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TeaLady's CM Homeschool
Oct. 27, 2009
A quiet tone
During a quiet moment this morning, I found this poem:
Watch Your Tone
by Ada Wine
There's more to speech than the words you say:
Your tone will also a thought convey.
For words may be warm -- or icy cold;
Be touched by love or a hatred bold;
Be bright like sunshine, dispelling fears,
Or stinging -- peppery -- causing tears.
A tone that is sharp will cut and tear,
And say to others, "Look out! Beware!"
But words that are gentle, soft, and kind
Bring healing balm and sweet peace of mind.
Be blessed.
-- the TeaLady
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Aug. 25, 2009
Mom-discipline
"Too busy."
"Can you wait a minute?"
"Maybe another time."
These sentences are powerful. They are pregnant with meaning which cuts straight to the heart. The question is... to whom am I speaking? If I speak these words to my husband or my children, then I really need to examine myself and re-arrange my priorities. If I speak these words to God, I must repent! If I speak these words to someone else, then there are two options. Either I am unwilling to be a servant, or I am putting my God and my family first.
Every day, I must discipline myself to guard my heart and let the Lord set my priorities. Every day, I must use self-discipline to see that those priorities are kept with love.
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Jul. 15, 2009
The Reason
I have had opportunity recently to spend time with several homeschool moms and dads as well as a couple considering virtual charter school (though muddying the definition with homeschool). As I pondered these various discussions and intermingling my thoughts with a lot of prayer, I've come back to the two basic thoughts that I've had since being a mom:
1 - Where is the JOY?
2 - What are my reasons & priorities for what I do?
I want to focus on #2, because if #2 is straight and in order, #1 will follow.
Many parents have many reasons for homeschooling. However, often they confuse the many positive results with reasons. For example, "I want my children to be very well educated, therefore, I home educate." That is a result. If that is the reason, then priorities need to be checked against the Word of God! Our reason to homeschool must square with the Bible, that is, we homeschool out of obedience to our Savior! Having well educated children does follow, but it is not the foundation.
Today, as I thought on these things, I came across the following article. It is well worth the read:
http://christianworldview.net/blog/index.php/archives/50
- the TeaLady
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Jun. 22, 2009
Conventions & husbands
This past weekend was our annual regional homeschool conference & book fair. I've gone with my fellow homeschool moms for the past several years. We get up early, pack our lunches & go the the conference for 2 days, coming home at night. The first day, we find a babysitter, the second day, the dads watch the children. We enjoy the convention, the speakers, the booths & some mom time out.
This year was different. This year, my husband came with me. Strangly, the ladies with whom I normally attend, bowed out, and it was just my dear husband and myself the first day. The second day, we took our eldest daughter with us.
It was such a wonderful experience! The thing that struck me most was seeing what it is that is important to my husband for our children to learn. He chose a science curriculum that I never would have stopped to look at. He was completely fascinated by it. By the end of the second day, we had totally switched gears on our science plan & have a whole new (and exciting) direction for learning science in our home. I can't wait for it to arrive in the mail & get started! [Though we do need to finish what we started first as I had integrated it with our history for this semester & the children are very interested in the current topic.]
Some things, which I would have bypassed due to cost, he saw as very valuable for our children's education. He is right.
Although he can't be involved in all of the day to day lessons & learning in our home, he has an impact -- a big one!
-the TeaLady
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Jun. 12, 2009
Individualize
From Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary:
INDIVID'UALIZE, v.t. To distinguish; to select or mark as an individual, or to distinguish the peculiar properties of a person from others.
There are so very many aspects of homeschooling which benefit the child, but today, I want to ponder the point of the individual. In a large family, it is sometimes easier to work as a group than to do a multitude of separate one-on-one lessons. There is a time and a place for both. We do our history, Bible, and science studies together as a family, as well as literature read-alouds. But, math, phonics, and most language arts, are highly individualized.
This year, I was planning to use CQLA for both of my older daughters (ages 9 & 7); and streamline things a bit. After looking it over, CQLA is a perfect fit for my 9yo, but not so much for the 7yo. So, I'll be doing Writing Tales with her. It was not a deficiency in the curriculum, nor in the child, but rather, like a puzzle piece, it fits. Similarly, I ended up changing up the math program that I have really enjoyed for the past few years. It worked great for the oldest one, but I found something that fits the next two children better (and it is an e-book, so, if it fits the two after that, I won't have to keep buying consumable workbooks!)
The more I have thought on these changes, and how unique each child is, I've thought about the significance of an individual before Christ. It is alone that we are convicted & repent, and are forgiven. The sense of being an individual, and that He cares for me, as well as the whole (family, body of Christ), is present in Scripture. That same sense of individual / part of the family can, by atmosphere alone, be an example to our children.
-the TeaLady
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