We haven't even finished this year and already we're thinking about next year.
What will we do?
What is the best curriculum?
What is the best program?
Do we want to try to afford Christian school anytime soon?
And, the big question: What can Karen maintain through a whole year?
There is a high standard to which I am held, and quite frankly I fail miserably. I am confident that my children are intelligent (probably genius considering their dramatic survival of my lack of discipline), but the problem isn't good programs or workbooks, it's my ability to make sure school happens.
I don't expect a miracle of perfection.
I just want to keep up with things as I must if I'm not to fail my family and cause my children to live a miserable life marked by their inability to do what they should due to bad training.
So...
That's where I am. Even if I think I can do something next year, the past has proven that long-term discipline fails. I might do better, but history shows I won't.
I don't even know how to define the core problem in my character to begin facing it. Every day I think I'm trusting, turning, following, obeying... and every day I so clearly am not. Where is the growth? What is God doing in me?
I know my children shouldn't be in public school. Not here, anyway. This area is known for its poor discipline and nasty influences. Public school isn't happening.
Christian school is expensive, and while my kids might be able to handle school relatively well, there are areas where I'm sure they're behind their grade level... again, because they are harder for me to teach or the kid has a natural resistance to that subject, making it easier for me to get frustrated, give up, and decide to try again in a year to see if they are cognitively more developed. Actually, for the cost of private school, I could pay a tutor to come here and teach for several hours a day using the curriculum of my choice.
I'm just as frustrated with myself as anyone else is. *sigh* I handle my whole life wrong in this area of maintaining my schedule. If only there was a secret key to make me do it right! How can I repent of a vague feeling that I'm not doing the right thing? Which is the wrong, and why am I not noticing it and changing?
God help me.
The rest of you can pray.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I'll be praying for you. You will have to let me know if you get any insight into this problem, since I have the same one.
I would love to homeschool my kids(words that I never thought I would say) but my dh is all too well acquainted with my utter lack of discipline. We are very fortunate to live in an area with good schools. I know that several of the administrators at P's school are Christians, so that sets my mind a little at ease. You'd think that with my dh teaching at a Christian school our kids could attend with him. But they only give a 10 percent discount.
If I were to homeschool I'd probably use some of the unschooling ideas(but not all, since I think child-led learning is not biblical) but the idea of learning from everyday life. Plus I really feel like I should be teaching my daughter the fine art of womanhood. Maybe in teaching her I can teach myself at the same time. I just know that if my kids go on as they are now, they will have a lot to learn when they go out on their own. I've been praying about homeschooling all year, and still haven't gotten an answer. And I'm having a hard time motivating myself to get the girl registered for kindergarten. She is much too easily influenced by pop culture and I am afraid of how being around girls whose parents are much more permissible than I am will affect her.
Okay, I'll shut up now, but I will be praying that you find the right mix for your family.
We homeschooled for six years, and both my kids are in public high school now. I had the same problem, and while I can't say I failed them, they're not a stellar example of homeschooling like you see on the news. My kids will never win a spelling or geography bee! Academically, they're pretty average. In terms of maturity and individuality, they're stellar. They don't cave to peer pressure like their friends do. They aren't afraid to be different, they aren't afraid to defend their beliefs, and they don't sweat it if someone doesn't like them. They aren't perfect--they're teenagers, but they are heading the right direction.
It's so hard to keep up the academics day in and day out. I only have two kids, and some days it felt like two students too many!
One thing I figured in the last couple of years was to not try to do every subject every day. I broke it down so that we did math and English a couple days a week, and science and History a couple with a catch-up day. It was just too much for me to teach math and science on the same day, every day, and it seemed to make things go a little smoother. Homeschooling doesn't have to mean school at home; if your kid just isn't getting the concept of fractions, bake cookies. Combine projects as much as possible. Do a science experiment, and have your kid write lab reports, which you can then count as English. We worked in a community garden the last year, which I counted for science (biology) and PE. A field trip to the zoo with a written trip report or an essay on a favorite animal can cover science, PE, and English, and you could probably squeeze some math out of it, but more importantly, you're bonding with your kids and building memories. Enjoy your kids while you have them close to you.
Thank you so much for the encouragement, EJ. I know academics aren't everything, and I do much better at teaching life and perspective than one plus one. It's good to know you see the benefits of homeschooling showing in the lives of your children now that they're into high school. Thank you for sharing.
Kitchen cabinets are something you use every day, yet you probably never take the time to appreciate them. They seem simple enough, but there is actually more than plenty involved behind the scenes. There are many things to consider regarding kitchen cabinet refacing, cabinets materials, finishes, door designs, and even information on hardware. http://kitchen-cabinet-refacing-design.blogspot.com
Post a Comment