As part of the lead-up to the 2007 National Home Education Conference there is a series of live forums online with some of the speakers and workshop hosts. They will be at various times over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the 2007 NHED Conference.Anyone can listen online by clicking on the “Listen Live” link from the NHED Conference website. You can call into the forum and join the discussion as well: ask a question or make a comment by calling 1300 884 005 during the show.http://www.nhedconference.com(click on “Live Forums” on the left-hand side)If you miss the show you can download it later as an MP3 or subscribe to the Podcast.The schedule of forums is:-
1) Thursday 3rd May 10-11am
Beverley Paine: Organising your Homeschool and Avoiding Burnout 2) Friday 4th May 7-8pm
Craig Henderson: Literacy and how to fix it when it is broken
3) Saturday 5th May 7-8pm
Clare Scriven: How to Design a Literature-Based Curriculum
4) Wednesday 9th May 10-11am
Terry Harding: Home Educated Students and University/TAFE Entry
5) Wednesday 16th May 10-11am
Jo Freitag & Susan Wight: Home Educating Gifted Children
6) Friday 18th May 7-8pm
Jason Caldwell: Understanding Maths and Getting Passionate About Writing
7) Saturday 19th May 7-8pm
Glenda Jackson: Australian Research on Home Education
8) Wednesday 23rd May 10-11am
Alan Thomas: Homeschooling is not School-at-Home
Chess offers you a unique opportunity to hear sessions from some of Australia's leading Christian home educators. Browse and buy a wide range of resources from Australia's largest suppliers of Christian education material. Network with other Christian Homeschoolers in your area. A CHESS is not to be missed.
Promote Home Education in your local community by organizing an activity suitable and open to the general public and advertise in local community halls, preschools, churches, playgroups, libraries, and anywhere families might visit.
HEA has prepared a 2007 National Home Education Week poster and colour brochures introducing home schooling. These, as well as the 2007 National Home Education Conference poster and flyers, and HEA flyers are available for distribution.
How much pressure have you felt over the time you have homeschooled with socialization, it can be family, to someone in the Shopping Centre. It amazes me that people always question me on sports for the kids but rarely their book work, can’t they see how athletic I am, lol. I remember when I first started hs these kinds of questions flustered me, I tried to sound like I knew what I was talking about but I could tell people were not convinced. . As the years have passed I’ve grown more confident in what I’m doing. When my children reach an age where they are curious and question about going to school, I answer confidently, “We are where the Lord wants us, this is what the Lord wants for our family.” once these questions would have made me nervous. If I’m confident my children are confident, if they see me squirming in my seat at these questions they will feel it.
If you’re battling this question at the moment, I encourage you to keep focused on what the Lord wants for your family, not what other people think, or for that fact what our young children are telling us what they want with schooling. People throw the word socialisation around, without putting thought to it. I usually say I am yet to see any sociably acceptable behaviour come out of the school system. Not saying there are not good kids at school but I fear the odds are stacking against it. People also forget some of us are naturally really social, while others are happy to plod away at things by themselves, we all remember the children at school who spent their lunch hrs by themselves, and I can’t see the positives in school yard socialization, where the pecking order is made quite clear.
I pulled my first child out of school at grade 2, I found this the hardest, you’re blindly finding your way and my son was bucking the system, he pulled some doozies I can tell you. My mother’s heart really questioned our decision, there wasn't a night for a while I didn't lay in bed thinking I'm ruining this child's life. I made it through though and truthfully if I had my time again I would do things abit differently, but here I am and my son is now 16 and a functioning human being, I can only see this as a positive and I like him and enjoy his company, he makes me laugh all the time.
People seem convinced that parents and children should be separated, and unfortunately the age seems to be getting earlier and earlier, this does break my heart. There is nothing wrong with children spending days with their family; I believe it builds a strong foundation for their futures.
I've had one of those days where I wish I was like a blackboard and could rub it out and start again, do you know the ones where my parenting was less then perfect. When homeschooling seemed like really hard work and I was getting no where or more to the point failing miserably. Bickering children, tired Mum and it's only Monday, I found myself thinking, "Oh no it's going to be one of those weeks," talk about setting myself up for a miserable week. I even pictured myself facing tomorrow with a bad attitude, yuk, thank the Lord that he is my blackboard and he does rub it out for me and make tomorrow brand new and not just tomorrow right now my day can be turned around, He strengthens me.
We behave badly, we apologize to the children for not being patient, and they are always so forgiving, we repent to God and He is always full of forgiveness and grace but do we forgive ourselves so easily. No way, we like to carry it around with us, feel the guilt of it, like some punishment to ourselves.
So through my discouraging day, I want to encourage you to seek the Lord, find your strength in Him and start afresh, we don't have to walk around with the burden of guilt on us. We are where the Lord wants us, warts and all. Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to it.
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