I am thinking a lot about how to manage my time. To get to the things I want, have it fit into the fabric of our day... organize myself and help the boys organize themselves. I am posting over on dogdays..if you want to drop in...
click here
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The Continuing Journey
I think I am getting to the essence of what I have read and heard from unschoolers all these years. For the past 4 years I have dabbled in an unschooly life to various degrees. All the time trying to read, understand and absorb this essence.
I often sensed a sigh of frustration from some of the writers. Like there was something real and palpatable there, but they could not express it in words. The best way it could come out was in blurbs such as "respect your child" "trust them to learn" and such. Good words, but were they worth the loss of 'control' that is so comforting to parents? Humm... the 64 thousand dollar question.
Control though, really is an illusion. I am finding this to be more and more true as I watch others see their children off into the the adult world. What did the control really accomplish? (another post)
The essence I am seeing is within my sons, one 12, the other almost 16. Thinking mostly about the older one, here, though the younger one is right on his heels.
I know everyone reading has had issues and challenges with their dc over the years. Those things that are the sticking point... the things we wonder if we can handle. I have had some of those, too.
I know my gut reaction was always to fix it or find the answer.. or somehow control the situation. I had the same scenario with academics. When in doubt, schedule up some lessons, or assign some reading. Part of this I had to work out in my Knowledge Party posts here, which have done me a world of good!
But, what I am seeing now is several concerns, worries, (typical mom stuff) is working itself out.
Working itself out. :)
Just like the wise mentors I have known over the years told me it would. Working itself out.
I know IT didn't work out by itself. What IT really is, I think, is my son growing and maturing with a sense of self and relationships firmly in place. Faith plays an important part. Relationships are/were foremost. I am not saying everything is perfect here (if you want a perfect family blog this is the wrong place...!)-- but I am seeing an essence- again what I think I was reading about in the unschooling circles.
I am seeing my son now come to me to talk about things that I had wondered before how we would handle. But he has come to them on his own terms. I got some wonderful advice on things such as this (like future career, the college question, math.. other stickler areas)--- the advice was to just give him the information. Slowly in my son's case. Plant seeds. Let him consider in his time. So much is going on inside our kids that we don't see.
Sometimes I think parents expect kids to just pop up and perform on call. We bring up a topic and expect an immediate response... but really it takes time. It is like when we eat right and exercise, we may not notice results on the outside right away, but something good is happening inside.
That is what I have seen with my son. I know it would not have happened this way if I had not backed off. :-) I needed to let him have that space, but still plant seeds. Like in How to Really Love Your Teenager.... give them focused attention when the time is right but also give them space.
So I am watching this son grow up--- fast. It is like everything is coming together. Like when you show your little one phonics and read aloud and point out words, then one day, it call comes together and they read a sentence. Kind of like that.
I think this is real journey stuff, too, because it was the process that makes this life. I am a goal type person. This is dangerous as a homeschool mom b/c often my need for goals can play havoc with my kids. Especially those kids of mine who are more perceptive and need process time.
I had to really step back and think. And let them be. But not be too far out so that I felt I was out of their orbit. (wow.. great journey words here!)
I like setting goals, and my boys have learned to set goals, but they are only steps in the process. And the process is what we remember. The moments, the personal journeys we took, the journeys we took together.
So, watching my almost adult son grow and change I can see the culmination of years and years of experiences he has had. I know he is more laid back than many kids, but he needed that time. Time is such a gift. He had time to process. It is almost palpatable how all of it is coming together now.
I often sensed a sigh of frustration from some of the writers. Like there was something real and palpatable there, but they could not express it in words. The best way it could come out was in blurbs such as "respect your child" "trust them to learn" and such. Good words, but were they worth the loss of 'control' that is so comforting to parents? Humm... the 64 thousand dollar question.
Control though, really is an illusion. I am finding this to be more and more true as I watch others see their children off into the the adult world. What did the control really accomplish? (another post)
The essence I am seeing is within my sons, one 12, the other almost 16. Thinking mostly about the older one, here, though the younger one is right on his heels.
I know everyone reading has had issues and challenges with their dc over the years. Those things that are the sticking point... the things we wonder if we can handle. I have had some of those, too.
I know my gut reaction was always to fix it or find the answer.. or somehow control the situation. I had the same scenario with academics. When in doubt, schedule up some lessons, or assign some reading. Part of this I had to work out in my Knowledge Party posts here, which have done me a world of good!
But, what I am seeing now is several concerns, worries, (typical mom stuff) is working itself out.
Working itself out. :)
Just like the wise mentors I have known over the years told me it would. Working itself out.
I know IT didn't work out by itself. What IT really is, I think, is my son growing and maturing with a sense of self and relationships firmly in place. Faith plays an important part. Relationships are/were foremost. I am not saying everything is perfect here (if you want a perfect family blog this is the wrong place...!)-- but I am seeing an essence- again what I think I was reading about in the unschooling circles.
I am seeing my son now come to me to talk about things that I had wondered before how we would handle. But he has come to them on his own terms. I got some wonderful advice on things such as this (like future career, the college question, math.. other stickler areas)--- the advice was to just give him the information. Slowly in my son's case. Plant seeds. Let him consider in his time. So much is going on inside our kids that we don't see.
Sometimes I think parents expect kids to just pop up and perform on call. We bring up a topic and expect an immediate response... but really it takes time. It is like when we eat right and exercise, we may not notice results on the outside right away, but something good is happening inside.
That is what I have seen with my son. I know it would not have happened this way if I had not backed off. :-) I needed to let him have that space, but still plant seeds. Like in How to Really Love Your Teenager.... give them focused attention when the time is right but also give them space.
So I am watching this son grow up--- fast. It is like everything is coming together. Like when you show your little one phonics and read aloud and point out words, then one day, it call comes together and they read a sentence. Kind of like that.
I think this is real journey stuff, too, because it was the process that makes this life. I am a goal type person. This is dangerous as a homeschool mom b/c often my need for goals can play havoc with my kids. Especially those kids of mine who are more perceptive and need process time.
I had to really step back and think. And let them be. But not be too far out so that I felt I was out of their orbit. (wow.. great journey words here!)
I like setting goals, and my boys have learned to set goals, but they are only steps in the process. And the process is what we remember. The moments, the personal journeys we took, the journeys we took together.
So, watching my almost adult son grow and change I can see the culmination of years and years of experiences he has had. I know he is more laid back than many kids, but he needed that time. Time is such a gift. He had time to process. It is almost palpatable how all of it is coming together now.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Outside the Box
I was thinking today about boxes.
I remember once when I was driving on a long car trip, I was creating a talk in my head I was scheduled to give at a Cm conference. I wanted to tell the moms it was OK to step out of the box. I imagined myself doing a big visual to help them remember -- I planned to take a big box up there with me and stand in it. Then step out. And show how easy it is.
I am thinking about this now because I have found myself in boxes... again. I know that some boxes are good. Our faith has a box of sorts. It is a good box.. a good place to be when we are listening to Christ and what the Church teaches. It can become a bad box if I am listening to people and not the true faith. That big T little t stuff... but if I get authentic and back to the Church she never leads me astray.
I have been in a box with my homeschool thinking. I think it is natural. I think I have to do things certain ways. So many people do things a certain way (or several certain ways) that I find myself thinking I need to do them. Well.... I really don't! Really! I need to do what works for me. Again, authentic. My motto. Think I will get a sharpie and write it on my hand. lol
I found yesterday I had a major revelation. I mean this is major, subtle but major and it was years in coming.
One of my sweetie pie sons does not care for math. We have done many curriclums over the years. Tried living math, math literature, etc. etc. Finally I let it go. Let him learn via real life. This was hard. But I knew the other way was not working. OK, maybe it was my fault and I am a big, fat failure, but it was not working.
I had seen enough unschooling to know they learn everything else that way. Why not math? Ok, this is not a math post, so I won't type any more about that right now.
Anyway, he is getting by, learning through life.
I had heard for a long time about Teaching Textbooks- It sound austere, but is an interactive CD rom.. very friendly. There is a demo online and I liked what I saw.
But what is out of the box here, is I think for the first time.. yes the very first time, I was seeing this through my son's eyes and not mine.
I imagined him going through the textbooks before and saw what didn't work. He enjoyed the Jacobs Geometry for a while, but got bogged down. Why wouldn't he? He is visual- enjoyed computer or people interface. After chapter and chapter, problem after problem, he got stuck. Didn't want my help. Wanted self study.
So, I watched the demo and tried.
Yesterday I showed it to him. He was open. We decided to order and he can try. They have a 30 day money back guarentee.
But, this time, I see this a tool for him. What he might need, how he might like to learn, when he is ready to learn.
This is subtle, but is an important difference for me. Before I always tried to find the right math curriculum to fit him, but one that he would eventually conform to and do. And the checkmark was in the front of my mind.. checking this section of math of the list. That list.
Now, I am seeing him as a person. He needs to see the need for math to learn it. He is seeing the need. This is a tool for him to use to improve his math when he is ready.
I can't explain it better than this, but this was a very important day for me.
I think the box I stepped out of was the 'math' box. I have heard for years that the dc will learn math when they make it their own. I think my son had to teach me. If he had been more compliant (or me more relentless) maybe he would be on a program now. But I had to let it go.. and go.. and go.. and now I see him blossoming, becoming who he is and ready for math.
This is SO not the way of most of the homeschooling world. It is way outside the boxes I see around me. But, it is working for us. So, I am out of that box now.
There are some other boxes I am skipping out of, too. More later.
I remember once when I was driving on a long car trip, I was creating a talk in my head I was scheduled to give at a Cm conference. I wanted to tell the moms it was OK to step out of the box. I imagined myself doing a big visual to help them remember -- I planned to take a big box up there with me and stand in it. Then step out. And show how easy it is.
I am thinking about this now because I have found myself in boxes... again. I know that some boxes are good. Our faith has a box of sorts. It is a good box.. a good place to be when we are listening to Christ and what the Church teaches. It can become a bad box if I am listening to people and not the true faith. That big T little t stuff... but if I get authentic and back to the Church she never leads me astray.
I have been in a box with my homeschool thinking. I think it is natural. I think I have to do things certain ways. So many people do things a certain way (or several certain ways) that I find myself thinking I need to do them. Well.... I really don't! Really! I need to do what works for me. Again, authentic. My motto. Think I will get a sharpie and write it on my hand. lol
I found yesterday I had a major revelation. I mean this is major, subtle but major and it was years in coming.
One of my sweetie pie sons does not care for math. We have done many curriclums over the years. Tried living math, math literature, etc. etc. Finally I let it go. Let him learn via real life. This was hard. But I knew the other way was not working. OK, maybe it was my fault and I am a big, fat failure, but it was not working.
I had seen enough unschooling to know they learn everything else that way. Why not math? Ok, this is not a math post, so I won't type any more about that right now.
Anyway, he is getting by, learning through life.
I had heard for a long time about Teaching Textbooks- It sound austere, but is an interactive CD rom.. very friendly. There is a demo online and I liked what I saw.
But what is out of the box here, is I think for the first time.. yes the very first time, I was seeing this through my son's eyes and not mine.
I imagined him going through the textbooks before and saw what didn't work. He enjoyed the Jacobs Geometry for a while, but got bogged down. Why wouldn't he? He is visual- enjoyed computer or people interface. After chapter and chapter, problem after problem, he got stuck. Didn't want my help. Wanted self study.
So, I watched the demo and tried.
Yesterday I showed it to him. He was open. We decided to order and he can try. They have a 30 day money back guarentee.
But, this time, I see this a tool for him. What he might need, how he might like to learn, when he is ready to learn.
This is subtle, but is an important difference for me. Before I always tried to find the right math curriculum to fit him, but one that he would eventually conform to and do. And the checkmark was in the front of my mind.. checking this section of math of the list. That list.
Now, I am seeing him as a person. He needs to see the need for math to learn it. He is seeing the need. This is a tool for him to use to improve his math when he is ready.
I can't explain it better than this, but this was a very important day for me.
I think the box I stepped out of was the 'math' box. I have heard for years that the dc will learn math when they make it their own. I think my son had to teach me. If he had been more compliant (or me more relentless) maybe he would be on a program now. But I had to let it go.. and go.. and go.. and now I see him blossoming, becoming who he is and ready for math.
This is SO not the way of most of the homeschooling world. It is way outside the boxes I see around me. But, it is working for us. So, I am out of that box now.
There are some other boxes I am skipping out of, too. More later.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Learning Inside Out- Bravewriter
I got this in an email from Julie Bogart at Bravewriter. This is journey stuff to me. This email shows how Bravewriter works--- and it shows me why I have always been attracted to the Bravewriter way of learning to write. Really I am finding it applies to all aspects of learning around here. The inside out way... following what comes naturally and supporting it as it comes, then adding the final touches later, when they are ready.
I need to go spend more time at www.bravewriter.com I had used it quite extensively for years, but my guys are so into writing now that I probably won't go back until we really start fine tuning what they are doing. But like this email says.. they are writing what they care about. I see essays, fiction, persuasive arguements happening all naturally. This is so much more effective than the stilted curriculum exercises were. Anyway here is Julie's email.
(Gotta be careful about that craving of affirmation. I know what she is saying. How to find some affiirmation from better sources. Humm... I know Kempis talked about that in his sections on friendship. Another post... )
I hate to admit it, but I crave validation. And I got it today from an
unexpected source.
This morning over Cheerios a slate gray spiral bound book
caught my attention: Xavier University: Guide to the Writing Program. My
husband, Jon, is a composition professor at Xavier and this handy little guide
arrived in our formidable pile of mail while we were out of town. I love to
read his materials to get an idea of what the university expects of its
students. I know that how I teach writing is far more effective than the usual
educational model served up in everyday public schools. Universities, though,
are usually ahead of the curve in teaching writing, and I want to be on that
curve.
So I flipped open the booklet as I slurped up the milk in my bowl to
take a look at the most current composition practices.
Oh joy! It was like reading The Writer's Jungle in microcosm. The aims of English Composition 101 match those of Brave Writer. The guide's suggested writing process follows the
same sequence found in my materials. Let's look at five of their principles
together. I'll comment on each one.
Teach fluency first and throughout the
semester.In college, professors are encouraged to help students become
comfortable expressing their thoughts in written form. They make use of
freewriting and journaling and other non-graded forms of writing (low stakes
writing) to help students breakthrough the intimidation of academic writing. For
some in-coming freshmen, this experience is entirely new. Think of how far ahead
your writers will be since they will be used to practicing these "low stakes"
writing styles throughout their childhoods. Freewriting is not something we use
until we can write academically but rather a practice that supports all sorts of
writing for the rest of our lives.
Do what you can to make sure that what
students are writing about is important to them.Isn't that the first rule of
Brave Writing? To write well, it's important to write about what you know, what
interests you, what matters to you. So many homeschooling mothers worry that
their children will be forced to write about boring subjects or will be assigned
topics they don't care about and yet still have to write. Yet here a college
manual about writing is urging professors to teach their students how to create
topics that they care about in any field. This is the trick all professional
writers know. Make any topic for writing your own by finding some aspect of it
that matters to you.
When reading drafts (or freewrites - particularly
writing not intended to be polished) pay more attention to "higher order
concerns."A "higher order concern" would be focusing on content before attending
to the minutia of mechanics and punctuation. Give feedback to the writer that
engages the content, that comments on the meaning and ideas, rather than picks
apart the spelling mistakes or missing punctuation.
After higher order concerns are addressed, in subsequent drafts shift to, among other things,
"lower order" concerns: mechanics, grammar, syntax, punctuation etc.Once the
revision work is completed (where the student reworks the piece for greater
clarity, focus and meaning), then an edit for basic mechanics is helpful and
necessary. This is how we do it in Brave Writer and it's how writing is taught
in college. No one expects perfection in a draft.
Finally, teach revision. And
here is where my smile grew two sizes too big. The booklet continues:
"Inexperienced writers don't revise, and revision is arguably the most important
component of good writing." Amen. This is why The Writer's Jungle and each of my
online courses spend so much energy explaining revision practices and allow for
multiple drafts before calling a piece of writing a finished product. It's why I
recommend one polished writing piece per month rather than cranking out a weekly
essay. Revision is the most important aspect of the writing process.
It felt great to discover that what we're doing in Brave Writer is exactly what your
kids can expect when they get to university. You can rest assured that they will
be well-acquainted with the writing process, will know the importance of their
own voice in writing, will be able to select meaningful topics about which to
write, and above all, will know not only the importance of revision but how to
do it so that their writing grows and expands beyond mere cosmetic corrections.
Julie Bogart
I need to go spend more time at www.bravewriter.com I had used it quite extensively for years, but my guys are so into writing now that I probably won't go back until we really start fine tuning what they are doing. But like this email says.. they are writing what they care about. I see essays, fiction, persuasive arguements happening all naturally. This is so much more effective than the stilted curriculum exercises were. Anyway here is Julie's email.
(Gotta be careful about that craving of affirmation. I know what she is saying. How to find some affiirmation from better sources. Humm... I know Kempis talked about that in his sections on friendship. Another post... )
I hate to admit it, but I crave validation. And I got it today from an
unexpected source.
This morning over Cheerios a slate gray spiral bound book
caught my attention: Xavier University: Guide to the Writing Program. My
husband, Jon, is a composition professor at Xavier and this handy little guide
arrived in our formidable pile of mail while we were out of town. I love to
read his materials to get an idea of what the university expects of its
students. I know that how I teach writing is far more effective than the usual
educational model served up in everyday public schools. Universities, though,
are usually ahead of the curve in teaching writing, and I want to be on that
curve.
So I flipped open the booklet as I slurped up the milk in my bowl to
take a look at the most current composition practices.
Oh joy! It was like reading The Writer's Jungle in microcosm. The aims of English Composition 101 match those of Brave Writer. The guide's suggested writing process follows the
same sequence found in my materials. Let's look at five of their principles
together. I'll comment on each one.
Teach fluency first and throughout the
semester.In college, professors are encouraged to help students become
comfortable expressing their thoughts in written form. They make use of
freewriting and journaling and other non-graded forms of writing (low stakes
writing) to help students breakthrough the intimidation of academic writing. For
some in-coming freshmen, this experience is entirely new. Think of how far ahead
your writers will be since they will be used to practicing these "low stakes"
writing styles throughout their childhoods. Freewriting is not something we use
until we can write academically but rather a practice that supports all sorts of
writing for the rest of our lives.
Do what you can to make sure that what
students are writing about is important to them.Isn't that the first rule of
Brave Writing? To write well, it's important to write about what you know, what
interests you, what matters to you. So many homeschooling mothers worry that
their children will be forced to write about boring subjects or will be assigned
topics they don't care about and yet still have to write. Yet here a college
manual about writing is urging professors to teach their students how to create
topics that they care about in any field. This is the trick all professional
writers know. Make any topic for writing your own by finding some aspect of it
that matters to you.
When reading drafts (or freewrites - particularly
writing not intended to be polished) pay more attention to "higher order
concerns."A "higher order concern" would be focusing on content before attending
to the minutia of mechanics and punctuation. Give feedback to the writer that
engages the content, that comments on the meaning and ideas, rather than picks
apart the spelling mistakes or missing punctuation.
After higher order concerns are addressed, in subsequent drafts shift to, among other things,
"lower order" concerns: mechanics, grammar, syntax, punctuation etc.Once the
revision work is completed (where the student reworks the piece for greater
clarity, focus and meaning), then an edit for basic mechanics is helpful and
necessary. This is how we do it in Brave Writer and it's how writing is taught
in college. No one expects perfection in a draft.
Finally, teach revision. And
here is where my smile grew two sizes too big. The booklet continues:
"Inexperienced writers don't revise, and revision is arguably the most important
component of good writing." Amen. This is why The Writer's Jungle and each of my
online courses spend so much energy explaining revision practices and allow for
multiple drafts before calling a piece of writing a finished product. It's why I
recommend one polished writing piece per month rather than cranking out a weekly
essay. Revision is the most important aspect of the writing process.
It felt great to discover that what we're doing in Brave Writer is exactly what your
kids can expect when they get to university. You can rest assured that they will
be well-acquainted with the writing process, will know the importance of their
own voice in writing, will be able to select meaningful topics about which to
write, and above all, will know not only the importance of revision but how to
do it so that their writing grows and expands beyond mere cosmetic corrections.
Julie Bogart
Humilty + Knowledge = Relationship?
Thinking more about Kempis' call for humility and how it relates to knowledge.
Maybe the crux of this is in our hearts. As it is for all things, really. How our hearts are to be for Christ. We are not duplicity if we are in the world- just if we know that that is not our first love.
Perhaps with knowledge it is the same, or else why would God give us intelligence and the ability to find dignity through our inventions.
That is not the issue and I think that is what Kempis is saying, too.
Knowledge, when used for God's kingdom is good. What is not good is pride. When knowledge is used for that purpose, then we are in trouble.
Ways pride can step into knowledge:
Flaunting a course of study.
Forcing a course of study upon our children to satisfy our pride.
Desiring college degrees (or any other accolades) for ourselves or our children as a form of status.
Wrapping our or our children's identities up in a course of study.
Ways knowledge works with humility:
Developing a positive relationship with the world and knowledge of the world.
Choosing what to study based on the child's interests, our interests or what can help our children find a vocation in the world suitable to their natures.
Looking for God in his world through studying and knowledge.
Sharing our studies together to build our family and relationship.
I am seeing through the past days of posting both the beautiful nature of knowledge. The connections it can give us to our past, our world and God. I am also getting written out some of the traps.
What does this mean concretely to me and our homeschool?
It means I don't have to worry about the 'what' of what we study. I think we are on the right course. Bringing in books, discussion, exploration. Sharing our passions. Finding the methods that work for my particular dc.
Planting seeds.
Trying new things. Revisit online courses, co-ops periodically. Try a read aloud again. Assign books at times, back off at times. Explore rabbit trails. Bring in things they may not pick up on themselves. Open door. Journal what we do.
Make sure I take time to see what skills are being developed along the way.
Share what knowledge is with them. What it really IS. I think part of this journey for me is that I want them to have more than I had. I had a good education, but it could have been more. It could have been real. Instead of spending so much time pleasing teachers and professors, I want them to think it through, know when it is real and when it is not. I hope for them that faith is intertwined.
One thing I have seen already is that both my dc *think*. They can discern. They know when something is authentic. That is good. I think I can just share a lot of this journey with them. They are already seeing what they are learning, a lot from the discussions we have.
Continue that. Pass the gauntlet. This is their education and is becoming theirs moreso every day.
I am going to keep thinking about knowledge and humility. I may be the only one out there who worries about this. But, I know this is a recurring theme. I know I don't want to spend time and energy chasing after things that are not important. I think it began with the whole school at home.... and Charlotte Mason began to make it more real. But even with the Cm learning I did, there was a question about *why* learn this or that. Maybe that is easy for a mom who just puts the lessons out and the kids lap them up. (are there any like that? :) ) But, no, I don't think I would have been satisfied. I wanted more- deeper learning, connections.
Enter interest-led. Is that the answer? Can kids completely know where they need to go? I think kids can completely learn with interest-led. If the environment is rich. How can you NOT learn? But what do we need to help them find?
Think I'm coming to a full circle. The 'what' rests on the foundation of humility. If we are to choose for our children it must not come from a place of pride but from a place of relationships and connections. The child needs to get a positive relationship from it.
That relationship could be:
1) the interest/pleasure in learning (and thus the subject is not important)
2) something that connects him with who he is and where in God's world he exists
3) something that points him back to Christ
4) something that may give him a 'ticket' to the next stage of his life... that parents can see a little more clearly that the kids at a given point in time.
Thinking back on the biographies I have read the dominant experiences from their childhood and learning really all fit in these categories.
But without humility, it can all become convoluted.
Kind of like this post! lol
Maybe the crux of this is in our hearts. As it is for all things, really. How our hearts are to be for Christ. We are not duplicity if we are in the world- just if we know that that is not our first love.
Perhaps with knowledge it is the same, or else why would God give us intelligence and the ability to find dignity through our inventions.
That is not the issue and I think that is what Kempis is saying, too.
Knowledge, when used for God's kingdom is good. What is not good is pride. When knowledge is used for that purpose, then we are in trouble.
Ways pride can step into knowledge:
Flaunting a course of study.
Forcing a course of study upon our children to satisfy our pride.
Desiring college degrees (or any other accolades) for ourselves or our children as a form of status.
Wrapping our or our children's identities up in a course of study.
Ways knowledge works with humility:
Developing a positive relationship with the world and knowledge of the world.
Choosing what to study based on the child's interests, our interests or what can help our children find a vocation in the world suitable to their natures.
Looking for God in his world through studying and knowledge.
Sharing our studies together to build our family and relationship.
I am seeing through the past days of posting both the beautiful nature of knowledge. The connections it can give us to our past, our world and God. I am also getting written out some of the traps.
What does this mean concretely to me and our homeschool?
It means I don't have to worry about the 'what' of what we study. I think we are on the right course. Bringing in books, discussion, exploration. Sharing our passions. Finding the methods that work for my particular dc.
Planting seeds.
Trying new things. Revisit online courses, co-ops periodically. Try a read aloud again. Assign books at times, back off at times. Explore rabbit trails. Bring in things they may not pick up on themselves. Open door. Journal what we do.
Make sure I take time to see what skills are being developed along the way.
Share what knowledge is with them. What it really IS. I think part of this journey for me is that I want them to have more than I had. I had a good education, but it could have been more. It could have been real. Instead of spending so much time pleasing teachers and professors, I want them to think it through, know when it is real and when it is not. I hope for them that faith is intertwined.
One thing I have seen already is that both my dc *think*. They can discern. They know when something is authentic. That is good. I think I can just share a lot of this journey with them. They are already seeing what they are learning, a lot from the discussions we have.
Continue that. Pass the gauntlet. This is their education and is becoming theirs moreso every day.
I am going to keep thinking about knowledge and humility. I may be the only one out there who worries about this. But, I know this is a recurring theme. I know I don't want to spend time and energy chasing after things that are not important. I think it began with the whole school at home.... and Charlotte Mason began to make it more real. But even with the Cm learning I did, there was a question about *why* learn this or that. Maybe that is easy for a mom who just puts the lessons out and the kids lap them up. (are there any like that? :) ) But, no, I don't think I would have been satisfied. I wanted more- deeper learning, connections.
Enter interest-led. Is that the answer? Can kids completely know where they need to go? I think kids can completely learn with interest-led. If the environment is rich. How can you NOT learn? But what do we need to help them find?
Think I'm coming to a full circle. The 'what' rests on the foundation of humility. If we are to choose for our children it must not come from a place of pride but from a place of relationships and connections. The child needs to get a positive relationship from it.
That relationship could be:
1) the interest/pleasure in learning (and thus the subject is not important)
2) something that connects him with who he is and where in God's world he exists
3) something that points him back to Christ
4) something that may give him a 'ticket' to the next stage of his life... that parents can see a little more clearly that the kids at a given point in time.
Thinking back on the biographies I have read the dominant experiences from their childhood and learning really all fit in these categories.
But without humility, it can all become convoluted.
Kind of like this post! lol
Imitation of Christ II
Book 1
Chapter 1
"No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness (jn 8:12)...
If you want to see clearly and avoid blindness of heart, it is His virtues you must imitate. Make it your aim to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ."
This is how the book begins. To bring this into my life daily, hourly, by minute and second. I know when I am brought back to this place then the cares and concerns of the day disolve. Even as I type this, it seems evident. Yet my human mind forgets it 5 minutes after I state it. The human condition we live in.
I find this is very importnat for me on this homeschool journey, especially. I love my support networks. I get great ideas from all the groups, lists, blogs, etc. But they also cause angst. Measuring up. Doing it wrong. Not doing it right. Jesus brings that peace- his yoke is light.
This is a difficulty for me- to seek the support and help but not let it overwhelm me. But to rely on Christ puts it in perspective every time. Why does it take so long to get back to him? I feel better that saints have asked this question for centuries. I am in good company.
To knowledge. Kempis talks a lot about knowledge in this little book.
Book 1
Chapter 1
3.
To be learned and able to discuss the Trinity will get you nowhere if you do not have humiity, and therefore displease the Holy Trinity. Lofty words neither save you nor make you a saint; only a virtuous life makes you dear to God. It is better to experience contrition than to be able to define it.
(My emphasis)
Thinking about knowledge and the seeking homeschoolers do for the right curriclum, scope and sequence, etc. The check off list. Then to see his words- that it is better to experience contrition that be able to define it.
I think of theologians who learn about the faith, but never know it in their hearts. This was Dietrich Bonhoffer and C.S. Lewis before their conversions. Both were self-admittedly proud. Both wanted control. Lewis said he was the most miserable convert in England the day he accepted Christ. He went kicking and screaming.
We don't want to give up control. Or that perceptioin that we have control. Control and humility don't go well together. But God gave us brains. He gave us intelligence to seek knowledge. Knowledge of him (as best we can comprehend). But knowledge of the world. What is our relationship to that knowledge?
What path are we leading our children down? What value are we putting on knowledge? What knowledge is really important for our children to have? How to we help guide them without putting the wrong value on knowledge?
One thing I am clear on--- I have been reading this book to the boys. Kind of full circle.
I am not expressing well. More later!
God Bless,
Cindy
Imitation of Christ I
When I decided to start this blog, this Journey blog, at the forefront of my mind is a book I have been reading now, slowly for about a month. It is My Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.
I found this at my parish library, just browsing one day.
I have heard of this book for a long time and assumed it would be very difficult and weighty. The edition I picked up that day was a beautiful one. It is written in very simple language. It also has very short chapters. My friend had another version of this book she said was in very archaic language and hard to read. I looked at it. She is right. But, I love this version. It is edited by Claire Fitzpatrick.
I have found myself relying on this book as a companion. During the move discernment I found many passages that applied. Mostly about seeking peace and detatching from worldly things. Also Kempis has written much on dealing with others.
The book is a journey. It is applying very concretely as well to my homeschool/parenting journey. There are some key thoughts he has on knowledge.
I understand that Kempis was a monk in the 1400s. His life in the monestary is much different that my and my dc's life today. But, this seems part of the journey for me. How much is really timeless? Do I read a passage he wrote and decide that, well, that does not apply?
His book is the second most published in the world. The first is the Bible. As his title states, he is trying to make an Imitation of Christ. He is not inventing new stuff. He is trying to live as Christ told us to live. When he writes, I know he is speaking to himself as well. He is struggling to walk the true Christian walk.
I am beginning to love the saints more and more. The saints are not a natural concept to me, as I was not raised Catholic. But I see that really they are just people who strove to live like Christ, to achieve as much holiness as they could while on earth. They are worthwhile for us to learn about and know. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thomas a Kempis was to my surprise never cannonized as a saint. (I googled him.) The cause began, but then was lost. I know God can work things out, so in my mind he is still a St. Thomas.
I would like to explore the book here. I like this blogging because I can take these ideas that rattle in my head all day.... as I clean, cook, run errands, talk to the boys and my friends.. and put them all in one place. It seems to make them more cohesive. More real. Seems I am chasing them less, when they end up on paper. Then I can go read them again a week later and see what I thought, if it still rings true, where I have been since then.
I have found that with reading IOC. It comes up over and over. So, I hope to capture some of it here.
God Bless,
Cindy
I found this at my parish library, just browsing one day.
I have heard of this book for a long time and assumed it would be very difficult and weighty. The edition I picked up that day was a beautiful one. It is written in very simple language. It also has very short chapters. My friend had another version of this book she said was in very archaic language and hard to read. I looked at it. She is right. But, I love this version. It is edited by Claire Fitzpatrick.
I have found myself relying on this book as a companion. During the move discernment I found many passages that applied. Mostly about seeking peace and detatching from worldly things. Also Kempis has written much on dealing with others.
The book is a journey. It is applying very concretely as well to my homeschool/parenting journey. There are some key thoughts he has on knowledge.
I understand that Kempis was a monk in the 1400s. His life in the monestary is much different that my and my dc's life today. But, this seems part of the journey for me. How much is really timeless? Do I read a passage he wrote and decide that, well, that does not apply?
His book is the second most published in the world. The first is the Bible. As his title states, he is trying to make an Imitation of Christ. He is not inventing new stuff. He is trying to live as Christ told us to live. When he writes, I know he is speaking to himself as well. He is struggling to walk the true Christian walk.
I am beginning to love the saints more and more. The saints are not a natural concept to me, as I was not raised Catholic. But I see that really they are just people who strove to live like Christ, to achieve as much holiness as they could while on earth. They are worthwhile for us to learn about and know. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thomas a Kempis was to my surprise never cannonized as a saint. (I googled him.) The cause began, but then was lost. I know God can work things out, so in my mind he is still a St. Thomas.
I would like to explore the book here. I like this blogging because I can take these ideas that rattle in my head all day.... as I clean, cook, run errands, talk to the boys and my friends.. and put them all in one place. It seems to make them more cohesive. More real. Seems I am chasing them less, when they end up on paper. Then I can go read them again a week later and see what I thought, if it still rings true, where I have been since then.
I have found that with reading IOC. It comes up over and over. So, I hope to capture some of it here.
God Bless,
Cindy
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
More On Real Knowledge- aka The Knowledge Party
Well, I have ot of time for blogging the past days.
Boys are off on some pre-planned projects, dh is absorbed in training sessions for his new job, so I am not cooking dinner for him at night. I have a bunch of projects I am catching up on.
I have been thinking a lot as I read Shakespeare's bio. I am seeing how the puzzle pieces fit. The pieces of our history. As I read about him and his times, it does seem like a jigsaw piece that just fits neatly into that time period. It is connected to what came before. It is connected to what comes after.
I was thinking that just a century or two after WS came America's founding fathers. You can hear some of the puritans' threads also in the lives of WS's contemporaries. It is forming together. This makes me think that yes, history is very important to know. It gives one a sense of who we are. It even helps me sort out this Paletsinian/Isreali battle that is raging currently. It is about history. The more we know about history, or even if we just know there *is* history, then we can understand things.
One thing that drives me crazy is when they poll these high school students and they don't know who the Vice President is, or can't tell apart the Bill of Rights from the Constitution. That is just part of knowing who we are.
I am not saying that all kids, or adults for that matter need to be history buffs. I never touched history until my late 30s. Of course I think I was a bit shallow, too. All this to awkwardly say that yes, there is knowledge that our dc need to know. But need to know and 'know' are two different things.
Suffice it to say that I made straight As in high school, where I took American History, World History and Texas History but was woefully unlearned in any sense of who we are as a people or where we came from.
So, to me, that says that lessons and textbooks are not the answer. At least for my dc and their learning style.
But back to the major influences. A book came in at the library I had ordered a while ago and forgot. It is Plutarch Lives. Yes, yes.. on all the lists of great books and Charlotte Mason loved it. But... I have to remember Cm lived in the 1800's in England.. her idea of a proper education may be different than mine. For goodness sakes, she required French since those pesky frogs were just across the channel!
I am listening to it today to preview. This struck me.
Plutarch wrote this in 100 AD. (may be off a few years). This is the first known biography written. Wow. That struck me.
It struck me in the same way as when I heard Jane Austen's books were the first real novels. Before that I guess it was Robinson Crusoe (which read more like a journal... a good read, too.. though gets kind of laborious).
Firsts. That is amazing. The first time Man did something.
Listening to the first bio, I got a glimpse into Roman life. Must say I'm not that proud of my heritage, if this is an indication. When babies were born if they were strong the city leader would pronounce them part of the community and the community basically raised them. (Hillary would be at home here.) If they were puny they were taken to a cavern, where I assume they were left for dead.
But, this same bio (I forgot the Greek's name) was the one who came up with the idea for a Senate.
This, to me, is like learning about a little point of light. A point of light that tells me where my civilization came from.
Here is an analogy. I know this is long, but it is my blog.. so I guess I can go this tangent if I want. Hope you are along for the ride.
Have you ever moved to a new town and felt you were basically all alone? Then, as you begin to explore (which is fun in itself) you find places you enjoy, and then form connections with. Things become more familiar.
Then, you begin to make friends. Some good friends, mostly acquaintances. But, as you drive around you may go by a neighborhood and know, for example, that Lisa lives there. Then the next few miles take you by an area that you know Sally lives. Little points. Little places of context and familiarity.
That is what history is seeming to be for me.
So, Plutarch, Shakespeare... Jefferson, Washington and Adams. These are all people that I should know. My boys should know. But how?
Years ago, Debbie at STAA suggested to me to teach my boys history through biographies. This was after we discussed how one son in particular did not like battles or violence.
And, Cm has a good conjunct to that. She says that we need not do a broad survey of history but know a few people but know them in depth. Thus, living books. oh.. thus biographies.
Yes.. I think biographies are more and more the key.
Both sons have enjoyed many bios this year. They were really just what I could find on audio at the library that passed my preview test. Bob Dole. Not a great, great man, but a good man who had his perspective. He was a great solider. Ronald Reagan. We listened to one chapter of Slick Willie.. just to get the other side of the equation.
But.. this to say.. bios are a great way to learn about the people, the times.. perspectives. Ann Coulter was interesting.. (boys did not read) but she does keep things hopping.
How much of this is real, necessary?
Maybe the answer is 'some'.
There must be some. Some will get the mind thinking. Which 'some'? Maybe the some that takes hold and they can relate to.
What if we miss some? What is to miss? If they relate to some then they know there is lots more out there they are just not relating to right now. But it is there.
Example- One of the all out best books we ever read is The Hiding Place. It had it all- healthy Christian values, a family, real, and history- WWII in Holland and Germany.
Honestly, I feel if the boys just connect to that one book the whole year they are farther in history than I was through my whole childhood and through college.
Because in that book they not only leanred its contents, but they also saw that it existed. So, for example when we talk about the Palestinians and Israelis they will know that they, too have a history. There is evil in the world. There is conflict. There are good and bad people on each side. They are real people. Though some are completely misguided and full of hate.
One aspect of history can teach all aspects.
So, if they don't connect with Shakespeare or Plutarch.... that is ok. If I do, that is good. If they see that I do, that is really good. It may plant a seed for later. But (again as Cm says) I need to present the feast and share with them so the seeds will be sown and the ones meant to blossom will.
In the meantime I am getting a great second education.
My fingers are tired. OH, well.. I am sure most people gave up long ago as this post is long. But it really helps me to write this out.
God Bless,
Cindy
Boys are off on some pre-planned projects, dh is absorbed in training sessions for his new job, so I am not cooking dinner for him at night. I have a bunch of projects I am catching up on.
I have been thinking a lot as I read Shakespeare's bio. I am seeing how the puzzle pieces fit. The pieces of our history. As I read about him and his times, it does seem like a jigsaw piece that just fits neatly into that time period. It is connected to what came before. It is connected to what comes after.
I was thinking that just a century or two after WS came America's founding fathers. You can hear some of the puritans' threads also in the lives of WS's contemporaries. It is forming together. This makes me think that yes, history is very important to know. It gives one a sense of who we are. It even helps me sort out this Paletsinian/Isreali battle that is raging currently. It is about history. The more we know about history, or even if we just know there *is* history, then we can understand things.
One thing that drives me crazy is when they poll these high school students and they don't know who the Vice President is, or can't tell apart the Bill of Rights from the Constitution. That is just part of knowing who we are.
I am not saying that all kids, or adults for that matter need to be history buffs. I never touched history until my late 30s. Of course I think I was a bit shallow, too. All this to awkwardly say that yes, there is knowledge that our dc need to know. But need to know and 'know' are two different things.
Suffice it to say that I made straight As in high school, where I took American History, World History and Texas History but was woefully unlearned in any sense of who we are as a people or where we came from.
So, to me, that says that lessons and textbooks are not the answer. At least for my dc and their learning style.
But back to the major influences. A book came in at the library I had ordered a while ago and forgot. It is Plutarch Lives. Yes, yes.. on all the lists of great books and Charlotte Mason loved it. But... I have to remember Cm lived in the 1800's in England.. her idea of a proper education may be different than mine. For goodness sakes, she required French since those pesky frogs were just across the channel!
I am listening to it today to preview. This struck me.
Plutarch wrote this in 100 AD. (may be off a few years). This is the first known biography written. Wow. That struck me.
It struck me in the same way as when I heard Jane Austen's books were the first real novels. Before that I guess it was Robinson Crusoe (which read more like a journal... a good read, too.. though gets kind of laborious).
Firsts. That is amazing. The first time Man did something.
Listening to the first bio, I got a glimpse into Roman life. Must say I'm not that proud of my heritage, if this is an indication. When babies were born if they were strong the city leader would pronounce them part of the community and the community basically raised them. (Hillary would be at home here.) If they were puny they were taken to a cavern, where I assume they were left for dead.
But, this same bio (I forgot the Greek's name) was the one who came up with the idea for a Senate.
This, to me, is like learning about a little point of light. A point of light that tells me where my civilization came from.
Here is an analogy. I know this is long, but it is my blog.. so I guess I can go this tangent if I want. Hope you are along for the ride.
Have you ever moved to a new town and felt you were basically all alone? Then, as you begin to explore (which is fun in itself) you find places you enjoy, and then form connections with. Things become more familiar.
Then, you begin to make friends. Some good friends, mostly acquaintances. But, as you drive around you may go by a neighborhood and know, for example, that Lisa lives there. Then the next few miles take you by an area that you know Sally lives. Little points. Little places of context and familiarity.
That is what history is seeming to be for me.
So, Plutarch, Shakespeare... Jefferson, Washington and Adams. These are all people that I should know. My boys should know. But how?
Years ago, Debbie at STAA suggested to me to teach my boys history through biographies. This was after we discussed how one son in particular did not like battles or violence.
And, Cm has a good conjunct to that. She says that we need not do a broad survey of history but know a few people but know them in depth. Thus, living books. oh.. thus biographies.
Yes.. I think biographies are more and more the key.
Both sons have enjoyed many bios this year. They were really just what I could find on audio at the library that passed my preview test. Bob Dole. Not a great, great man, but a good man who had his perspective. He was a great solider. Ronald Reagan. We listened to one chapter of Slick Willie.. just to get the other side of the equation.
But.. this to say.. bios are a great way to learn about the people, the times.. perspectives. Ann Coulter was interesting.. (boys did not read) but she does keep things hopping.
How much of this is real, necessary?
Maybe the answer is 'some'.
There must be some. Some will get the mind thinking. Which 'some'? Maybe the some that takes hold and they can relate to.
What if we miss some? What is to miss? If they relate to some then they know there is lots more out there they are just not relating to right now. But it is there.
Example- One of the all out best books we ever read is The Hiding Place. It had it all- healthy Christian values, a family, real, and history- WWII in Holland and Germany.
Honestly, I feel if the boys just connect to that one book the whole year they are farther in history than I was through my whole childhood and through college.
Because in that book they not only leanred its contents, but they also saw that it existed. So, for example when we talk about the Palestinians and Israelis they will know that they, too have a history. There is evil in the world. There is conflict. There are good and bad people on each side. They are real people. Though some are completely misguided and full of hate.
One aspect of history can teach all aspects.
So, if they don't connect with Shakespeare or Plutarch.... that is ok. If I do, that is good. If they see that I do, that is really good. It may plant a seed for later. But (again as Cm says) I need to present the feast and share with them so the seeds will be sown and the ones meant to blossom will.
In the meantime I am getting a great second education.
My fingers are tired. OH, well.. I am sure most people gave up long ago as this post is long. But it really helps me to write this out.
God Bless,
Cindy
Monday, July 17, 2006
The Knowledge Party, Cont.- Shall We Invite Shakespeare?
I am reading Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt.
I am only into the first few chapters, so a full recommedation cannot yet be made! However, I like it so far.
I like the way he talks about the sketchy info, and how he makes inferences. I had read some bio info of WS in the past and was always left with the feeling that what I was reading was just as likely to be myth as truth. So, that, I like about this book.
Anyway, back to Journey and the Knowledge Party.
Shakespeare is always a good invitee to the Knowledge Party. Great to drop at homeschool functions.. (sorry, getting cynical here- I will try and stop!) I know several friends who LOVE Shakespeare and have shared it with their kids. I have never been able to get it to take. I can't even seem to get into it. That has disappointed me, because I keep hearing how awesome his works are. How he expressed the human heart. How he relates to all of mankind-- how he is so timeless.
WS is perfect fodder to sort out for the knowledge party. How much is the desire to include his works because we really find value and how much is because we 'should'. I am still working on this one. Often I find biographies a great ticket into understanding something. If I have trouble with an author, reading a bio helps me understand them.. then I can understand their work. This hsa happened to varying degrees with Jane Austen, Edger Allen Poe, Jules Verne and others. Sometimes the bios don't help and the match was just not meant to be.
I find, too, that if I get enthusiastic about a author or work, then I can share it with my boys. Sometimes we can travel the road together, but sometimes I need to scout first, then lead.
Ok, back to the book.
I was reading about his childhood. His mom and dad were both illiterate. We are talking mid 1500's in England. Oooh... interesting time. Right as the world was on the verge of enlightenment. Lots of illiterate people around. Plays were becoming very popular. Classes were strong.
WS's parents wanted him to go to school. And he could- they were high enough classed. In the school they did not learn History, Geography, Economics.. only a smattering of Math. But the boys went to school 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. What did they do all that time? LATIN! That was the focus, the goal, the holy grail! And it was rigorous. One quote said that the buttocks were a primary teaching tool to learn Latin, because if you could not spout the right grammar strings, your behind was paddled. It was the common way to teach.
Why the focus on Latin? Because, the author tells us, in those days it was the international language. To be able to converse with others in trade or higher thought, one must know Latin. It distinquishes the upper from lower class as well.
Interesting.
I compare this to why we choose to teach our kids Latin today. I have wanted them to know it, and we did a few years of it. Why? I am glad we did. I am also glad we stopped.
Why I am glad we did:
I think it was interesting to see where the roots of our language are from. Also to know the connection to the past. I think the boys picked up on some of that.
Why I am glad we stoppped:
We got the basics down and were into the very difficult advanced.. learning/memorizing-- and would have reached burnout soon. I hope that now if either son feels he needs Latin for his profession or wants to learn the advanced grammar for himself he has the background. But if I push it now, it might cause them to burnout and never seek it out again.
Ok. Now why else would it be important for a 21st century child to know Latin?
I can't think of a reason beyond the ones I just gave. Maybe others' have some and they would be valid, but for me, I can't think of any.
What I liked about the WS book was how I saw the reasons the parents had in those days of what knowledge was important. Knowing Latin is in a sense like our dc going to college. It puts them in the upper class. Gives them opportunity the 'lower class' might not have. WS's parents felt that need. Parents today feel that need. And I think we all are faced with helping our dc to discern what is real and not sacrifice faith, authenticity and other paths for a 'college only' or 'Latin only' education.
The other thing I liked about the book is with all good bios I saw the early influences in WS's life. What shaped him.. or as the author says, What Made Shakespeare Shakespeare.
Stephen (I love his name) Goldblatt didn't dwell long at WS's school. He talked about how WS loved language and of course the Latin played a part. Latin is gorgeous! I love it and my boys enjoyed the vocabulary part as well. But where WS really got strong, deep influences was his experience with watching plays come to town as a child. The nursery rhymes his mother read him. These were the things that shaped him.
It reminds me of Stephen Spielberg going off in the desert to make films as a kid. Kelsey Grammar surfing and thinking, then joining the acting club in school and falling in love with Shakespeare, Ronald Reagan being a lifeguard and loving the feeling of leadership from a young age, Bill Clinton seeking and not finding real love in his dysfunctional, alcoholic family, Jane Austen living on the fringe of upper society watching the drawing room banter from her quiet corner...
It is the influences and life experiences that touch us and take root in our heart that form who we are. It is very interesting to watch what formed Shakespeare.
I am becoming more interested in his work. I hope to finish the biography with a little more knowledge of who he was, how the thought, how he became the writer he was. Then I will get some recommended plays on CD (I hear there is a great one with Mel Gibson) and try and read them. I think it is worth giving this a good shot. Then maybe the boys will like to give it a try.
Gosh after that debacle of A Mid Summer's Night Dream that B and I attended at the local high school a couple of years ago.. it will take a lot of mending to open him back up to WS. Roller blades and disco lights? What would WS say? lol Who knows, maybe he would have liked it.
God Bless,
Cindy
I am only into the first few chapters, so a full recommedation cannot yet be made! However, I like it so far.
I like the way he talks about the sketchy info, and how he makes inferences. I had read some bio info of WS in the past and was always left with the feeling that what I was reading was just as likely to be myth as truth. So, that, I like about this book.
Anyway, back to Journey and the Knowledge Party.
Shakespeare is always a good invitee to the Knowledge Party. Great to drop at homeschool functions.. (sorry, getting cynical here- I will try and stop!) I know several friends who LOVE Shakespeare and have shared it with their kids. I have never been able to get it to take. I can't even seem to get into it. That has disappointed me, because I keep hearing how awesome his works are. How he expressed the human heart. How he relates to all of mankind-- how he is so timeless.
WS is perfect fodder to sort out for the knowledge party. How much is the desire to include his works because we really find value and how much is because we 'should'. I am still working on this one. Often I find biographies a great ticket into understanding something. If I have trouble with an author, reading a bio helps me understand them.. then I can understand their work. This hsa happened to varying degrees with Jane Austen, Edger Allen Poe, Jules Verne and others. Sometimes the bios don't help and the match was just not meant to be.
I find, too, that if I get enthusiastic about a author or work, then I can share it with my boys. Sometimes we can travel the road together, but sometimes I need to scout first, then lead.
Ok, back to the book.
I was reading about his childhood. His mom and dad were both illiterate. We are talking mid 1500's in England. Oooh... interesting time. Right as the world was on the verge of enlightenment. Lots of illiterate people around. Plays were becoming very popular. Classes were strong.
WS's parents wanted him to go to school. And he could- they were high enough classed. In the school they did not learn History, Geography, Economics.. only a smattering of Math. But the boys went to school 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. What did they do all that time? LATIN! That was the focus, the goal, the holy grail! And it was rigorous. One quote said that the buttocks were a primary teaching tool to learn Latin, because if you could not spout the right grammar strings, your behind was paddled. It was the common way to teach.
Why the focus on Latin? Because, the author tells us, in those days it was the international language. To be able to converse with others in trade or higher thought, one must know Latin. It distinquishes the upper from lower class as well.
Interesting.
I compare this to why we choose to teach our kids Latin today. I have wanted them to know it, and we did a few years of it. Why? I am glad we did. I am also glad we stopped.
Why I am glad we did:
I think it was interesting to see where the roots of our language are from. Also to know the connection to the past. I think the boys picked up on some of that.
Why I am glad we stoppped:
We got the basics down and were into the very difficult advanced.. learning/memorizing-- and would have reached burnout soon. I hope that now if either son feels he needs Latin for his profession or wants to learn the advanced grammar for himself he has the background. But if I push it now, it might cause them to burnout and never seek it out again.
Ok. Now why else would it be important for a 21st century child to know Latin?
I can't think of a reason beyond the ones I just gave. Maybe others' have some and they would be valid, but for me, I can't think of any.
What I liked about the WS book was how I saw the reasons the parents had in those days of what knowledge was important. Knowing Latin is in a sense like our dc going to college. It puts them in the upper class. Gives them opportunity the 'lower class' might not have. WS's parents felt that need. Parents today feel that need. And I think we all are faced with helping our dc to discern what is real and not sacrifice faith, authenticity and other paths for a 'college only' or 'Latin only' education.
The other thing I liked about the book is with all good bios I saw the early influences in WS's life. What shaped him.. or as the author says, What Made Shakespeare Shakespeare.
Stephen (I love his name) Goldblatt didn't dwell long at WS's school. He talked about how WS loved language and of course the Latin played a part. Latin is gorgeous! I love it and my boys enjoyed the vocabulary part as well. But where WS really got strong, deep influences was his experience with watching plays come to town as a child. The nursery rhymes his mother read him. These were the things that shaped him.
It reminds me of Stephen Spielberg going off in the desert to make films as a kid. Kelsey Grammar surfing and thinking, then joining the acting club in school and falling in love with Shakespeare, Ronald Reagan being a lifeguard and loving the feeling of leadership from a young age, Bill Clinton seeking and not finding real love in his dysfunctional, alcoholic family, Jane Austen living on the fringe of upper society watching the drawing room banter from her quiet corner...
It is the influences and life experiences that touch us and take root in our heart that form who we are. It is very interesting to watch what formed Shakespeare.
I am becoming more interested in his work. I hope to finish the biography with a little more knowledge of who he was, how the thought, how he became the writer he was. Then I will get some recommended plays on CD (I hear there is a great one with Mel Gibson) and try and read them. I think it is worth giving this a good shot. Then maybe the boys will like to give it a try.
Gosh after that debacle of A Mid Summer's Night Dream that B and I attended at the local high school a couple of years ago.. it will take a lot of mending to open him back up to WS. Roller blades and disco lights? What would WS say? lol Who knows, maybe he would have liked it.
God Bless,
Cindy
Discipline, Cont.
It is a lovely, sunny, sultry day here in Houston. The Crepe Myrtles are in full bloom.
Back to discipline:
Habits- something firm to push back against, or lean on as the case may be.
When my boys were younger, we had rules. They could be bent, but they were there. The boys knew them and the were the bones of our house. They gave it structure. They made sense. Usually. I think the 80-20 rule applies well here.
The may have understood the 'why' behind 80% of the rules. The rest, they could not. But that is where obedience came in.
I think as they have become older many of the rules have been replaced by respect. They know that rules make sense, are for a reason. They have become self-disciplined. The key to that imo is communication. Not that everything is open for debate.. endless debate. This is especially difficult if one has a strong willed child or one who enjoys arguing for arguing sake.
But, most times if I explain a reason to my sons they know it is reasonable. And they will accept it. Usually the reasons are health and virtue. And they recognize those as good things.
Also a note- I don't usually like to type cast by age, but I have found there was a period around ages 10-13 where both my boys became distracted. They knew what they should do (empty dishwasher, pick up after themselves, etc) but just zoned out. This was important for me to realize - the physiological functions here... and not assume they were being stubborn or lazy. And for me not to take it personally.
During those times, I had to put on my mental to do list to follow up more with them. Give them more structure, little reminders... Cm's training came back to mind. Remind, remind, remind.. help the habit take root. Then it will sail on its own.
Ok. Back to natural structure and discipline.
I have seen over the years a natural structure and discipline take root in our house.
I used to believe the boys had to get that structure from lessons. Why? Because I had to endure it in school. It really took me years to let go of that. (thank you, John Taylor Gatto for your book Dumbing Us Down). Now I see that there are so many aspects in life where that discipline is needed. In fact I think they are much better served in these other aspects of life than in lessons.
Lessons let you compartmentalize. A child can think - Ok, if I get my lessons done, then I can be sloppy in other parts of life. Important parts like kindness, creativity, learning, faith.
Better to gather discipline, where needed, in all areas.
Ok. this is getting esoteric. I will put up an example. It is like we have several ebbs and flows going on in many areas in our home.
I like for the guys to each have a book going. (this in addition to LOTR). They usually listen on audio at night. B has been listening to Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. It was hard for him to get into, but I asked him to stick with it. (Awesome book- some difficult language, lots of references to Geography, History, Culture, plus it takes place in a different era from the view point of an Englishman and Frenchman.. lots going on).
He did. We chatted now and then about where he was and what he thought. He carried the Cd player around the house. I could tell how far he was by what disc I would find laying around as they were finished and discarded. Now he is done. He can have a lull. Give it time to sink in. In the meantime his writing has picked up. Last night they both took a "late night" and stayed up until 2am writing. Lots of writing going on.
I will not ask him to start another weighty book just now. His mind is busy. He needs time to digest the 80 Days book. (I did.). In the meantime there is structure happening in other areas.
We have 3 dog sit jobs on the horizon. They will structure their schedules to decide which visits to help with. (I pay them min wage to help me- and the help is real). We are going to daily Mass once a week. That will go on the calendar.
I will chart my week for projects and housework. That will go on their calendars. They also have two 'late nights' a week and they will schedule those (not before a Mass day..as we have to rise early.)
It is very natural. Some hard goals and needs that we must all adjust around. Other are self-arranged goals we each create. Some of mine affect them, some of theirs affect mine. They will request my time to help them with theirs (drive for errands) I will ask them to help me with mine (housework, dog sits, etc).
There is mutual respect. Communication. I am not sure how this would work without both.
I also see that the VGs in our house has fostered the self-discipline. We have evolved from strict rules and timers to the boys having a sense of when is too much. They monitor themselves and are doing it well.
Sometimes I will see there is too much screen time going on, and suggest they do something else, and usually they will say that they were just about to stop and saw that, too.
So, what are we lacking in discipline?
Humm.
The first thing that comes to mind for my 15yos is to try academic things he is not comfortable with. I have to be careful here. That was my strong point. To jump in and just tackle any subject by sheer work. Made good grades. But how much do I remember?
I would like for him to try math again, more systematically. I think instead of doing it self-paced through a textbook, maybe an interactive CD might work. I am considering trying Teaching Text. Expensive, but might be a good fit. Why?
There is something to doing things in bites. You become stronger and it becomes easier.And then you see the fruits of the discipline of continuing. It is something you can't see at the beginning. The mountain looks too high.
I have found this with my workouts. I have not lost a lot of weight, but I was just noticing my legs this morning, and they are toned and muscular. This is from going to my workouts most every day. And now I can see the results. And now the workouts are easier and I feel I have mastered something.
Helping our children gain discipline is a good thing. But it is easy to over dose. I think because what we think is a good goal for them is really our goal. We want to look good. Or we think if we have them achieve a certain number of things, they will be 'done.' (and then we look good..) but also yes, we are trying to do what is right for them.
But what is really right for them is for them to gain the ability to discipline themselves. In goals they desire to do, but also in things they must do. There will be lots of 'musts' later on in life, so no need to bog them down too much now. Maybe encourage them in the general disciplines and the give them something to stretch them now and then. Like math.
The other area I would like to help then stretch in is exercise. It does not come naturally around here. My boys are neither into team sports. It is really hot and mosquito-y here, too. Tennis happens about 6 months of the year. Light saber duels get the heart pumping a few times a week.
I have been sharing health-related info with them for a while. They are taking it to heart. S has talked about a weight lifting program. I think I will get the resources together and suggest he come up with a daily plan. Encourage discipline.
God Bless,
Cindy
Back to discipline:
Habits- something firm to push back against, or lean on as the case may be.
When my boys were younger, we had rules. They could be bent, but they were there. The boys knew them and the were the bones of our house. They gave it structure. They made sense. Usually. I think the 80-20 rule applies well here.
The may have understood the 'why' behind 80% of the rules. The rest, they could not. But that is where obedience came in.
I think as they have become older many of the rules have been replaced by respect. They know that rules make sense, are for a reason. They have become self-disciplined. The key to that imo is communication. Not that everything is open for debate.. endless debate. This is especially difficult if one has a strong willed child or one who enjoys arguing for arguing sake.
But, most times if I explain a reason to my sons they know it is reasonable. And they will accept it. Usually the reasons are health and virtue. And they recognize those as good things.
Also a note- I don't usually like to type cast by age, but I have found there was a period around ages 10-13 where both my boys became distracted. They knew what they should do (empty dishwasher, pick up after themselves, etc) but just zoned out. This was important for me to realize - the physiological functions here... and not assume they were being stubborn or lazy. And for me not to take it personally.
During those times, I had to put on my mental to do list to follow up more with them. Give them more structure, little reminders... Cm's training came back to mind. Remind, remind, remind.. help the habit take root. Then it will sail on its own.
Ok. Back to natural structure and discipline.
I have seen over the years a natural structure and discipline take root in our house.
I used to believe the boys had to get that structure from lessons. Why? Because I had to endure it in school. It really took me years to let go of that. (thank you, John Taylor Gatto for your book Dumbing Us Down). Now I see that there are so many aspects in life where that discipline is needed. In fact I think they are much better served in these other aspects of life than in lessons.
Lessons let you compartmentalize. A child can think - Ok, if I get my lessons done, then I can be sloppy in other parts of life. Important parts like kindness, creativity, learning, faith.
Better to gather discipline, where needed, in all areas.
Ok. this is getting esoteric. I will put up an example. It is like we have several ebbs and flows going on in many areas in our home.
I like for the guys to each have a book going. (this in addition to LOTR). They usually listen on audio at night. B has been listening to Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. It was hard for him to get into, but I asked him to stick with it. (Awesome book- some difficult language, lots of references to Geography, History, Culture, plus it takes place in a different era from the view point of an Englishman and Frenchman.. lots going on).
He did. We chatted now and then about where he was and what he thought. He carried the Cd player around the house. I could tell how far he was by what disc I would find laying around as they were finished and discarded. Now he is done. He can have a lull. Give it time to sink in. In the meantime his writing has picked up. Last night they both took a "late night" and stayed up until 2am writing. Lots of writing going on.
I will not ask him to start another weighty book just now. His mind is busy. He needs time to digest the 80 Days book. (I did.). In the meantime there is structure happening in other areas.
We have 3 dog sit jobs on the horizon. They will structure their schedules to decide which visits to help with. (I pay them min wage to help me- and the help is real). We are going to daily Mass once a week. That will go on the calendar.
I will chart my week for projects and housework. That will go on their calendars. They also have two 'late nights' a week and they will schedule those (not before a Mass day..as we have to rise early.)
It is very natural. Some hard goals and needs that we must all adjust around. Other are self-arranged goals we each create. Some of mine affect them, some of theirs affect mine. They will request my time to help them with theirs (drive for errands) I will ask them to help me with mine (housework, dog sits, etc).
There is mutual respect. Communication. I am not sure how this would work without both.
I also see that the VGs in our house has fostered the self-discipline. We have evolved from strict rules and timers to the boys having a sense of when is too much. They monitor themselves and are doing it well.
Sometimes I will see there is too much screen time going on, and suggest they do something else, and usually they will say that they were just about to stop and saw that, too.
So, what are we lacking in discipline?
Humm.
The first thing that comes to mind for my 15yos is to try academic things he is not comfortable with. I have to be careful here. That was my strong point. To jump in and just tackle any subject by sheer work. Made good grades. But how much do I remember?
I would like for him to try math again, more systematically. I think instead of doing it self-paced through a textbook, maybe an interactive CD might work. I am considering trying Teaching Text. Expensive, but might be a good fit. Why?
There is something to doing things in bites. You become stronger and it becomes easier.And then you see the fruits of the discipline of continuing. It is something you can't see at the beginning. The mountain looks too high.
I have found this with my workouts. I have not lost a lot of weight, but I was just noticing my legs this morning, and they are toned and muscular. This is from going to my workouts most every day. And now I can see the results. And now the workouts are easier and I feel I have mastered something.
Helping our children gain discipline is a good thing. But it is easy to over dose. I think because what we think is a good goal for them is really our goal. We want to look good. Or we think if we have them achieve a certain number of things, they will be 'done.' (and then we look good..) but also yes, we are trying to do what is right for them.
But what is really right for them is for them to gain the ability to discipline themselves. In goals they desire to do, but also in things they must do. There will be lots of 'musts' later on in life, so no need to bog them down too much now. Maybe encourage them in the general disciplines and the give them something to stretch them now and then. Like math.
The other area I would like to help then stretch in is exercise. It does not come naturally around here. My boys are neither into team sports. It is really hot and mosquito-y here, too. Tennis happens about 6 months of the year. Light saber duels get the heart pumping a few times a week.
I have been sharing health-related info with them for a while. They are taking it to heart. S has talked about a weight lifting program. I think I will get the resources together and suggest he come up with a daily plan. Encourage discipline.
God Bless,
Cindy
Sunday, July 16, 2006
This Is It
In 1980 I was about to graduate from college. I was sharing an apartment with my still good friend and one evening we began contemplating where were were in life.We were on the verge. She was taking her CPA exam and was about to start working for Big 8 accounting firm. I was about to head for graduate school. Exciting times. Very exciting and we knew it.
As we talked, Kenny Loggins began to sing on the radio. The song was "This Is It!" Having remarkable presence of mind for two heady 21 year olds, we *knew* what that song meant to us. This is it. What we have been waiting for. All the work of the past 4 years was coming to a phoenix and we were about to be off on our own. In the world.
(yes I was technically still going to be in school, but I was off on an adventure to a new city--- alone.)
Often in the 25 years since then, I have had moments when I heard that song in my head and thought about that moment. That was a defining moment to me. Maybe it did not really chart my future (as I only stayed one semester in that grad program and didn't go into that field), but it was the process of the moment- *thinking* that yes, this is a moment, this is it.
In college, and really so often in all of life, I was thinking about what was next. Not what is now.
I recently read a proverb in a book. ( It was horrible book I could not get past the first chapter of, but enjoyed the proverb.) It was about a man who was running from a tiger.
The tiger was in hot pursuit. The man ran and ran and came to a cliff. He had no choice. He had to jump or be eaten. He perched on the edge and looked down. At the bottom was another tiger licking his lips. Should he survive the fall, he would still be lunch.
He jumped. On the way down he caught hold of a branch. He hung there a few minutes looking up, then down, both times seeing hungry eyes of the tigers. As he clung to the branch he noticed a strawberry growing wild off the side of the cliff.
He reached and plucked it. Putting it in his mouth he savored the juicy ripeness and intense flavor. And for that moment thought how wonderful that strawberry was.
Ok.
I was up early today and decided to head out to Starbucks for a big cup of coffee to have this morning until I get the boys up for Mass at 11:00.
As I stepped out the back door I noticed the weather.
It was steamy and warm. Sigh. Mosquitoes began to buzz, zeroing in on me as usual. Double sigh.
But I think I had a moment I have not had in a long time. This Is It began to play in my head. I realized that this is life, right now, right here.
The pending move see here, and here
has had us thinking a lot about how we live and where we live. What we have. What God has given us. What excitement there has been in change in the past. But it mostly has had us look hard at what we have now. Here and now.
We have been in Houston for 8 years. But I still find I have the mentality of 'what is next'? I think this is all part of the journey. I find this related very strongly to homeschooling.
How often are we in the mode of thinking about what we want our kids to 'become' or 'do'. In my heart I know it is the process. Every important thing I have learned or experienced in my life is just that, an experience. It is not a checklist.
Ok, back to the walk to my car.
I stepped outside to walk to the garage. I stopped for a moment.
We had made a decision. A hard decision, but the outcome was to stay here. This was what we chose. (Or what we hope God has chosen for us for the moment.)
I looked around at my mosquito-filled imperfect back yard. The mulch pile that has grass growing out of it. All the things I could leave behind if I moved.
I thought of the things in the house that subconsciously bug me. The dirty traffic areas on the carpet. The dated office with the dark paneling.
Then outside. The traffic I could hear on the main thoroughfare which has always been just too close to our house.
Then I thought of how this moment in time is now. These things are just things. They are part of my life. The good things rushed in, too. The lovely pine trees. The soft (humid) air. The birds and nature. The lovely large house we were able to buy at a great price.
Here we are. I am no longer in waiting mode. I can go ahead and do all the things I had on hold the past month.
-Get my car A/C fixed
-Finalize plans to teach the course at the community college
-Get more involved in my homeschooling group
-Get my crown fixed.
And more.
I realized that on this journey, I tend to always be in waiting mode for real life to start. Waiting for things like losing 10 pounds. Or, for the house to look better so we can invite people over. Or, for my dh to finish something-or-other so I can do what I decided was a function of him doing that. (That is a trap, I can tell you.)
So, I decided. Life is now.
Ok, to finish the story, I drove to Starbucks. As I was talking to the barista we began to chat about how the big Starbucks down the road is open 24 hours on weekends.
I asked who would go there at 3am?
She said mostly bar-hoppers or bikers. Bikers, she said, take rides out to East Texas all night and come in to town in the wee hours and stop for coffee.
Wow.. all this is going on while I sleep. Not that I want to be out there doing that (or maybe I do? Riding a motorcycle all night has great appeal to me), but life is going on. This is it, now. This moment.
So, I think this tells me I am going to try and be more present. Not just with my kids, but with myself. Of course I can't do it every moment of every day. Overload.
Eating right and exercising is important here. To me, this eliminates the dieting thing. If I eat right and exercise, then God will shape my body how he wants. And I will have health and the clarity of mind to live life. Mind-Body-Spirit.
Now, homeschooling the boys. This is going to turn into more posts here I can tell.
It is a fine line between planning good things for the dc and turning it into an assembly line. I need planning and structure for myself. But soon the plan turns into the god. How to find good stuff and lead them without it consuming our lives and the process of life.
A friend mentioned in the past that she would have a saying or motto she would try and live by for each year. Post it on her fridge.
I never have purposefully done that, but I think one has evolved for me this year. It is to be authentic in all we do. Authenticity. In relationships, learning- everything.
I think this is coming full circle to that. If I can look at life, realize that this moment is now, shed the expectations and false goals and products, but look at relationships and the process, authenticity can rule. And I can see that this moment is it. Even imperfect moments.
As we talked, Kenny Loggins began to sing on the radio. The song was "This Is It!" Having remarkable presence of mind for two heady 21 year olds, we *knew* what that song meant to us. This is it. What we have been waiting for. All the work of the past 4 years was coming to a phoenix and we were about to be off on our own. In the world.
(yes I was technically still going to be in school, but I was off on an adventure to a new city--- alone.)
Often in the 25 years since then, I have had moments when I heard that song in my head and thought about that moment. That was a defining moment to me. Maybe it did not really chart my future (as I only stayed one semester in that grad program and didn't go into that field), but it was the process of the moment- *thinking* that yes, this is a moment, this is it.
In college, and really so often in all of life, I was thinking about what was next. Not what is now.
I recently read a proverb in a book. ( It was horrible book I could not get past the first chapter of, but enjoyed the proverb.) It was about a man who was running from a tiger.
The tiger was in hot pursuit. The man ran and ran and came to a cliff. He had no choice. He had to jump or be eaten. He perched on the edge and looked down. At the bottom was another tiger licking his lips. Should he survive the fall, he would still be lunch.
He jumped. On the way down he caught hold of a branch. He hung there a few minutes looking up, then down, both times seeing hungry eyes of the tigers. As he clung to the branch he noticed a strawberry growing wild off the side of the cliff.
He reached and plucked it. Putting it in his mouth he savored the juicy ripeness and intense flavor. And for that moment thought how wonderful that strawberry was.
Ok.
I was up early today and decided to head out to Starbucks for a big cup of coffee to have this morning until I get the boys up for Mass at 11:00.
As I stepped out the back door I noticed the weather.
It was steamy and warm. Sigh. Mosquitoes began to buzz, zeroing in on me as usual. Double sigh.
But I think I had a moment I have not had in a long time. This Is It began to play in my head. I realized that this is life, right now, right here.
The pending move see here, and here
has had us thinking a lot about how we live and where we live. What we have. What God has given us. What excitement there has been in change in the past. But it mostly has had us look hard at what we have now. Here and now.
We have been in Houston for 8 years. But I still find I have the mentality of 'what is next'? I think this is all part of the journey. I find this related very strongly to homeschooling.
How often are we in the mode of thinking about what we want our kids to 'become' or 'do'. In my heart I know it is the process. Every important thing I have learned or experienced in my life is just that, an experience. It is not a checklist.
Ok, back to the walk to my car.
I stepped outside to walk to the garage. I stopped for a moment.
We had made a decision. A hard decision, but the outcome was to stay here. This was what we chose. (Or what we hope God has chosen for us for the moment.)
I looked around at my mosquito-filled imperfect back yard. The mulch pile that has grass growing out of it. All the things I could leave behind if I moved.
I thought of the things in the house that subconsciously bug me. The dirty traffic areas on the carpet. The dated office with the dark paneling.
Then outside. The traffic I could hear on the main thoroughfare which has always been just too close to our house.
Then I thought of how this moment in time is now. These things are just things. They are part of my life. The good things rushed in, too. The lovely pine trees. The soft (humid) air. The birds and nature. The lovely large house we were able to buy at a great price.
Here we are. I am no longer in waiting mode. I can go ahead and do all the things I had on hold the past month.
-Get my car A/C fixed
-Finalize plans to teach the course at the community college
-Get more involved in my homeschooling group
-Get my crown fixed.
And more.
I realized that on this journey, I tend to always be in waiting mode for real life to start. Waiting for things like losing 10 pounds. Or, for the house to look better so we can invite people over. Or, for my dh to finish something-or-other so I can do what I decided was a function of him doing that. (That is a trap, I can tell you.)
So, I decided. Life is now.
Ok, to finish the story, I drove to Starbucks. As I was talking to the barista we began to chat about how the big Starbucks down the road is open 24 hours on weekends.
I asked who would go there at 3am?
She said mostly bar-hoppers or bikers. Bikers, she said, take rides out to East Texas all night and come in to town in the wee hours and stop for coffee.
Wow.. all this is going on while I sleep. Not that I want to be out there doing that (or maybe I do? Riding a motorcycle all night has great appeal to me), but life is going on. This is it, now. This moment.
So, I think this tells me I am going to try and be more present. Not just with my kids, but with myself. Of course I can't do it every moment of every day. Overload.
Eating right and exercising is important here. To me, this eliminates the dieting thing. If I eat right and exercise, then God will shape my body how he wants. And I will have health and the clarity of mind to live life. Mind-Body-Spirit.
Now, homeschooling the boys. This is going to turn into more posts here I can tell.
It is a fine line between planning good things for the dc and turning it into an assembly line. I need planning and structure for myself. But soon the plan turns into the god. How to find good stuff and lead them without it consuming our lives and the process of life.
A friend mentioned in the past that she would have a saying or motto she would try and live by for each year. Post it on her fridge.
I never have purposefully done that, but I think one has evolved for me this year. It is to be authentic in all we do. Authenticity. In relationships, learning- everything.
I think this is coming full circle to that. If I can look at life, realize that this moment is now, shed the expectations and false goals and products, but look at relationships and the process, authenticity can rule. And I can see that this moment is it. Even imperfect moments.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Discipline
It is a warm sultry late morning time here in exotic Houston.
Since my post about Lulling, I have been thinking about the counterpoint to that.
Puts me in mind of the book How to Really Love Your Teenager, where Ross Campbell talks about when kids need to start that seperation process, they need something solid to push against. That solid thing, in well-functioning families, is/are the parent(s).
So, thinking about lulling. If lull is not the normal mode, what is the solid thing it is pushing (or laying prostrate like jello) against?
Even in the midst of lulls, we have an inherent structure to our lives. It is not something that happens perfectly each day, but is a constant say 95% of the time.
Back to Cm. She wrote a lot about habits and they really stuck with me. I remember doing all the studying and reading of Cm when my boys were ages about 4 to 12... and how her ideas affected my parenting so much. And it was neat b/c during a lot of that time I was invovled with this awesome CM support group here so we were all wokring on this together. We had support meetings monthly and would pick a Cm topic and discuss. Habits was so popular and all-encompassing, that we stretched it across two months.
I remember one great Catholic mom who brought in some wonderful information comparing Cm's habits to the virtures. Yes... it was all so Catholic in its essense. That was when I first began to understand the virtues of our faith.
more later.... son number one needs to eat.
Since my post about Lulling, I have been thinking about the counterpoint to that.
Puts me in mind of the book How to Really Love Your Teenager, where Ross Campbell talks about when kids need to start that seperation process, they need something solid to push against. That solid thing, in well-functioning families, is/are the parent(s).
So, thinking about lulling. If lull is not the normal mode, what is the solid thing it is pushing (or laying prostrate like jello) against?
Even in the midst of lulls, we have an inherent structure to our lives. It is not something that happens perfectly each day, but is a constant say 95% of the time.
Back to Cm. She wrote a lot about habits and they really stuck with me. I remember doing all the studying and reading of Cm when my boys were ages about 4 to 12... and how her ideas affected my parenting so much. And it was neat b/c during a lot of that time I was invovled with this awesome CM support group here so we were all wokring on this together. We had support meetings monthly and would pick a Cm topic and discuss. Habits was so popular and all-encompassing, that we stretched it across two months.
I remember one great Catholic mom who brought in some wonderful information comparing Cm's habits to the virtures. Yes... it was all so Catholic in its essense. That was when I first began to understand the virtues of our faith.
more later.... son number one needs to eat.
No Makeup
I had an interesting discussion with a freind about blogs.
We talked about the entire new culture that has arisen in bloggerdom, especially in homeschool circles. We both expressed what we appreciated about them as well as the traps they can hold. Pride, expectation, competitiveness- overtly or probably more commonly, subconsiously.
We also talked about how some blogs are wonderful because of their 'dressed up' nature. Honestly I think that is one reason I like to blog.. I know *someone* might be reading, so I put a little more effort in to it than if no one was. I like some blogs that are dressed up because I know it will be a treat for my eyes and mind.
Other blogs are 'come as you are'. As my friend said, they are the blogs that are wearing no makeup. :) I liked that.
The owners don't care quite so much if anyone is reading, but are happy when others connect. They are more pure, more raw and often more real.
That is what I'm hoping this one can be. It may not be very entertaining and may be down right boring to anyone but me. But it is a place I can work out this journey and if someone connects or has a thought, that is even better.
That is nice. I am really enjoying it.
My other blog is more of a party. I love the pictures and the book reviews and all that.
Ok.
God Bless,
Cindy
We talked about the entire new culture that has arisen in bloggerdom, especially in homeschool circles. We both expressed what we appreciated about them as well as the traps they can hold. Pride, expectation, competitiveness- overtly or probably more commonly, subconsiously.
We also talked about how some blogs are wonderful because of their 'dressed up' nature. Honestly I think that is one reason I like to blog.. I know *someone* might be reading, so I put a little more effort in to it than if no one was. I like some blogs that are dressed up because I know it will be a treat for my eyes and mind.
Other blogs are 'come as you are'. As my friend said, they are the blogs that are wearing no makeup. :) I liked that.
The owners don't care quite so much if anyone is reading, but are happy when others connect. They are more pure, more raw and often more real.
That is what I'm hoping this one can be. It may not be very entertaining and may be down right boring to anyone but me. But it is a place I can work out this journey and if someone connects or has a thought, that is even better.
That is nice. I am really enjoying it.
My other blog is more of a party. I love the pictures and the book reviews and all that.
Ok.
God Bless,
Cindy
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Lulling
Good Morning from the sultry Gulf Coast.
I have been thinking, quite against my own plan, about lulls.
I have had some very productive discussions on line in past years about lulls. I realized, yesterday, that I was in one with my studies/life. I wanted to take a moment and reflect on this. Not pass it off-- because understanding my nature and the ebbs and flows of myself will help me better understand my dc.
Like many homeschool moms, I often expected my sons to chart a steady course. One chapter a day in this, 30 minutes in that. Or when we shifted to more interest-led, I would seem to covertly expect them to chug along on a project or book at an even keel. When they slowed or stoppped, I would worry they were not learning anymore. (Would they ever again?)
As I mentioned in previous posts, the past few days have been fairly intense study for me. The boys have been engaged in their own projects and I have the luxury of using CDs during the day as I do my work, so I have had several hours of study time, either by listening or reading.
Yesterday my brain registered FULL. I had to stop. I had to find a change of pace. I hung out with the boys for a while and saw what they were up to. I ran errands. I didn't study any more about C.S. Lewis.
But, the information I had gleaned was rattling around in my head. I was thinking now and then about it, applying it, sharing it with my dh and the boys at times.
More than that, my mood was definietly in a lull. I think part is the low level stress in our house as we still discern the move. There are reminders everywhere, such as several long range plans that crop up (such as the TORCH planning meeting- will I be here next fall to enjoy the fruits? or the class I was going to lead at the local community college-I postponed it until spring..)
This to say that our children also have complex lives and thought patterns. They learn in bursts. I am seeing that they need time to lull, too. And just because the outside looks quiet, I realize that there is often a lot going on inside.
But, based on yesterday evening, sometimes there is not a lot going on inside. I was just tired. I watched Northern Exposure and vegged. Sometimes we need to veg.
The crux: it is so easy to still try and make this home life artificial. We force this and force that. I think school is so highly ingrained in me that I find myself gravitating back to even what the surface of it looks like. Discipline, chores, virutes, responsibilty.. all are good. Needed... required.
But, it is really amazing how I still execpt learning to be this generic format. Hummm...
I know lulls make me uncomfortable. I think it is not until I have had several months (years) of living with them, working through them and observing them that I can see their value. The immediate response is to ignore, deny, cover up, or roust the dc out of them.
I am going to try more to tune in to the lulls (without annoying the darling boys too greatly) and see what is happening.
If I feel that need to see 'production', then I will dig a little deeper or go read my journal and see what they were up to last week.
Back to my lull.
I feel much better today. My mind is refreshed. I began the day with a walk with my old dog, Boomer. It was slow, but I saw how it refreshed him. Like exercise refreshes me, too. Variety. Mind, body, spirit.
Sometimes we need to give the mind a break and let it connect with body and spirit.
I am understanding my lull better now, too. I was frustrated with myself for the way I was feeling and what I was *not* getting done yesterday.
Lulls are needed. And needed to be understood and not just glossed over. That is what I am thinking about lulls atm.
God Bless,
Cindy
I have been thinking, quite against my own plan, about lulls.
I have had some very productive discussions on line in past years about lulls. I realized, yesterday, that I was in one with my studies/life. I wanted to take a moment and reflect on this. Not pass it off-- because understanding my nature and the ebbs and flows of myself will help me better understand my dc.
Like many homeschool moms, I often expected my sons to chart a steady course. One chapter a day in this, 30 minutes in that. Or when we shifted to more interest-led, I would seem to covertly expect them to chug along on a project or book at an even keel. When they slowed or stoppped, I would worry they were not learning anymore. (Would they ever again?)
As I mentioned in previous posts, the past few days have been fairly intense study for me. The boys have been engaged in their own projects and I have the luxury of using CDs during the day as I do my work, so I have had several hours of study time, either by listening or reading.
Yesterday my brain registered FULL. I had to stop. I had to find a change of pace. I hung out with the boys for a while and saw what they were up to. I ran errands. I didn't study any more about C.S. Lewis.
But, the information I had gleaned was rattling around in my head. I was thinking now and then about it, applying it, sharing it with my dh and the boys at times.
More than that, my mood was definietly in a lull. I think part is the low level stress in our house as we still discern the move. There are reminders everywhere, such as several long range plans that crop up (such as the TORCH planning meeting- will I be here next fall to enjoy the fruits? or the class I was going to lead at the local community college-I postponed it until spring..)
This to say that our children also have complex lives and thought patterns. They learn in bursts. I am seeing that they need time to lull, too. And just because the outside looks quiet, I realize that there is often a lot going on inside.
But, based on yesterday evening, sometimes there is not a lot going on inside. I was just tired. I watched Northern Exposure and vegged. Sometimes we need to veg.
The crux: it is so easy to still try and make this home life artificial. We force this and force that. I think school is so highly ingrained in me that I find myself gravitating back to even what the surface of it looks like. Discipline, chores, virutes, responsibilty.. all are good. Needed... required.
But, it is really amazing how I still execpt learning to be this generic format. Hummm...
I know lulls make me uncomfortable. I think it is not until I have had several months (years) of living with them, working through them and observing them that I can see their value. The immediate response is to ignore, deny, cover up, or roust the dc out of them.
I am going to try more to tune in to the lulls (without annoying the darling boys too greatly) and see what is happening.
If I feel that need to see 'production', then I will dig a little deeper or go read my journal and see what they were up to last week.
Back to my lull.
I feel much better today. My mind is refreshed. I began the day with a walk with my old dog, Boomer. It was slow, but I saw how it refreshed him. Like exercise refreshes me, too. Variety. Mind, body, spirit.
Sometimes we need to give the mind a break and let it connect with body and spirit.
I am understanding my lull better now, too. I was frustrated with myself for the way I was feeling and what I was *not* getting done yesterday.
Lulls are needed. And needed to be understood and not just glossed over. That is what I am thinking about lulls atm.
God Bless,
Cindy
Monday, July 10, 2006
C.S. Lewis, Dr. Markos, Me, My Kids, Unschooling, The Knowledge Party... etc.
Stream of consciousness post ahead.. no conclusions.. just thinking out loud...
I have spent the last 4-5 days listening to Dr. Markos' lectures on C.S. Lewis. I am also reading his book straight through for the first time.
My mind is filled with CSL's life. Right now I am at that place in both the lectures and the books, where Markos is describing CSL's early influences, his relationships, his learning.
Unschooling. The thread it keeps bringing to the surface is that we can trust our children to seek knowledge. To learn by living, exploring, finding their unique path. I won't to into the skeptisms. I'm sure most readers know them.
I have seen all that learning happen in my home. That is why I have hung in there with the whole premise. My manta over the years has been 'What about content ? How do I bring it in?" Or at least my main mantra. I have others, but that has been the one I have spent the most time on and bothered my friends about the most. You know who you are.
I have seen the learning. I see the subtlley of it. I see organization, logical thinking, skills (you name 'em' they picked them up). I salute John Holt. The man was RIGHT.
Now to CSL. I am watching his journey. It was not a picture perfect childhood. God had his hand in it. So, that lets us perfectionist parents off the hook. Our mistakes can be God's openings.
How did CSL learn? I don't hear a lot about his lessons or classes. I hear about the relationships in his childhood. (good and bad). One of his primary good ones was with his brother, Warnie. During WWII, the family moved out to a rambling country house, Little Lea, which was like a Narnia to the Lewis boys. They spent hours in imagination games. This lay the groundwork for much of CSL's later work, including the Chronicles of Narnia. This history has a special place in my heart because I see a lot of strong parelells between the Lewis brothers and my boys.
Then boarding school. He detested it. He focused on his books. To escape. But again, the influces I hear about in his life are not the subjects he studied, but his passions. Norse mythology. Not to say the lessons were not beneifcial, but the strong influences that formed CSL into the man he became were through his passions, his life experiences (good and bad) and his relationships.
There is a list of books he savored as a child. As I read through them I realized the boys and I had done a lot of them as read alouds. Yes. My influence is important. I spent a lot of time with Charlotte Mason groups/reading and found these great books. But we loved them. It was not an assignment but a time of fun and adventure. But I did choose the books. This, to me is the unschooling I accept. Me as researcher, mom, nuturer, influencer... but allowing the children to make the connections. If we didn't like a book, we put it aside.
But how cool that we read most of the same books as little Jack Lewis? :)
What about when his father finally let him leave boarding school and have a private tutor, Kirkpatrick. The man was very influencial in his life. He was a atheiset, but taught Lewis to think, reason, analyize, lay out an arguement, which made him into the great apologist he was.
What if he had never had a great influencer. Where would he have gone?
Now- as parents can we give our children that kind of influence. If we are not relying on lessons/curriculum/scope and sequence, or even mandantory reads, then where will our children go?
I am finding my role is that of student. The more I investigate and learn the more it is at my fingertips to share.
What do I share? How do I share?
What do they do when I'm busy learning, researching, blogging... and they are on their own?
They are constantly in motion---- mentally. They alwayss have projects going. We are always intersecting. They will come up and have learned something and I had no idea where it came from.
Perhaps I can scatter seeds to them as they continue on their learning/living wheel.
I like learning about our roots. All the stuff I have been putting in my Knowledge Party posts. I can give them that gift. I can read passages aloud, things that strike me. Thing I know they would like (for eg when Markos talks about how much Lewis was influenced by Tolkein). There is an essay of Tolkein Markos recommends called On Fairie Stories. I ordered it up for my 15yos as he is writing a LOTR type story now.
Those are things I can do.
To me these sort of things always sounded small. When I would compare them to the GREAT things I see others doing, or read about.... the classical works, the long book lists, etc. Having the kids do written narrations, critical analysis, etc.
I am just spreading seeds.
Just?
No, I am doing more. I think a key compoent here is the element of conversation. And relationship of course, which is implied in a good conversation. Some conversations are short, some long. Some are natural- I read something, get excited and share. Just a moment ago in the kitchen B was picking up a tuna sandwich and heading upstairs I shared a bit of my CD. He will remember, too. His memory is awesome.. sometimes he remembers too much. (mom laughing here)
Some conversations are deeper. The car is a great place for those. The conversations on the move have been long and engaging. Sometimes it is me just saying: "Hey, get over here, I want you to see this. Why, because I'm your mom and I said so."
Are they missing the boat by not being assigned projects, books, narrations and reports. I just can't see it. They are doing projects, books, narration and reports in one way or another on their own. They are just of their own choosing.
And, if I plant seeds now of other greater things (greater in my estimation) they can pick up and run with them now, in 5 years or in 25 years.
Again, no matter how Lewis' life was managed for him, he always took his own path eventaully. His boarding school was heavey on hazing, athletics, jocks and rugby. He hated it all. It did influence him into spending a lot of time thinking and later writing about the ugliness of the 'inner circle' which contributed greatly to his Christian insights. But no one could force him to absorb it and make it his own.
Can we then really force our children to absorb and make any 'knowledge' we choose their own?
And isn't there more chance of that happening if we offer it palatabily? The the most appealing way to explore something is to see someone else enjoying it. Think Tom Sawyer.
Maybe my time IS better spent researching, learning, sharing, strewing, planting seeds and knowing my kids. Sharing me. Me is different than any other mom. So my gifts will be different than my friends. God has taken that into account.
Sometimes I thinkI am planning this education and am in charge. But what they take away from it, I will really have little control over. Their minds belong to them. They hopefully will see that Mom had interests, shared them, respected theirs own interests and loved and supported them. Ditto for Dad.
What if I was a mom who had no interests? I don't know, I never have been. What about when I had little ones? Humm. I had less time, but thinking back, I made time to read. I had to. I was beginning homeschooling and lost. That was my study then. Time not wasted.
No time is wasted. Focusing on virtues. If they can see those in dh and me, then they are learning more than most of the human race. And learn about our humaness, too.
all for now...
God Bless,
Cindy
I have spent the last 4-5 days listening to Dr. Markos' lectures on C.S. Lewis. I am also reading his book straight through for the first time.
My mind is filled with CSL's life. Right now I am at that place in both the lectures and the books, where Markos is describing CSL's early influences, his relationships, his learning.
Unschooling. The thread it keeps bringing to the surface is that we can trust our children to seek knowledge. To learn by living, exploring, finding their unique path. I won't to into the skeptisms. I'm sure most readers know them.
I have seen all that learning happen in my home. That is why I have hung in there with the whole premise. My manta over the years has been 'What about content ? How do I bring it in?" Or at least my main mantra. I have others, but that has been the one I have spent the most time on and bothered my friends about the most. You know who you are.
I have seen the learning. I see the subtlley of it. I see organization, logical thinking, skills (you name 'em' they picked them up). I salute John Holt. The man was RIGHT.
Now to CSL. I am watching his journey. It was not a picture perfect childhood. God had his hand in it. So, that lets us perfectionist parents off the hook. Our mistakes can be God's openings.
How did CSL learn? I don't hear a lot about his lessons or classes. I hear about the relationships in his childhood. (good and bad). One of his primary good ones was with his brother, Warnie. During WWII, the family moved out to a rambling country house, Little Lea, which was like a Narnia to the Lewis boys. They spent hours in imagination games. This lay the groundwork for much of CSL's later work, including the Chronicles of Narnia. This history has a special place in my heart because I see a lot of strong parelells between the Lewis brothers and my boys.
Then boarding school. He detested it. He focused on his books. To escape. But again, the influces I hear about in his life are not the subjects he studied, but his passions. Norse mythology. Not to say the lessons were not beneifcial, but the strong influences that formed CSL into the man he became were through his passions, his life experiences (good and bad) and his relationships.
There is a list of books he savored as a child. As I read through them I realized the boys and I had done a lot of them as read alouds. Yes. My influence is important. I spent a lot of time with Charlotte Mason groups/reading and found these great books. But we loved them. It was not an assignment but a time of fun and adventure. But I did choose the books. This, to me is the unschooling I accept. Me as researcher, mom, nuturer, influencer... but allowing the children to make the connections. If we didn't like a book, we put it aside.
But how cool that we read most of the same books as little Jack Lewis? :)
What about when his father finally let him leave boarding school and have a private tutor, Kirkpatrick. The man was very influencial in his life. He was a atheiset, but taught Lewis to think, reason, analyize, lay out an arguement, which made him into the great apologist he was.
What if he had never had a great influencer. Where would he have gone?
Now- as parents can we give our children that kind of influence. If we are not relying on lessons/curriculum/scope and sequence, or even mandantory reads, then where will our children go?
I am finding my role is that of student. The more I investigate and learn the more it is at my fingertips to share.
What do I share? How do I share?
What do they do when I'm busy learning, researching, blogging... and they are on their own?
They are constantly in motion---- mentally. They alwayss have projects going. We are always intersecting. They will come up and have learned something and I had no idea where it came from.
Perhaps I can scatter seeds to them as they continue on their learning/living wheel.
I like learning about our roots. All the stuff I have been putting in my Knowledge Party posts. I can give them that gift. I can read passages aloud, things that strike me. Thing I know they would like (for eg when Markos talks about how much Lewis was influenced by Tolkein). There is an essay of Tolkein Markos recommends called On Fairie Stories. I ordered it up for my 15yos as he is writing a LOTR type story now.
Those are things I can do.
To me these sort of things always sounded small. When I would compare them to the GREAT things I see others doing, or read about.... the classical works, the long book lists, etc. Having the kids do written narrations, critical analysis, etc.
I am just spreading seeds.
Just?
No, I am doing more. I think a key compoent here is the element of conversation. And relationship of course, which is implied in a good conversation. Some conversations are short, some long. Some are natural- I read something, get excited and share. Just a moment ago in the kitchen B was picking up a tuna sandwich and heading upstairs I shared a bit of my CD. He will remember, too. His memory is awesome.. sometimes he remembers too much. (mom laughing here)
Some conversations are deeper. The car is a great place for those. The conversations on the move have been long and engaging. Sometimes it is me just saying: "Hey, get over here, I want you to see this. Why, because I'm your mom and I said so."
Are they missing the boat by not being assigned projects, books, narrations and reports. I just can't see it. They are doing projects, books, narration and reports in one way or another on their own. They are just of their own choosing.
And, if I plant seeds now of other greater things (greater in my estimation) they can pick up and run with them now, in 5 years or in 25 years.
Again, no matter how Lewis' life was managed for him, he always took his own path eventaully. His boarding school was heavey on hazing, athletics, jocks and rugby. He hated it all. It did influence him into spending a lot of time thinking and later writing about the ugliness of the 'inner circle' which contributed greatly to his Christian insights. But no one could force him to absorb it and make it his own.
Can we then really force our children to absorb and make any 'knowledge' we choose their own?
And isn't there more chance of that happening if we offer it palatabily? The the most appealing way to explore something is to see someone else enjoying it. Think Tom Sawyer.
Maybe my time IS better spent researching, learning, sharing, strewing, planting seeds and knowing my kids. Sharing me. Me is different than any other mom. So my gifts will be different than my friends. God has taken that into account.
Sometimes I thinkI am planning this education and am in charge. But what they take away from it, I will really have little control over. Their minds belong to them. They hopefully will see that Mom had interests, shared them, respected theirs own interests and loved and supported them. Ditto for Dad.
What if I was a mom who had no interests? I don't know, I never have been. What about when I had little ones? Humm. I had less time, but thinking back, I made time to read. I had to. I was beginning homeschooling and lost. That was my study then. Time not wasted.
No time is wasted. Focusing on virtues. If they can see those in dh and me, then they are learning more than most of the human race. And learn about our humaness, too.
all for now...
God Bless,
Cindy
More Journeys
Good Morning!
As I am writing about the journeys of life on this blog, I wanted to put up a link to a post I made on Dog Days. Click here for link
I just wrote about a current journey we are on. To me, this ties in. It is real life. It is in essense why I am homeschooling. It supercedes the 'knowledge' we find ourselves in search of, because it is about relationships and relating to each other and God.
Oh, I know there must a word for this.. English majors, help me out. My blog post is about a journey- a journey of discovering ourselves as a family, our faith.. and also a potential physical journey to another city. Wow! What is the word for that multiple meaning? Or maybe there isn't one.
But, this does put the Knowledge Party in perspective for me. Reading the condensed bio of C.S. Lewis in Dr. Markos' book, I see, too, his relationship with knowledge and his relationship with people. Lewis lacked a stable family. He in essense turned to cool, hard facts and atheism. His journey is facinating, seeing the intertwining of knowledge and relationships throughout his life. And, as Dr. Markos pointed out, Lewis was one of the first apologetics to feed the mind and heart of his readers. He knew the link and the need for both to be nourished.
My feet are really itching. You will have to check the link above to find out why. :) How's that for a teaser?
God Bless,
Cindy
As I am writing about the journeys of life on this blog, I wanted to put up a link to a post I made on Dog Days. Click here for link
I just wrote about a current journey we are on. To me, this ties in. It is real life. It is in essense why I am homeschooling. It supercedes the 'knowledge' we find ourselves in search of, because it is about relationships and relating to each other and God.
Oh, I know there must a word for this.. English majors, help me out. My blog post is about a journey- a journey of discovering ourselves as a family, our faith.. and also a potential physical journey to another city. Wow! What is the word for that multiple meaning? Or maybe there isn't one.
But, this does put the Knowledge Party in perspective for me. Reading the condensed bio of C.S. Lewis in Dr. Markos' book, I see, too, his relationship with knowledge and his relationship with people. Lewis lacked a stable family. He in essense turned to cool, hard facts and atheism. His journey is facinating, seeing the intertwining of knowledge and relationships throughout his life. And, as Dr. Markos pointed out, Lewis was one of the first apologetics to feed the mind and heart of his readers. He knew the link and the need for both to be nourished.
My feet are really itching. You will have to check the link above to find out why. :) How's that for a teaser?
God Bless,
Cindy
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Modernists and Post-Modernists
Good Morning!
It is 4:30 am and for some reason I could not sleep.
So I have been re-listening to Dr. Louis Markos' lectures of C.S. Lewis and how he wrestled with the Modernists.
Now I really can't sleep.
Knowledge. What is important and why?
As Dr. Markos laid out the world setting he explained how the Modernists and Post-Modernists convinced the world that evolution is key. Markos defined the leaders of the Modernist movement as primarily Darwin, Nitzhche, Freud and Marx. We are not just talking about the scientific creation/evolution debate- what we typicaly think of in terms of evolution.
But the premise that everything evolves. Man's knowledge and intellect evolves. Faith evolves. Even our souls evolve.
Modern thought will tell us that new is better. Much of old world thought was top down (God to man) and the 'new' thinkers went the other way- focusing on what man created in terms of thought. Man gets better as time goes on... and ideas evolve, so the Modernists say, why study those who came before? If we have taken what they have learned, and not only added to the thought, but become better thinkers ourselves, are they not obsolete?
What is missing, Dr. Markos and C. S. Lewis tell us, is the realization that there is a Truth. If we believe in the Holy Scriptures and they were divinely inspired, then we realize they were written in an 'archaic' time, without the benefit of the Modernist's evolution. A Truth was given. Old can be better. Man does not have to add to or give him imprint.
I will try and put up some quotes from Dr. Markos' book. For his book, click here He sees C.S. Lewis as a man who wrestled with these Modern and Post-Modern ideas in our current era. Markos does a wonderful job of putting this in layman's terms as well as serving as a very accessable portal to Lewis' works, especially the more difficult ones.
I also am thinking about why I am drawn to classical ideas-- I don't know if classical is the right word. Maybe an example is better.
I am in my adulthood beginning to read works I have not read before: some St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, Homer, etc. I am no scholar, but I will read an idea- and it is fascinating. It will open my mind to thought. It will help me see the world and how things connect. The really great thoughts will lead me back to God.
I am currently reading Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I am using it as a daily guide to help me navigate through my life. It is applying directly to such things as the decision we are making about whether my dh should take a job in a new city, my friendships, my marriage, my homeschooling, my parenting.
He wrote this in the mid-1400's. How does it apply today? How can it?
It has Truth. I am seeing more and more that the Modernists of the world are so focused on man's evolution of ideas and in fact the notion that is is all about man, we lose sight of the truths given us in the past, some divinely inspired.
Also, studying great thought in the past tells us we are not alone. This has been thought about before, by greater minds than ourselves. I for one, am glad to have Thomas a Kempis help me navigate my personal life in 2006.
Also, knowing the past particularly the saints and the Greco/Roman world tells us who we are. Gives us roots. This is especially true in knowing our Catholic faith and roots.
Now- what I don't want the "knowledge party" to be:
1- Pride. Oh, how nice it is to drop names... "yes, we did Latin 2 years and are now involved in a study of classical literature." That will give instant credibility to a homeschool.... at least to people who are impressed by name dropping! Luckily I am hanging out with people who see a bit deeper... lol
2- Boxes. I don't want to feel we must bring in certain writers or knowledge because it is on the 'list'. WHY is it important? Maybe we won't know until we dive in... or chat a bit.
3- Knowledge as our new religion. Oh what was that quote from Pat Faranga; "Don't sacrifice relationships with your child on the alter of education." Or something like that. Doesn't sound right, b/c 'education' is not the thing sacrificed.. I think really control is. Knowledge is not to be worshiped (in whatever form one decides it takes) but is just one part of the world to explore, the beauty of the world God gave us.
Ok.. that is it for now.
My thinking is this.. I need to continue my studies. This is good as it goes hand in hand with my interior life growth. We have so much available to us... books, lectures, Cd. And I will make notes, add to my pile/list of "things we may do this year' and bring up these ideas with the boys in passing or in pegging.
What a gift God has given us... sometimes I just wish my brain was bigger to be able to absorb and remember more as I go. ha ha - maybe I am not 'evolved' enough yet. I will have to ask Dr. Markos. :)
God Bless,
Cindy
It is 4:30 am and for some reason I could not sleep.
So I have been re-listening to Dr. Louis Markos' lectures of C.S. Lewis and how he wrestled with the Modernists.
Now I really can't sleep.
Knowledge. What is important and why?
As Dr. Markos laid out the world setting he explained how the Modernists and Post-Modernists convinced the world that evolution is key. Markos defined the leaders of the Modernist movement as primarily Darwin, Nitzhche, Freud and Marx. We are not just talking about the scientific creation/evolution debate- what we typicaly think of in terms of evolution.
But the premise that everything evolves. Man's knowledge and intellect evolves. Faith evolves. Even our souls evolve.
Modern thought will tell us that new is better. Much of old world thought was top down (God to man) and the 'new' thinkers went the other way- focusing on what man created in terms of thought. Man gets better as time goes on... and ideas evolve, so the Modernists say, why study those who came before? If we have taken what they have learned, and not only added to the thought, but become better thinkers ourselves, are they not obsolete?
What is missing, Dr. Markos and C. S. Lewis tell us, is the realization that there is a Truth. If we believe in the Holy Scriptures and they were divinely inspired, then we realize they were written in an 'archaic' time, without the benefit of the Modernist's evolution. A Truth was given. Old can be better. Man does not have to add to or give him imprint.
I will try and put up some quotes from Dr. Markos' book. For his book, click here He sees C.S. Lewis as a man who wrestled with these Modern and Post-Modern ideas in our current era. Markos does a wonderful job of putting this in layman's terms as well as serving as a very accessable portal to Lewis' works, especially the more difficult ones.
I also am thinking about why I am drawn to classical ideas-- I don't know if classical is the right word. Maybe an example is better.
I am in my adulthood beginning to read works I have not read before: some St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, Homer, etc. I am no scholar, but I will read an idea- and it is fascinating. It will open my mind to thought. It will help me see the world and how things connect. The really great thoughts will lead me back to God.
I am currently reading Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I am using it as a daily guide to help me navigate through my life. It is applying directly to such things as the decision we are making about whether my dh should take a job in a new city, my friendships, my marriage, my homeschooling, my parenting.
He wrote this in the mid-1400's. How does it apply today? How can it?
It has Truth. I am seeing more and more that the Modernists of the world are so focused on man's evolution of ideas and in fact the notion that is is all about man, we lose sight of the truths given us in the past, some divinely inspired.
Also, studying great thought in the past tells us we are not alone. This has been thought about before, by greater minds than ourselves. I for one, am glad to have Thomas a Kempis help me navigate my personal life in 2006.
Also, knowing the past particularly the saints and the Greco/Roman world tells us who we are. Gives us roots. This is especially true in knowing our Catholic faith and roots.
Now- what I don't want the "knowledge party" to be:
1- Pride. Oh, how nice it is to drop names... "yes, we did Latin 2 years and are now involved in a study of classical literature." That will give instant credibility to a homeschool.... at least to people who are impressed by name dropping! Luckily I am hanging out with people who see a bit deeper... lol
2- Boxes. I don't want to feel we must bring in certain writers or knowledge because it is on the 'list'. WHY is it important? Maybe we won't know until we dive in... or chat a bit.
3- Knowledge as our new religion. Oh what was that quote from Pat Faranga; "Don't sacrifice relationships with your child on the alter of education." Or something like that. Doesn't sound right, b/c 'education' is not the thing sacrificed.. I think really control is. Knowledge is not to be worshiped (in whatever form one decides it takes) but is just one part of the world to explore, the beauty of the world God gave us.
Ok.. that is it for now.
My thinking is this.. I need to continue my studies. This is good as it goes hand in hand with my interior life growth. We have so much available to us... books, lectures, Cd. And I will make notes, add to my pile/list of "things we may do this year' and bring up these ideas with the boys in passing or in pegging.
What a gift God has given us... sometimes I just wish my brain was bigger to be able to absorb and remember more as I go. ha ha - maybe I am not 'evolved' enough yet. I will have to ask Dr. Markos. :)
God Bless,
Cindy
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Essence of Knowledge, Knowledge of our Creator
Good Morning!
It is a sultry, foggy morning here near the Gulf Coast and as I took the darling dachshunds out to do their business, the crows were calling in the dark pre-dawn sky.
(I am only up because S dumped Ralphie on me...)
In thinking about the beauty of knowledge, this applied. I get these daily reflections well, daily from Jeff Cavins and Mark Shea.
Do I really understand this.. that I am a poem of God's handiwork? Do I really take time to think about this, let myself absorb it so I can truly know it?
Can I relate this to my sons? In the past I have found I best was able to share something if it was something I really *knew* myself, or was empassioned about the prospect of 'knowing' it.
This is the essense of knowledge- the Essence of our Creator.. I think I will read it to them later today. And, here is the rub for me, to find the times to share things like this. Should I go wake them up? lol
I hope you enjoy.
God Bless,
Cindy
You are God's Poem!
--------------------
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
--------------------
Today's verse contains a lovely image. For the Greek word for "workmanship" is "poiema" which is the root of our English word "poem." You and I are God's poetry, exquisite works of love over which he has labored with all the care and attention to detail that Shakespeare gave to his sonnets or Dante gave to the intricate texture of his Divine Comedy. To be a Poem of God is a vastly different thing than to be a Math Problem of God or a Legal Difficulty of God or Philosophical Problem of God. It bespeaks the tenderness, the exacting love of beauty, the tears and living that God has brought to bear on our creation. The only thing more piercing than being told we are God's Poem is being told we are God's own children. And he has told us that too.
**************************************************
Just a Word of Encouragement
from Mark Shea & Jeff Cavins
To sign up your friends for the Words of Encouragement,
go to http://www.CatholicExchange.com/church_today/message.asp?sec_id=5
It is a sultry, foggy morning here near the Gulf Coast and as I took the darling dachshunds out to do their business, the crows were calling in the dark pre-dawn sky.
(I am only up because S dumped Ralphie on me...)
In thinking about the beauty of knowledge, this applied. I get these daily reflections well, daily from Jeff Cavins and Mark Shea.
Do I really understand this.. that I am a poem of God's handiwork? Do I really take time to think about this, let myself absorb it so I can truly know it?
Can I relate this to my sons? In the past I have found I best was able to share something if it was something I really *knew* myself, or was empassioned about the prospect of 'knowing' it.
This is the essense of knowledge- the Essence of our Creator.. I think I will read it to them later today. And, here is the rub for me, to find the times to share things like this. Should I go wake them up? lol
I hope you enjoy.
God Bless,
Cindy
You are God's Poem!
--------------------
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
--------------------
Today's verse contains a lovely image. For the Greek word for "workmanship" is "poiema" which is the root of our English word "poem." You and I are God's poetry, exquisite works of love over which he has labored with all the care and attention to detail that Shakespeare gave to his sonnets or Dante gave to the intricate texture of his Divine Comedy. To be a Poem of God is a vastly different thing than to be a Math Problem of God or a Legal Difficulty of God or Philosophical Problem of God. It bespeaks the tenderness, the exacting love of beauty, the tears and living that God has brought to bear on our creation. The only thing more piercing than being told we are God's Poem is being told we are God's own children. And he has told us that too.
**************************************************
Just a Word of Encouragement
from Mark Shea & Jeff Cavins
To sign up your friends for the Words of Encouragement,
go to http://www.CatholicExchange.com/church_today/message.asp?sec_id=5
Friday, July 07, 2006
Adult Roles of Our Children-- Circa 1997
And here are the goals I wrote based on the Elijah article and Stephen Covey's concept of looking with the end in mind. What roles will our children have in adulthood?
It is amazing to me I wrote this the second year I homeschooled and how timeless they are. Nothing really has changed. And I thought I had changed so much all these years. I think I have just defined more about what I really always believed. :)
God Bless,
Cindy
12/13/97
When looking at the goals for our kids, first look at what we want them to be as adults. The potential roles they will have as adults are:
ADULT ROLES MY CHILDREN WILL HAVE
Child of God (their relationship with and purpose for God)
Family Member role: son, brother, grandson, etc.
Spouse role: as husband
Parent role: as father
Church member role
Friend role
Profession role: as employer, employee, manager, etc.
Community Member role
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To achieve these adult roles with personal success, they need to focus on the relationships, skills and academic information necessary to perform them. ( And all of this can be achieved with a love of learning, zest for life and sense of adventure.) Notes on the contents within the three areas follows:
THE TOOLS MY CHILDREN NEED IN LIFE
Relationships:
With God
With self (healthy self concept and physical fitness)
With others
With created things (money, time, work, animals, environment, etc)
With life (love of learning)
With the Church (understanding, living, questioning, active and alive)
Life Skills:
Discipline
Social skills
Business skills
Money management
Household management
Computer skills
Time management
Thinking/logic skills
Individual talents: art, music etc
Academics:
Reading
Writing
Speaking/Communicating
Math
Science
History
Foreign Language
Social Studies
Art
Music
Faith studies: Catholic Church, theology, history, bible, sacraments
EXAMPLE: To achieve the adult role of ‘father’, they will need to learn about relationships with God (to ask for LOTS of help), with others to get assistance, with their own parents (for modeling); life skills of money managment (to provide a stable home) time management (to have enough time to spend with their children); academics to teach their children about the world, provide a living for them, impart a love of the world,
understand their faith and Church teachings to pass on and so on.
It is amazing to me I wrote this the second year I homeschooled and how timeless they are. Nothing really has changed. And I thought I had changed so much all these years. I think I have just defined more about what I really always believed. :)
God Bless,
Cindy
12/13/97
When looking at the goals for our kids, first look at what we want them to be as adults. The potential roles they will have as adults are:
ADULT ROLES MY CHILDREN WILL HAVE
Child of God (their relationship with and purpose for God)
Family Member role: son, brother, grandson, etc.
Spouse role: as husband
Parent role: as father
Church member role
Friend role
Profession role: as employer, employee, manager, etc.
Community Member role
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To achieve these adult roles with personal success, they need to focus on the relationships, skills and academic information necessary to perform them. ( And all of this can be achieved with a love of learning, zest for life and sense of adventure.) Notes on the contents within the three areas follows:
THE TOOLS MY CHILDREN NEED IN LIFE
Relationships:
With God
With self (healthy self concept and physical fitness)
With others
With created things (money, time, work, animals, environment, etc)
With life (love of learning)
With the Church (understanding, living, questioning, active and alive)
Life Skills:
Discipline
Social skills
Business skills
Money management
Household management
Computer skills
Time management
Thinking/logic skills
Individual talents: art, music etc
Academics:
Reading
Writing
Speaking/Communicating
Math
Science
History
Foreign Language
Social Studies
Art
Music
Faith studies: Catholic Church, theology, history, bible, sacraments
EXAMPLE: To achieve the adult role of ‘father’, they will need to learn about relationships with God (to ask for LOTS of help), with others to get assistance, with their own parents (for modeling); life skills of money managment (to provide a stable home) time management (to have enough time to spend with their children); academics to teach their children about the world, provide a living for them, impart a love of the world,
understand their faith and Church teachings to pass on and so on.
Family Goals Circa 1997
Here are the goals I wrote for our family in 1997. Still apply!
God Bless,
Cindy
GOALS OF OUR FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL LIFE 12/12/97
1. To focus on relationships first, with God, family and others.
2. To create and life a family lifestyle of open communication, respect and love.
3. To foster a love of learning, reading, creating and discovering.
4. To involve our children in our lives, life interests and philosophy and world view to give them a model for their own discernment and decision-making.
5. To provide a wide range of opportunities for our children to learn about the world and
to make available rich resources (tools, nature guides, educational games, etc.) as well as “real” family experiences (building projects, pets, outside areas, etc.) instead of providing a sterile lifestyle devoid of such things.
6, To help our children find and nurture their own true interests in life and help them “narrow” their paths as they grow older, to aid them in finding their eventual vocation. (So they might have a clue of their potential life calling by 18 years old, or thereabouts)
7. Educational Style: Live and ‘rich’ lifestyle and nurture the childrens’ interests. Provide lots of good books, and tools for discovery. Build the fundamentals (reading, writing, math) around the interest areas and work on those as the need or desire occurs. Integrate other disciplines (history, social studies, science, etc.) into daily life activities instead of treating as subjects. Look for clues of what the kids enjoy (from what subjects to liking to take a spelling test to make an ‘A’) and feed their fire. Draw from Charlotte Mason, Wisdom’s Way of Learning, Classical Method.
8. Life Skills: Provide discipline through family responsibilities, including chores, group projects, community service, money management, manners, etc. Model behavior and focus on family life and associate responsibilities. Train to take over more and more responsibilities in all areas as growing older. Incorporate other life skills in daily life as well, including: thinking and logic skills, music, art and other individual gifts.
9. To provide our children with a firm family foundation from which to view the world and to provide them a stable place in which to grow and eventually jump off from as they start their own families.
God Bless,
Cindy
GOALS OF OUR FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL LIFE 12/12/97
1. To focus on relationships first, with God, family and others.
2. To create and life a family lifestyle of open communication, respect and love.
3. To foster a love of learning, reading, creating and discovering.
4. To involve our children in our lives, life interests and philosophy and world view to give them a model for their own discernment and decision-making.
5. To provide a wide range of opportunities for our children to learn about the world and
to make available rich resources (tools, nature guides, educational games, etc.) as well as “real” family experiences (building projects, pets, outside areas, etc.) instead of providing a sterile lifestyle devoid of such things.
6, To help our children find and nurture their own true interests in life and help them “narrow” their paths as they grow older, to aid them in finding their eventual vocation. (So they might have a clue of their potential life calling by 18 years old, or thereabouts)
7. Educational Style: Live and ‘rich’ lifestyle and nurture the childrens’ interests. Provide lots of good books, and tools for discovery. Build the fundamentals (reading, writing, math) around the interest areas and work on those as the need or desire occurs. Integrate other disciplines (history, social studies, science, etc.) into daily life activities instead of treating as subjects. Look for clues of what the kids enjoy (from what subjects to liking to take a spelling test to make an ‘A’) and feed their fire. Draw from Charlotte Mason, Wisdom’s Way of Learning, Classical Method.
8. Life Skills: Provide discipline through family responsibilities, including chores, group projects, community service, money management, manners, etc. Model behavior and focus on family life and associate responsibilities. Train to take over more and more responsibilities in all areas as growing older. Incorporate other life skills in daily life as well, including: thinking and logic skills, music, art and other individual gifts.
9. To provide our children with a firm family foundation from which to view the world and to provide them a stable place in which to grow and eventually jump off from as they start their own families.
Back to the Future... 1997 Charting a Course
Hello.
As much as I just LOVE to re-create the wheel, I decided to dig around my old word files and look for my old goals. (Reminds me I need to do another backup... what treasures our PCs can hold!)
I found the notes I made while reading the Elijah article-- about charting my course. This was way back when when my big tall boys were just 4 and 7. Wow.
Elijah Company used to have these articles for free in thier product catalog. I think they sell them now, or maybe you can get them in their new book. Anyway, it was a wonderful guide for me at the time.
This particular Elijah Co. article prompted me to really think about things... what I really believed. It was bascially a 'freewriting' exercise to questions prompted by th Elijah Co articles. Very interesting to read it now. I remember writing it, too. I sat down and just let all my real thoughts come to the surface. A very worthwhile exercise.
God Bless,
Cindy
1 -13- 97
Charting a Course for Home Educating
NOTES ON FAMILY EMPHASIS:
Majors beliefs to impart to kids:
Christian worldview- social issues: abortion, life values. Current events, history. Catholic history, heritage. Social action, leaders understand past and present to effect changes.
Protect children from negative influences until are of an age to make decisions, be critical thinkers and better handle peer pressure. Importance of family as primary relationship, then extend to outside world. Be open and giving to others, but find main support within the family.
Homeschooling is not just teaching certain subjects at home. It is a LIFESTYLE of living together, learning all of life skills of which the academic is a portion. We are not farming our children out for the bulk of the day to hope they get the academic training they need, while getting no time for the other life skills to be taught.
Strong family unit makes strong church and nation, society and world.
Institutional education not the best method, particularly for younger children (ALA Dumbing us Down) Provide means to grow and learn (both personal skills as well as academic skills) in a non-institutional environment. How would John and I be different (in our relationships, educational goals and work) if we had had family schooling instead of institutional? Institution had to wait, wait, wait, be bored and dumb ourselves down to everyone else and the slow pace of a classroom. Would we be more creative, confident, longer attention spans, less concerned with peer pressure, etc.?
NOTES ON TEACHING APPROCHES:
TRADITIONAL: Do not like for the most part. Sj usually balked at the workbooks (at least after the novelty wore off. I liked to be able the see the progress we made, but found when I started early out Hsing I was trying to recreate an institutional env at home and the workbooks were a big part. He hated it. I kept thinking he had to sit down and do these because if he ever went back to school, he would have to do it like the rest of the kids. When I read D us D ( Nov 97) it changed my mind on that. I don’t know if I could ever have the boys sit in an institutional env again.
We had more arguments about getting the work done ( and I always seemed focused on output).
Good part: Much less effort in required in planning and measuring progress. You don’t have to worry about if you are “doing” enough or feel guilty about not doing something.
Question: Do kids need a discipline of doing schoolwork to build up that character quality?
CLASSICAL:
I like the idea of learning the Trivuim (3 stages based on age level) Memorizing, abstract thought, persuasiveness. Based on Latin, Greek and great thinkers. Not much curr available. Perhaps weave it into our curr?
Ideas: Latin studies. Literature on great thinkers in history. Look for critical thinking books?
UNIT STUDIES:
Really like concept of unit studies. See big picture, unstructured, lead by child’s interest. Did KONOS at start of HS. Biggest problem: I would plan, prepare (gather materials and books) for this unit study and he wouldn’t want to do it. So tried letting him lead, that worked sometimes, but then I came more of a slave to him and at what point does a child need to be lead, and have to develop discipline follow a teacher. (I don’t want a self centered spoiled child- my uneasiness with UN schooling).
I felt like I was running myself ragged trying to get all the pieces ready to present to my child. (Reminds me of when I used to prepare reports to the bigwigs at work). Not a good feeling or resulting working relationship.
What is the balance between child-led, and teacher directed activities. If you don’t prepare before hand, how can you do anything when you are ready? If you just let things happen, is your environment rich enough to have things to spark interest? Is the secret enriching your home env and then just hanging out? Make the following: mud puddles, forts, building materials, sewing centers, art centers, workshop, books laying everywhere. Then as ideas come up, jot them down and together make of list of material to collect? Hummm.. How to do this without running Mom ragged. I have enough to do and clean up. The worst is to do it all and then they don’t want to do what you’ve prepared. AAHHRG!
As Chris Davis (Elijah) said, it is a lifestyle and they should live in it- problem is, many people have lifestyles that are too sterile. I think that is how it is here. And I have too much to do to create a “rich env”. Maybe I should just start living one.
I really like unit studies. Need to think about and research this more. Discipline is still an issue. Do you MAKE your child do it? What’s the balance between child-led and no discipline? I WANT ANSWERS! NOW!
LIVING BOOKS, LIFE EXPERIENCES (CHARLOTTE MASON) APPROACH:
I really like her concepts: wonderful literature, bringing kids into real life instead of artifical env. I read her book, problem is really applying this and making it into real life. Little curr avail.
UNSCHOOLING:
I think kids and all people learn the most when they want to ( I know I do) and pursue the areas of their real interest. That’s unschooling. Make a rich env and let them go. But what if you live in a not very rich env. Does the child become self centered?
Do they have any discipline?
Doesn’t teach any formal academics until needed. Interesting. Think about that.
Reading this was a lot like reading an old journal. Reminds of this week when a cyber friend shared a post I had made on the 4real list.... and I was exploring the same issue I had just brought up again.
At any rate, I was very surprised. This has been a real journey for me all these years. Lots of reading, sharing, thinking, praying. It is rather amazing that what I wrote almost 10 years ago is pretty much where I am today.
I think of all the twists and turns I have taken. How I really tried to do a Classical education ala STAA. How I loved Cm, but ended up giving up much of the schedules and techniqes.
Maybe much of what this journey is about is just finding our authentic selves. And helping the dc find theirs.
Another good cyber friend recently told me that she saw me trying to talk myself into unschooling and maybe my natural bent was not there.
I saw that in the last bit on my goals of 1997.
But I have talked myself into a lot of it over the past 3 years. I think because it is authentic. And I have realized that it is not sans disipline, but actually a catylist toward it.
More later,
God Bless,
Cindy
______________________________________________
As much as I just LOVE to re-create the wheel, I decided to dig around my old word files and look for my old goals. (Reminds me I need to do another backup... what treasures our PCs can hold!)
I found the notes I made while reading the Elijah article-- about charting my course. This was way back when when my big tall boys were just 4 and 7. Wow.
Elijah Company used to have these articles for free in thier product catalog. I think they sell them now, or maybe you can get them in their new book. Anyway, it was a wonderful guide for me at the time.
This particular Elijah Co. article prompted me to really think about things... what I really believed. It was bascially a 'freewriting' exercise to questions prompted by th Elijah Co articles. Very interesting to read it now. I remember writing it, too. I sat down and just let all my real thoughts come to the surface. A very worthwhile exercise.
God Bless,
Cindy
1 -13- 97
Charting a Course for Home Educating
NOTES ON FAMILY EMPHASIS:
Majors beliefs to impart to kids:
Christian worldview- social issues: abortion, life values. Current events, history. Catholic history, heritage. Social action, leaders understand past and present to effect changes.
Protect children from negative influences until are of an age to make decisions, be critical thinkers and better handle peer pressure. Importance of family as primary relationship, then extend to outside world. Be open and giving to others, but find main support within the family.
Homeschooling is not just teaching certain subjects at home. It is a LIFESTYLE of living together, learning all of life skills of which the academic is a portion. We are not farming our children out for the bulk of the day to hope they get the academic training they need, while getting no time for the other life skills to be taught.
Strong family unit makes strong church and nation, society and world.
Institutional education not the best method, particularly for younger children (ALA Dumbing us Down) Provide means to grow and learn (both personal skills as well as academic skills) in a non-institutional environment. How would John and I be different (in our relationships, educational goals and work) if we had had family schooling instead of institutional? Institution had to wait, wait, wait, be bored and dumb ourselves down to everyone else and the slow pace of a classroom. Would we be more creative, confident, longer attention spans, less concerned with peer pressure, etc.?
NOTES ON TEACHING APPROCHES:
TRADITIONAL: Do not like for the most part. Sj usually balked at the workbooks (at least after the novelty wore off. I liked to be able the see the progress we made, but found when I started early out Hsing I was trying to recreate an institutional env at home and the workbooks were a big part. He hated it. I kept thinking he had to sit down and do these because if he ever went back to school, he would have to do it like the rest of the kids. When I read D us D ( Nov 97) it changed my mind on that. I don’t know if I could ever have the boys sit in an institutional env again.
We had more arguments about getting the work done ( and I always seemed focused on output).
Good part: Much less effort in required in planning and measuring progress. You don’t have to worry about if you are “doing” enough or feel guilty about not doing something.
Question: Do kids need a discipline of doing schoolwork to build up that character quality?
CLASSICAL:
I like the idea of learning the Trivuim (3 stages based on age level) Memorizing, abstract thought, persuasiveness. Based on Latin, Greek and great thinkers. Not much curr available. Perhaps weave it into our curr?
Ideas: Latin studies. Literature on great thinkers in history. Look for critical thinking books?
UNIT STUDIES:
Really like concept of unit studies. See big picture, unstructured, lead by child’s interest. Did KONOS at start of HS. Biggest problem: I would plan, prepare (gather materials and books) for this unit study and he wouldn’t want to do it. So tried letting him lead, that worked sometimes, but then I came more of a slave to him and at what point does a child need to be lead, and have to develop discipline follow a teacher. (I don’t want a self centered spoiled child- my uneasiness with UN schooling).
I felt like I was running myself ragged trying to get all the pieces ready to present to my child. (Reminds me of when I used to prepare reports to the bigwigs at work). Not a good feeling or resulting working relationship.
What is the balance between child-led, and teacher directed activities. If you don’t prepare before hand, how can you do anything when you are ready? If you just let things happen, is your environment rich enough to have things to spark interest? Is the secret enriching your home env and then just hanging out? Make the following: mud puddles, forts, building materials, sewing centers, art centers, workshop, books laying everywhere. Then as ideas come up, jot them down and together make of list of material to collect? Hummm.. How to do this without running Mom ragged. I have enough to do and clean up. The worst is to do it all and then they don’t want to do what you’ve prepared. AAHHRG!
As Chris Davis (Elijah) said, it is a lifestyle and they should live in it- problem is, many people have lifestyles that are too sterile. I think that is how it is here. And I have too much to do to create a “rich env”. Maybe I should just start living one.
I really like unit studies. Need to think about and research this more. Discipline is still an issue. Do you MAKE your child do it? What’s the balance between child-led and no discipline? I WANT ANSWERS! NOW!
LIVING BOOKS, LIFE EXPERIENCES (CHARLOTTE MASON) APPROACH:
I really like her concepts: wonderful literature, bringing kids into real life instead of artifical env. I read her book, problem is really applying this and making it into real life. Little curr avail.
UNSCHOOLING:
I think kids and all people learn the most when they want to ( I know I do) and pursue the areas of their real interest. That’s unschooling. Make a rich env and let them go. But what if you live in a not very rich env. Does the child become self centered?
Do they have any discipline?
Doesn’t teach any formal academics until needed. Interesting. Think about that.
Reading this was a lot like reading an old journal. Reminds of this week when a cyber friend shared a post I had made on the 4real list.... and I was exploring the same issue I had just brought up again.
At any rate, I was very surprised. This has been a real journey for me all these years. Lots of reading, sharing, thinking, praying. It is rather amazing that what I wrote almost 10 years ago is pretty much where I am today.
I think of all the twists and turns I have taken. How I really tried to do a Classical education ala STAA. How I loved Cm, but ended up giving up much of the schedules and techniqes.
Maybe much of what this journey is about is just finding our authentic selves. And helping the dc find theirs.
Another good cyber friend recently told me that she saw me trying to talk myself into unschooling and maybe my natural bent was not there.
I saw that in the last bit on my goals of 1997.
But I have talked myself into a lot of it over the past 3 years. I think because it is authentic. And I have realized that it is not sans disipline, but actually a catylist toward it.
More later,
God Bless,
Cindy
______________________________________________
The Knowledge Party
Good Morning!
I want my boys to have a positive relationship with knowledge.
That means to me, knowing how to learn, enjoying learning and having the confidence that they can learn what ever they need to when they need to.
Looking back on the past 10 years, I feel that we have accomplished that. Some influences that helped me greatly along that road were Charlotte Mason- especially her tenets of respecting the child and of the atmosphere of the home.
Through her I learned how to bring beauty into the home- and create a rich atmosphere. Oh, when the boys were younger... we did so many wonderful read alouds. Had so many wonderful nature studies, our backpacks full of microscopes and ziplock bags.... and explored museums and antique shops (some just plain junk stores..)---
I was not much of a reader growing up and to me learning meant the sterile classroom. That was until college where I really began to see how to apply myself. But CM showed me how to make life learning-- to have books around and really delve into them and make them a part of my life. Susan Schaeffer McCaully was another great influence in For the Children's Sake.
It is no exaggeration to say I got my true second education while homeschooling my children. I rarely read for pleasure until I started with my boys. And I knew next to nothing about history. I taught myself to read before I started kindergarten. So I know the innate desire is there.
So- I feel that creating this home rich in atmosphere of learning has really set the tone of our home and am so thankful... very, very thankful I found homeschooling and then Charlotte Mason.
CM has a set of things she feels is knowledge worth knowing. I have read her syllabi- and actually reading it tells me that it is all up for grabs. She, for example, will stress English History. Well, that is not really so necessary for my American boys. Also, she was running schools. I think there was still pressure to cover certain areas, though Cm knew that you could not force a child to learn. She knew that the child had to form their own relationship with the knowledge.
But, Cm actively set out the table.. Presented the feast. Led the 'horse to water' to let them drink, if they so desired. However she did have requirements. Do those requirements apply to me and my dc? I think we need to find our own version of the 'what' and 'how' though I never have strayed far from the philosophies of learning and human nature that she professes.
So, what 'knowledge' do I set the table with? I believe more each year that the scope and sequence is a myth. Again, are we trying to work toward a career, or help our dc find various avenues of learning. Stretch their minds. Give them a liberal education.
The knowledge party... want to give it, but who to invite? How to know when to go home?
More later.. gotta clean up the kitchen.
God Bless,
Cindy
I want my boys to have a positive relationship with knowledge.
That means to me, knowing how to learn, enjoying learning and having the confidence that they can learn what ever they need to when they need to.
Looking back on the past 10 years, I feel that we have accomplished that. Some influences that helped me greatly along that road were Charlotte Mason- especially her tenets of respecting the child and of the atmosphere of the home.
Through her I learned how to bring beauty into the home- and create a rich atmosphere. Oh, when the boys were younger... we did so many wonderful read alouds. Had so many wonderful nature studies, our backpacks full of microscopes and ziplock bags.... and explored museums and antique shops (some just plain junk stores..)---
I was not much of a reader growing up and to me learning meant the sterile classroom. That was until college where I really began to see how to apply myself. But CM showed me how to make life learning-- to have books around and really delve into them and make them a part of my life. Susan Schaeffer McCaully was another great influence in For the Children's Sake.
It is no exaggeration to say I got my true second education while homeschooling my children. I rarely read for pleasure until I started with my boys. And I knew next to nothing about history. I taught myself to read before I started kindergarten. So I know the innate desire is there.
So- I feel that creating this home rich in atmosphere of learning has really set the tone of our home and am so thankful... very, very thankful I found homeschooling and then Charlotte Mason.
CM has a set of things she feels is knowledge worth knowing. I have read her syllabi- and actually reading it tells me that it is all up for grabs. She, for example, will stress English History. Well, that is not really so necessary for my American boys. Also, she was running schools. I think there was still pressure to cover certain areas, though Cm knew that you could not force a child to learn. She knew that the child had to form their own relationship with the knowledge.
But, Cm actively set out the table.. Presented the feast. Led the 'horse to water' to let them drink, if they so desired. However she did have requirements. Do those requirements apply to me and my dc? I think we need to find our own version of the 'what' and 'how' though I never have strayed far from the philosophies of learning and human nature that she professes.
So, what 'knowledge' do I set the table with? I believe more each year that the scope and sequence is a myth. Again, are we trying to work toward a career, or help our dc find various avenues of learning. Stretch their minds. Give them a liberal education.
The knowledge party... want to give it, but who to invite? How to know when to go home?
More later.. gotta clean up the kitchen.
God Bless,
Cindy
Relationship with Knowledge
(or Philolophy of Homeschooling Part II)
I ended the last post wondering what it is I am trying to achieve with my dc.
Number one: A strong family and relationship with God.
The rest is just gravy.
But it is good gravy!
In reading about the saints (recognized and not) I see that many are not educated. In fact education can ruin lives. (oh! a radical statement I know)
I am reading The Imitation of Christ and Thomas a Kempis talks about not seeking after the wisdom of the world. He says this knowing that men's pride and be their downfall. I know we have all seen it happen in our modern world as well.
But on the contrary, God gave us intelligence and will. Wonderful things can be done with education. It can make the world a better place. Maybe in a way education is like money. It can be used for good and can also be used for not.
I am finding that for me the balance is to recognize education for what it is. There is a great pressure in our world to get to college and get a 'big job' as elderly relative put it.
Perhaps the stress should not be on what our dc can become in terms of their profession, but instead where God will lead them if they have a good relationship with knowledge.
Hum. I think I am onto something.
Ok:
Goal Number Two:
A good relationship with knowledge.
How do we help our children acheive this?
I think it begins by not making 'education' out to be more than it should. Help our children know themselves, know their strengths and where they might see themselves one day.
Introduce them to many varied jobs, careers and people so they can see some paths others have taken before.
Introduce them to books
Out of time.. more later!
God Bless,
Cindy
I ended the last post wondering what it is I am trying to achieve with my dc.
Number one: A strong family and relationship with God.
The rest is just gravy.
But it is good gravy!
In reading about the saints (recognized and not) I see that many are not educated. In fact education can ruin lives. (oh! a radical statement I know)
I am reading The Imitation of Christ and Thomas a Kempis talks about not seeking after the wisdom of the world. He says this knowing that men's pride and be their downfall. I know we have all seen it happen in our modern world as well.
But on the contrary, God gave us intelligence and will. Wonderful things can be done with education. It can make the world a better place. Maybe in a way education is like money. It can be used for good and can also be used for not.
I am finding that for me the balance is to recognize education for what it is. There is a great pressure in our world to get to college and get a 'big job' as elderly relative put it.
Perhaps the stress should not be on what our dc can become in terms of their profession, but instead where God will lead them if they have a good relationship with knowledge.
Hum. I think I am onto something.
Ok:
Goal Number Two:
A good relationship with knowledge.
How do we help our children acheive this?
I think it begins by not making 'education' out to be more than it should. Help our children know themselves, know their strengths and where they might see themselves one day.
Introduce them to many varied jobs, careers and people so they can see some paths others have taken before.
Introduce them to books
Out of time.. more later!
God Bless,
Cindy
Philosophy of homeschooling
Good Day,
I remember when I used to lead a Charlotte Mason group with my good friend. For five years we would get up on a monthly basis and talk about what we had learned about the Charlotte Mason method and then have some awesome discussions with the moms in attendance. These meetings were very supportive in nature and naturally tended to new moms searching for a way, or veteren moms who were looking for refreshment. I think the greatest affirmation I got from these meetings was that moms came away refreshed. I always did as well.
Often the talk would lean toward philosophies. Many new homeschoolers would look up with blank stares when this came up. How in the world could they form a philosophy? Just keeping the house together, little ones happy and planning the schedules were enough to fill their day and more.
We would talk about the vaccuum effect. That if there was no underlying philsophy or belief *something* would come in to take its place. For many moms (me included, in my early years) that something was 'school-at-home'. It is the natural choice, since most of us grew up with that sort of education and that is the method the world will grace as 'valid'.
So, it is worth the time to think about philosphy and methods and what we really believe.
I think I am at this crux with my homeschooling.
All these questions will also take a bent with each individual child. The answers may be different by child and family.
How do kids learn best?
How does my child learn best?
What am I homeschooling?
What are my ultimate goals?
What do I want them to know? Why?
What 'subjects' are important enough for me to insist they know?
Why do I want them to know these things? To satsify me? To benefit them? To satisfy an outside world demand (or percieved demand)?
When I first began homeschooling I read The Elijah Catalog (Chris and Ellyn Davis) and their many articles on goals. They began with the Stephen Covey method of looking at the end. What is it we want our children to be when they are adults?
I found that the journey is really about relationships. That makes complete sense with our faith and Christ's teachings. If our children can develop strong relationships with God, themselves, their family- they can achive rise to the roles they will embrace in adulthood: Child of God, spouse, friend, parent, etc.
I remember the goals I had first written out when I began homeschooling. They had things such as 'learn times tables by 3rd grade' and such listed.
After reading Elijah and other sources and much contemplation and realized my goals were really inverted. At the top I had academics. Things that would be seen- measures that I had learned as a child.
Instead I saw that it was about the process and relationships. The relationships are with God, people and the world, including knowledge.
I revised my goals, that year - in 1997- and if I pull them out to read them now, they are really still the same.
After I wrote those I became Catholic and growing in my faith I see the goals are not contrary, but supported even more by our faith.
Given this journey, I have come to define my philosophy as one where the children are able to develop a relationship with learning. Charlotte Mason is a great fit in this and her writings offer wonderful ideas, especially in terms of philosophy.
As a parent, I know my vocation is to lead and mentor my children and bring them beauty. Discipline plays an important part here, but not neccesarily in doing table lessons, but in dealing with all relationships. Virtues are really the goal: kindness, honesty, caring, respect.
This journey and the resources I have found have helped me in a large way to define my philosophy. It can be difficult with all the messages that can bombard homeschoolers.
The latest 'new' method can be seen as the panacea. But panacea to what?
What is it we are trying to achieve with our children?
God Bless,
Cindy
I remember when I used to lead a Charlotte Mason group with my good friend. For five years we would get up on a monthly basis and talk about what we had learned about the Charlotte Mason method and then have some awesome discussions with the moms in attendance. These meetings were very supportive in nature and naturally tended to new moms searching for a way, or veteren moms who were looking for refreshment. I think the greatest affirmation I got from these meetings was that moms came away refreshed. I always did as well.
Often the talk would lean toward philosophies. Many new homeschoolers would look up with blank stares when this came up. How in the world could they form a philosophy? Just keeping the house together, little ones happy and planning the schedules were enough to fill their day and more.
We would talk about the vaccuum effect. That if there was no underlying philsophy or belief *something* would come in to take its place. For many moms (me included, in my early years) that something was 'school-at-home'. It is the natural choice, since most of us grew up with that sort of education and that is the method the world will grace as 'valid'.
So, it is worth the time to think about philosphy and methods and what we really believe.
I think I am at this crux with my homeschooling.
All these questions will also take a bent with each individual child. The answers may be different by child and family.
How do kids learn best?
How does my child learn best?
What am I homeschooling?
What are my ultimate goals?
What do I want them to know? Why?
What 'subjects' are important enough for me to insist they know?
Why do I want them to know these things? To satsify me? To benefit them? To satisfy an outside world demand (or percieved demand)?
When I first began homeschooling I read The Elijah Catalog (Chris and Ellyn Davis) and their many articles on goals. They began with the Stephen Covey method of looking at the end. What is it we want our children to be when they are adults?
I found that the journey is really about relationships. That makes complete sense with our faith and Christ's teachings. If our children can develop strong relationships with God, themselves, their family- they can achive rise to the roles they will embrace in adulthood: Child of God, spouse, friend, parent, etc.
I remember the goals I had first written out when I began homeschooling. They had things such as 'learn times tables by 3rd grade' and such listed.
After reading Elijah and other sources and much contemplation and realized my goals were really inverted. At the top I had academics. Things that would be seen- measures that I had learned as a child.
Instead I saw that it was about the process and relationships. The relationships are with God, people and the world, including knowledge.
I revised my goals, that year - in 1997- and if I pull them out to read them now, they are really still the same.
After I wrote those I became Catholic and growing in my faith I see the goals are not contrary, but supported even more by our faith.
Given this journey, I have come to define my philosophy as one where the children are able to develop a relationship with learning. Charlotte Mason is a great fit in this and her writings offer wonderful ideas, especially in terms of philosophy.
As a parent, I know my vocation is to lead and mentor my children and bring them beauty. Discipline plays an important part here, but not neccesarily in doing table lessons, but in dealing with all relationships. Virtues are really the goal: kindness, honesty, caring, respect.
This journey and the resources I have found have helped me in a large way to define my philosophy. It can be difficult with all the messages that can bombard homeschoolers.
The latest 'new' method can be seen as the panacea. But panacea to what?
What is it we are trying to achieve with our children?
God Bless,
Cindy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Welcome to Our Blog!
Blessings to you and yours
Most of the Kelly Family (dh holding camera)
About Us
- Cindy
- Texas, United States
- We are all on a journey, and this blog's reason for existence is to be a place to put mine. From humble suburbian begnnings just north of Dallas to a Catholic unschooler with a passion for faith, lifelong learning, my family and dogs, here I stand before you. Welcome to my world!
I love Dog Day Afternoons...