Jul. 9, 2009 - History Teacher, Heal Thyself: Advice on School Planning
If you homeschool you can probably relate to my excitement as a box of text books arrived at my home last week. There is something about new books that excites both the teacher and the student in me. I quickly open the box, then one by one I remove the books, carefully flipping through them for a first quick glance. Those who know me well know that this was my favourite book delivery because it contained History books!
Some of the books we’ll use in the fall we already own and have used once or twice or even three times before. But I recently discovered a new series which we began using mid-way through the 07-08 year, The Mystery of History. I love this series and was particularly excited to receive volume III: The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations. Having studied the Middle Ages last year, we are moving forward to one of the most exciting times in History. As we neared the end of our Middle Ages study this past spring I often reminded my children of what was coming. My favourite thing about this period is how it paved the way for the next.
The only problem with planning for the Renaissance and Reformation year is that there is SO much material to fit into my plan. The problem with loving a particular subject is that I want to read everything! We can’t possibly fit all of this material into one year!
To make matters even more difficult, as I planned I realized that I would need to dig out the Canadian History books. During this age of exploration John Cabot made his voyage to the new world. We need to include his story from the Canadian books, and Champlain’s, and…How far can we go in one year?
Too many books, too little time. I realized as I pondered adding the Canadian element to the age of exploration that rather than go through each book individually it would be much easier to take a copy of my Canadian History guide, Modern History Through Canadian Eyes off the shelf and use that to bring
So, taking a break, I opened the book that I wrote a few years ago and began to read through the introduction. These words caught my eye:
“…take your time in the study spending as much time on each unit as you need to become familiar with the people, places, and events….Take the time to meet the men and women who had a vision for a new country, those who rose to defend her, and those who struggled in her beginnings.”
And here I was trying to fit the entire Renaissance into one year. My own words came back to haunt me…or maybe to comfort me. History is a journey, I always say, that should be enjoyed, savoured. Do I really want to make sure that we cover an entire era in one year, or am I more concerned that my children delve into history and get to know the people who made a difference along the way?
With my oldest entering grade 10 I have become more time-conscious than ever before. She has three years left, and I find myself planning the year with that longer time frame in mind. But this is her third time through the ages of history, so if we take a little longer to cover the modern era more thoroughly it will be time well spent.
I know most homeschool mothers are now spreading out the books, along with a 2009-2010 calendar, and beginning to plan out the year’s work. Let me encourage you to take a deep breath, sit back, and think about what you want to accomplish this year. But don’t think in terms of finishing the book or completing the curriculum. Our goals should be deeper than that. Set a goal of getting to know the people who made history and then allow enough time to do that. Decide now that this year you will enjoy the journey!
