speak when He tells me to. She is still listening. I am still learning.

I am learning my husband has dreams too. I am blessed to walk with him to follow the dreams and calling on our lives.

I am reacting . . .

So, the new Rob Bell book came out this week, Love Wins. I admit that I approached his writing with a bit of prejudice and predisposition. Having heard him speak briefly in his previous video series, I had developed an opinion that was not in sync with many others. He had many good things to say, but the line was becoming quite fuzzy. The line is no longer fuzzy. I have only read 50 pages, so I cannot claim to have read the entire book. I plan to pick it up again at the bookstore. However, what I have read is disturbing me. He has redefined heaven, hell, salvation, and Jesus. He spent the first chapter questioning Christianity and attacking what we know to be true. Bell has trouble handling the truth of God's justice and is making up his own form of Christianity. I grasped a sense of his elevating humanity and limiting deity. A social gospel is obvious in his writings. That is not to say that loving others, taking care of the poor, and being responsible with our resources are not important. It is saying that these things do not make heaven on earth. They are not salvation. It is not to say that God does not love us incredibly and sacrificially. It is saying that God's love and justice demands a sacrifice for sin that is offered to all. God's love doesn't send us to hell. A choice to disregard his offer of grace is what sends people to hell. I am concerned that Bell's following will not choose to use discernment and match Bell's words to Scripture and see what holds true.

I welcome your responses to Bell's book. I don't intend to pick fights over semantics. I intend to fight for truth.

So that is a glimpse of my week. What are you reading, playing, learning, and reacting to? I would love to hear your thoughts.

A Dream, a Call, or Too Much Caffeine before Bedtime?

I read a form of this question at this blog. I appreciate this writer. I don't have to wade through oceans of opinions, virtual daily diaries, or mountains of nonsense. Not everything that I read grabs me, but this question did. I challenge you to read what she has to say.

Some days (many days, if I were honest) I dream of a clean house, decorated smartly, with the windows open letting sunshine cascade on my lap while I sit with a book and a cup of cranberry apple tea. Then I wake up. My house is not clean, nor is it neat. It is kid friendly and piled with books and laundry. I am often filling bottles and sippies not fancy teacups. Nevertheless, that is where the calling comes in.

This question puzzles me. Is there really a difference between God calling me and his giving me a dream? I believe there is, but how it all works out is the issue. The writer states "God places His dreams in us. And then he calls them out of us." Our dreams do not always come true.

I have always dreamed of being a mother. Kids were always a part of my life. I had them all named. Baby dolls were always on my Christmas list. I believe that God put that dream in my heart and has called me to mother. Although, I never dreamed that I would be teaching my children at home despite the fact that I am a trained educator. I have never dreamed of having more than four children in our home, yet here we are, a homeschooling foster family. He has called my family for this time in our lives to impact others whose dreams have seemed to crumble.

As the blogger points out, sometimes our callings come out of broken dreams. Ouch. That hurt. I had dreamed of birthing another child, but God called me to mother children that are not my own. I am still working on that one.

Psalms 37:4 states: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. That is what is all comes down to. It is not my fancy dreams of material things, friendships, or family. Dreams are not wispy visions of someday, maybe, if only. It is however, allowing God's desires to work themselves out in my life. It is finding my delight in my Lord. That is my calling.

I dreamed of children. I am called to mother six (at least).

I dreamed of a wonderful husband who would meet all my needs. I am called to work alongside my husband to make our marriage the best it can be.

I dreamed of being a teacher. I am called to creatively and uniquely educate and disciple my children at home.

I don't know what else fills my dreams. Maybe I am afraid to dream. What if that is not what God wants for me? Maybe I think too much.

Maybe, someday, possibly . . .

I will dream of writing a book with my husband.

I will dream of traveling the world to see my many kids and their kids.

I will dream of working at a crisis pregnancy center to encourage young, confused, afraid girls

I will dream of developing a stronger awareness and presence of Christians in the foster care system.

For now, I will focus on what God has called me to do, today. But, a girl can dream, can't she?

Grace

She sits next to her mother waiting almost annoyingly, yet hesitantly for the social worker to call her name. I have seen this family at my last few visits to Family Services to pick up the babies from visitation. One time the girl's hair has been blue. Today, it was blond. It seemed to me a cry out – look at me, but don't, really. Her young boldness exuded alongside of her quiet reserve – a contradiction sitting right next to me.

Another young mom ventured in the safe doors with her school-aged boy. I have met them before as well. She tries hard, but she is tired. I don't think anyone helps her. Yet today, she was blessed. Her social worker met them in the lobby with a box of produce for them to take home. There was no holding back or hiding. This young family was excited. If only for a few minutes, her burden was lifted.

Other children come and go. It is hard to tell who belongs to whom. Some of the adults are grandparents. Others are foster parents. Some are so young that it is hard to believe they have children of their own.

It is 5:00 and a line of children moves towards the gym to play. I don't know when these kids are going home, but they are taken care of for now.

The locked door opens and my toddler and baby run through into my arms and the arms of my angel. They were ready to go home. I chat a little with their mother and with the two social workers who work on my case. By 5:20 we are in the car, babies kissed, well wishes made, off for another week.

Grace. That is what it is. Grace that these children have a safe place to come. Grace for teens who want to give up. Grace for moms who need a hand to hold them up when life is tough. Grace for every day for every person, including me.

Shout Out

Have I ever told you that I have the best family ever? I know, you really don't care all that much, unless you are, of course, a member of said family. In any case, I thought I would mention it once again.

Our winters are everything but boring. Indoor soccer takes care of all our weekends in January and February. Yesterday was our first free Saturday and we made good use of our time. God blessed us with sunshine and warmer weather so the kids spent the majority of the day outside. Grandma and Grandpa came over because the mommobile needed brake work that my sweetie couldn't do on his own. Grandma kept the kiddos busy picking up sticks and raking the winter yuck that had piled up. Our patio is now ready to enjoy some warmer weather. Angel cleaned out the sandbox, which thrilled my toddler and little one. She also was able to clean out her garden and get it ready to be tilled next month. How her garden is going to work is still up for debate as she will be gone all summer working at a Christian camp. In any case, I do look forward to fresh tomatoes and green beans.

The shed was another area that needed attention. When the van was finished, sweetie attacked that mess and the kids pitched in. We'll see how long that stays clean. My little man is hoping to sell some of his stuff on Craig's List, which will eliminate part of the clutter.

I attacked the laundry room on the inside of the house. (My mom would say that is no surprise as I usually opt for jobs inside rather than outside.) Once I found the floor, I knew that there was hope. You know it is bad when the kids were commenting on how good it looked and there were still piles all over the room. This is a difficult room to keep clean. Everyone thinks that it is a dump room. Here's to hoping that we can keep it looking good.

By the end of the day, we were wiped, so we enjoyed pizza for dinner, and everyone got early showers. With jammies on and pillows and blankies ready, the eight of us piled in the family room for a fun movie night. How to Train Your Dragon fit the bill.

Life brings challenges at every turn. Saturday was not one of them. It was good to feel tired after a day of hard work together.