(pronounced slew, up here on the Canadian prairies…so it rhymes!)
So for the last two years I’ve been struggling with my homeschool. Nothing seems to work the way I want it too. I plan, buy books, schedule, and then hate the outcome. I know that no plan survives contact with the enemy, but what happens when I feel like the plan is the enemy?
So I’ve been spending the last couple of months musing about what I should do. I didn’t get any real insight about what to do, but I did realize that I have been idolizing academia.
I want for my children to be smart and well spoken. I want for them to be able to impress people with their knowledge and insight. I want them to be intellectual powerhouses.
But I also want them to be themselves. To be simple. To be happy.
There is nothing wrong with knowledge. But when my whole daily focus is on the acquisition of knowledge than something is wrong. Even when I mixed in some fun with the knowledge part, I realized that a part of me is just getting it done, so we could get onto real school.
And as long as I am not willing to acknowledge the wrongnessn in that thought, my home school won’t be enjoyable. My children will learn, and grow, and perhaps even succeed by worldly standards, but something will always be missing, from my life, from theirs, from our home.
The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little. John Zabat-Zinn
I want to teach my children. But I want to do so with joy and vivacity and simplicity. It’s not just about the textbooks. In fact, I’m suspecting the textbooks are one of the least important parts.
Related posts:
- Informal Mathematics – The Middle
- Getting Things Done Homeschool
61. The squirrel who is burying seeds in our yard, whom I dubbed “Nuts”.
62. Hot chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it.
63. Lullabies.
64. Michael Card.
65. Water.
67. Clothes.
68. The Penners
69. Canada Geese.
70. Pink clouds at sunset.
Related posts:
- 1000 Ways I am Thankful (4)
- 1000 Ways I am Thankful (3)
- 1000 Ways I am Thankful (the Second)
- 1000 Ways I am Thankful
“Child” Said Aslan, “did I not explain to you once before that no one is ever told what would have happened?“ – C.S Lewis (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
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Overhead at my house today in the potty training area:
Sometimes my bum whistles. I can’t. But sometimes my bum does.
I love the complete honesty of small children!
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- Overheard at My House
- Overheard at My House
- Overheard at my House: Casual Day has Gone Too Far…
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If you live to one hundred you’ve got it made.
Very few people die past this age. – George Burns
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Albert Einstein had a sign hanging in his Princeton office that read:
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.
I need to hold tightly to that thought as I try to figure out what our home education is supposed to look like. The oldest LittlePage is needing for things to be a little different, but I’m not quite sure how. I’m playing around with a schedule (this is huge for free-spirited, free-flying, do-as-I-feel me), I’m looking at all the “subjects”, I’m mulling over what exactly education is and why should we care.
I think I’ll try blogging my thoughts. Maybe one of you out there will be able to figure out what I want!
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Why is it that children love garbage men?
The LittlePages will yell and run to watch the spectacle of our garbage and recycling being taken away. They cheer when one of the workers notices them and waves, or even better honks the horn.
Why is it that as adults we see this as the lowliest of jobs? What changes? Why are these childhood heroes seen as less than successful by their parents. Every boy has a moment when he wants to grow up to be a garbage man. I’m sure there aren’t many parents who echo that wish.
Why not? It’s a good job, though very, very difficult. It would provide a steady income, though it offers physical risks. The hours are good, though the temperature changes where we live would make it uncomfortable for large portions of the year. These men and women provide an important service, guarding our health and welfare. Why do adult not praise such workers?
I can’t help feeling there’s some deep theological idea hidden in these questions. I’m not sure what it is, but it sure has me thinking.
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Page2: “Hi I’m from CTV news and I’m here to interview a comedian. What made you want to become a comedian”
Page3: “When I was little, people laughed at me all the time.”
The interview continues with much giggling.
The last bit I overhear: “I’m sorry this is a clean show. We don’t allow funny burps here.”
Although I would rather dissuade them, I laughed out loud. Maybe you had to be here!
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I am Thankful For…
51. Grannysmith apples.
52. Glorified Peanut Butter.
53. The Piano
54. Media Monkey so that we can listen to music easily.
55. Musicals
56. Lemonade on a hot day.
57. Warm chocolate chip cookies.
58. The stars.
59. The Moon.
60. The smoky smell of a camp fire.
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- 1000 Ways I am Thankful
