When  I read other people's  blogs, I am always impressed with what they accomplish.  There are always many great ideas and amazing projects.  You  go away from these blogs wishing that your kids could go to that mom's school,  maybe your kids would actually learn something there.  Unfortunately, it is human nature to only display that which is a success.  If we tell about the failures, it is pretty much like airing dirty laundry.  Well, I am going to break the mold here.  I am going to tell about our school year--the good, the bad and the ugly.  

Our year has been like a roller coaster ride.  There have been many lows and highs.  The lows were such that at times I felt like I was living under a snake's belly.  Then there were the mega-highs in which I felt like I could touch the clouds and give them all a name.  Our year has been full.  Our year has also been a learning ground for me.  I don't know if the kids learned anything this year, but I know I sure did.   One thing I learned was that I am a strong woman.  My strength comes from my faith, without that, I would still be under the belly of that snake.  I also discovered that I am resilient.  I have bounced back many times from periods of sadness and discouragement.  Why?  Again, if is due to my faith.  My faith gives me hope  that life will not always be like this.  My faith tells me that I go through everything so that God will be glorified.  

As I said, there were many rough spots in this year, but I would like to share one particular one.  It was early on in the school year when I was finally ready to pull my head out of the and recognize that all 3 of my children have learning difficulties.  I had such a hard time with this one.  I knew that I could handle teaching 1 child with learning problems,  possibly  2,  but 3?  How in the world could I do that?  I didn't even know where to start.  Even though difficulties my children faced were similar,  they came out  in different areas for each child,  so I couldn't  just  give them a 'one size fits all' kind of learning plan.  I had to figure out what to do with each child.  I felt so overwhelmed.  I was certain that I was going to do my children a disservice.  I felt  paralyzed, not knowing what to do first.  God, very graciously, led me each step of the way and showed me what I needed to do at each step.  Finally the paralysis  loosened.   I was able to figure out what needed to be done.  This is a process and I am still learning but I have more confidence in my teaching ability than I did in October.

This rough spot, though, is the catalyst for many cloud sailing moments.  I have always known that I wanted to give my children a Classical Education.  That has been very important to me.  I didn't know why that was so important until this year.  The reason for the head strong movement on CE was because this was the way that I wanted to be educated.  If I wanted to be educated this way,  well, surely  my kids would respond the same way.  Not so.  I have realized that CE does not work well for my kids.  I have known this for a while but I firmly put my blinders on so that I wouldn't have to admit what I considered failure.    

It was at this time that a very dear online friend said that the definition of Classical Education is attaining wisdom and virtue by nourishing your soul on everything that is beautiful, true, and good.  My friend continued that CE scholars give you the definition but they don't  tell you how to achieve that in your child's education.  That part is up to you.  These words were a beacon of light for my weary soul.  I knew  that unit studies were to what my children responded.  My friend's words gave me the permission (yes, at that time, I felt that I needed permission) to go down the path of unit studies in a classical style.  

We have been doing unit studies for history and science since Feb.  I don't think  I can properly put into words the positive change that has taken place in our homeschool.  My children are actually learning and they are retaining the information that is being tossed to them.  There are no more tears, groans or moans when it is time to learn.  To sum it up, we are having a blast.   Our days are set up with doing the basics in the morning.  I am still trying to implement some CE elements to this time.  In the afternoon, we, then, do our unit study.  I try to implement what we have learned in the morning into our unit in the afternoon.  I am not using curriculum for our studies but am relying heavily on Ruth Beechick's  suggestions found in her book,  You CAN  Teach Your Child Successfully.   

Even though  this post has a happy ending,  I am still disappointed that we are not doing Classical Education the way that I had initially  planned.  Life happens, though.  As the old saying goes,  if life hands you a bowl full of lemons, make lemonade.  That is what I have done.  I have made lemonade from the lemons that were given to me.  I am sure that there are many other families who are in similar situations.   You may not be able to follow CE exactly like you had originally intended, but you do the best you can with what you have.  That is all you can do.   You will be blessed by that.

So that is my end-of-the-year confession.  

Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies  homeschooling  her 3 children (9,8,6)  and attempting to give them a Classical Education.  You can read more on her blog

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