Their has been a catch-phrase circling around classical homeschooling circles the last few years that has always intrigued me. I believe the phrase originated from the Circe Conferences. I have heard a few of the conference speakers refer to 'teaching from a place of rest.' That phrase sounds so inviting to me. It seems like something that I need to incorporate into my educational philosophy, but what it does it actually mean?
From all that I have gathered from listening to various CDs and reading many blog posts and articles on this subject, teaching from a place of rest encompasses many different areas. I would like to, in the future, discuss these areas but for today I want to address the meaning of rest as applied to educational philosophy.
I have written about this before but I think I need to revisit it as it has cropped up again recently on my cyber-hangouts. Recently on the WTM forums, there has been much talk about giving our children a rigorous education. Many moms have chimed in to the conversation saying that they have slacked off in their requirements for their children and that they need to get back into the saddle. I saw a lot of guilt and anxiety in that thread, as well as in the spin-off threads. Guilt and anxiety do not produce rest. In fact it is quite the opposite.
I think rest should be the goal for every homeschooling mom. We need to strive for a place where we are happy with how we are teaching our children. A place where we are confident that what we are giving them will equip them for the days ahead. We need to be able to lie back and just 'be' in our teaching. How do we get to that place?
I think there are two ways: 1. Trust. Trust that God is in control of your homeschool. He knows what you should be teaching your children. He knows the ways that you should teach children. The key here is to trust and listen. When you are going down a path of curriculum or philosophy that just doesn't seem right to you then listen to that feeling. That is probably the Lord telling you that this isn't right for you or your children. LIsten to it. Carry through with it. 2. Turn a deaf ear to the latest curriculum choice or popular educational philosophy of the month. If you are happy with how your days are going, then there is no need for change. There is no need to listen to all of the talk around you because all that does is give birth to guilt. Guilt is not a friend to rest.
If you are not happy with how your learning time is going then turn to the Lord and ask Him to show you what needs to change or how it needs to change. Cover your school in prayer. God will show you what needs to be done. Making these kinds of decisions in this way leads to a place of rest. When we turn our ears away from all of the newest and shiniest homeschool fads and look up to the Lord to lead us, then that place of rest can, indeed, be ours.
Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband, homeschooling their 3 children (10,8,6) and is attempting to give them a Classical Education. You can read more at her blog.
