1. Be thou an Example!
Do you love learning? If not, why not? Being an example means at first, your focus is on you getting a superb education, and not focusing on them jumping through schooling hoops. Once you are established on your way, it is much easier to invite them to join you. Before you get going though, make sure you establish the habit and love for studying your central core canon. A canon is your standard that everything is measured against. For me it is the scriptures and words of the living prophets. Time to sup it daily, to liken them to one's self, and to use it to discern good from evil; right from wrong; truth and error. Then apply it in one's own life and teach it to one's children. If one not living what they teach, it may become a stumbling block for their children. There will come a time as they mature where they have the skills and have learned to manage their wills, where they will be ready to commit to their own education.
2. Structure Begins at Home!
In Ecclesiastes 3:1--
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" How about at your house? What time is dinner? What time is bedtime? When is work time to care for home and possessions? When is learning time? If you are like most, more time and thought has gone into content of the curriculum, rather than the home structure that the curriculum is placed in. I have heard from many moms over the years who had little structure in the home and tried to impose it through academics. When requiring them to do "so many pages" of uninspiring busy work and not getting compliance, children would devolve to quarreling and the parents became exasperated. Next step? Parents dump their children in school to "get structure." Sadly, without structure at home, children are less likely to succeed in completing homework and doing quality projects. Their homelife gets in the way.
Take time to consider your home and its structure. Take in consideration all the activities you do that may be faking you out and interfering with your success in homeschooling. Get the homeculture structure in place. Ponder the scripture above. Structure the time for the essentials including the learning time. Allow children to move at their own developmental pace. If a child is not ready to write, set the example and create the desire and opportunity. If a child is not ready for an hour, take baby steps, or set it aside and do something interesting and comeback to it later.
One thing to understand about elementary textbooks is that many bits of information have been arbitrarily assigned to specific grades, in an arbitrary scope and sequence. In life, a lot of learning happens non-sequentially. Why can't they just learn multiplication? Why spread it out over several years? Does it matter whether we learn about Rome or China first? Decimals or percents first? Weights or measures first? Of course things should flow from simple to complex, concrete to abstract. But a lot of scope and sequence is arbitrary. Knowing this and how important structure is, take time to consider the structure of time in your home. It will make the difference no matter where learning takes place. There is a time when character developed in early childhood will be the rudder that moves their scholar studies.
3. Invite Them!The Lord invites us--"Come follow me." This works in education too. Are you inspired and want to do more when people demand and require it of you? Or are you more inspired and want to do more when you see someone totally into what they are doing, then inviting you to join them? Consider more how to:- do, enjoy, spark interest, and invite.
My mom did not put off her personal development, even though she was a divorced parent of little means in my early years. She really set the tone for life. As she walked out the door, we would ask her where she was going. She would respond, "Crazy, wanna come along?" We enjoyed the simple and rich adventures this way. Simple as grocery shopping and rich as a Gina Bachauer concert, fun as a day at the beach, or hiking in the mountains.
Think of the Sound of Music. Are you a Maria Von Trapp or a Baron Von Trapp? Which would inspire you more?
Stay tuned for Inspiring Insights 4-7
Yes, do you recognize these principles?
ReplyDeleteIn Classical Leadership Education:
"Be Thou an Example," is known as "You, Not Them."
" Structure Begins at Home," is "Structure the Time, Not Content>"
"Invite Them," is Inspire, Not Require."