The Impatient Homeschooler

By Gena Suarez

I have learned something about myself over the years. I keep thinking maybe this will be the day (or year?) I'll "get a hold" of a certain issue and fix it. And my problem is a spiritual one--many problems are. It has to do with patience: you know, "long-suffering." Whether it's with my husband and kids, or with those whom I work, or patience with my current situation (whatever that may be at the moment), the quandary is still the same. I'm not even patient with myself; I notice I scowl even when I make mistakes that can't be helped. I'm impatient.

In the past, I have wondered about patience. Some people come across really unruffled, calm, and carefree. Even if they are going through a crisis or their lives are turned upside down, somehow they are marked by patience, demonstrating an even-tempered and soft approach to their problems. I've often thought, well, it comes natural to some, but others (like me) have to work at being patient. Some of us don't have that natural talent. But is it a talent? And how *does* one "work at being patient"?

Interestingly, in recent days, it's starting to come together. No, I'm not more patient. But I've discovered how to be.

It goes back to God's Word, the Bible. He has given us lots and lots of scriptural points of reference and I'm starting to think that a number of different issues are only seemingly not the same. In reality, they're tied together. I'm talking about waiting on the Lord, exhibiting self-control as well as not succumbing to anxiousness or fear going hand in hand with being a patient person. Let me explain.

I worry about everything.

Even though God's Word actually commands us to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6), I blow it almost every time. If a crisis is on the horizon, even a small one, I'm shaking in my boots. Usually if I'm stressed, it's over money. TOS is a high-overhead company. Our staff/payroll costs are astronomical. It's incredible what goes on behind the scenes of the magazine to "make it happen." And while I will say over and over that TOS is the Lord's company, and His magazine, when things get rough (like payroll is due) I keep snatching what's His back into my hot restless hands, milling it 'round and about and sweating over it. Yuck. Why do I do this? I'm impatient.

God says to wait on Him. He says a lot in His Word about waiting, in fact, and we'll talk more about that below. It's so easy to spiral down into "need to worry" mode about things, even though the Lord has told us over and over in His Word that He is in control. That means COMPLETE control. He doesn't need Gena to come along and try to fix things, and worrying or becoming anxious over any of it is only a hindrance to my peace of mind. It does not bring Him glory.

I take matters into my own hands.

I have this personality trait that is good yet can be very bad. I'm highly functional even though I have too much going on. I can multi-task very rapidly and somehow keep things moving at a swift pace. But that can have its downfalls, too, if not placed in the right perspective --in light of God's Word. See, when I really should be waiting on the Lord, being still and resting in Him (since after all, He does take care of EVERYTHING in His time), I jump the gun and try to make events happen. It's kind of like a matchmaker who really should mind her own business instead of trying to rush romance. Not that I've ever matched anyone up. But still--you get the idea. I (impatiently) get my hands in there whipping things around like a mini tornado, trying to "make it happen." God doesn't want me doing that. He wants me to move, to walk, to work hard, but not to rush what He is trying to do in my life. I have to remember that His timing is perfect. It is good and it is right. My timing is muddled and imperfect at best, and by getting myself in the way of His plan, I make myself a hindrance. Taking His work, whatever that may be, behind the scenes, and attempting to hijack it and then cram it through a blender to make it happen in MY time and MY way does not bring Him glory. It's just an icky, impatient milkshake by the time I'm done with it. He has things under control . . . always did. Still does.

I snap.

Sometimes I'm not very nice. I snap at Paul. I scold the kids a little too loudly or rush to make them mind. Don't get me wrong; we have our light, sweet times too. I love my family dearly. But I'm not what you'd call the perfect mommy/wife/homeschooler, far from it. In fact, I more represent the impatient homeschooler during times I am not letting myself be led by the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Impatience and a snapping lack of self-control are not. These things do not bring Him glory.

I faint. I am weary.

Are we supposed to faint? I don't mean physically; I mean spiritually. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Apparently, we're not supposed to faint dead away (or throw in the towel). We're to keep walking, but how? God's Word teaches us that if we are WAITING ON THE LORD (key word --wait), He will meet us right there in that waiting place. He will never leave us. This means impatience is out; waiting is in. The more I worry, take matters into my own hands, and wring my hands with frustration (over whatever my "issue" is at hand), the more I realize how impatient I am. This is just a hindrance to my own peace of mind, and it does not bring Him glory.

"I give up."

How many times have I silently shrugged my shoulders and muttered these words. Shameful. No, we do NOT give up. What does God's Word say? Is life supposed to be an easy street, or are there also trials to build our character and make us more like Christ? Are we to sit down in the dirt and die? Of course not. Second Corinthians 4:8 tells us, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair." This is true. There will be times we are perplexed or curious over what the Lord is doing. "Why, O God?!" we cry out. There will be troubles in this world, but we're not to fear; we are not to sink into despair. He has already overcome this world, we are His, and yes, we can WAIT on Him as He will protect us and take care of us. He has given us His Word. Read it and take note of His utmost care for us--if you think you are a good parent, He's an even better one. His eye is on you all the time just like yours is on your sleeping infant. I remember holding little Chloe while she was sleeping once. She was on her back, in my arms, but only just barely asleep. Every few minutes, she'd open her sleepy little eyes and peer up at me; it seemed she was making sure I was still there, gazing down at her. When she'd look up, there I still was. I wasn't going anywhere and she could be assured of it. When you look up, there He is too. Your loving Father will never leave you. He won't leave me either, so why am I so impatient? Why do I resort to "giving up" mode when I'm frustrated? It only hinders (again) my peace. No, I won't give up, nor will I despair. His Word tells me I will not. I believe Him. And I want to bring Him glory.

I don't choose joy.

You know what the irony here is? Lukey, our now 20-year-old, was our little scowler when he was 3 years old. We were always telling him, "Lukey, choose joy." It was our way of reminding him during a given "3-year-old mad episode" that he was to be a joyful boy and not be malcontent. Our friends even came to his birthday party and in his card, wrote the words "Dear Lukey, choose joy." It was a laughing moment for all of us because that little phrase was SO commonly used with little Lukey. But here I am, someone who knows that I should walk in joy because of my very salvation, not to mention everything I have seen the Lord do in my life. But when things go wrong, I worry. I fret. I am impatient and unwilling to wait (after all, my timing is better since I'm the poor soul going through the trial, right--wouldn't I be the best judge?). But what does Habakkuk 3:17-18 say? Amazingly, it's this: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Ummm, wow. For the most part, for our family and business, the figurative "fig trees," do blossom. And "fruit" is on the vine at some point in the game, and the "olives" come (even though they're usually late). Our "fields yield meat" (so to speak), and even if it doesn't happen fast enough in MY timetable, there are eventually "herds in the stalls," not to mention the "flocks are still in the fold!" In other words, God does provide. He never lets us down. But look at Habakkuk! Even if the figs NEVER come, we are to be walking in JOY. We are to be rejoicing in the Lord because of who He is and because of what He has done. He is our Holy God, our Savior. He does take care of us, but even if we have to wait what seems like an eternity to have things work right again, or to pay some bill, or to fix a relationship, we should be content to know that He is working things out behind the scenes and just WALK with Him in joy.

Besides, what does Romans 5:3-4 say? Check this out: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope . . . ," and we all know that hope in Christ does not disappoint, does it? So in our trials we find patience IF we are seeking God's Word. How can I become the PATIENT homeschooler? I think I just figured it out. My afflictions are working patience in me. I have lots of experiences I can some day pass on to others; I have hope (His Word!) I can offer. I don't have to be the impatient homeschooler at all.

It's all tied together! Whether I'm nit-picking at my family, angry at myself for some goofy error, scared and anxious over my circumstances that I have no control over anyway, or simply frustrated with God's timing, it all boils down to a lack of patience on my part--an unwillingness to wait on the Lord. The fact that I refuse to wait on Him actually DEMONSTRATES impatience. How awful. I don't want to be plagued by that reality. By the way, do you know what the definition of "patience" even is? It's pretty simple and it's what God asks of us. Ready for this? Patience: willing to endure. Are we willing to endure? To endure, by the way, is to "stick it out." To survive, to subject oneself to another (in this case, to God and His plan for our lives--yes, during the burdensome AND the easier times). Not only that, but consider the spirit we have been given by God Himself. Read Romans 8:15. It's clearly stated that we have not received a spirit of slavery, which leads to fear. No! We have received the Spirit of ADOPTION. We are sons and daughters of the living God, our wise King. "Abba! Father!" is what we say, when we start to feel ourselves slipping into fear. Daddy God! That's right--He is your Parent, your Dad. And He hears. He will never leave us any more than we would abandon our own little one. We can peer up at Him like Chloe did with her earthly parent (Mommy) and find Him there, gazing back on us. We're in His arms too.

Lord, make me endure joyfully even through my sorrowful times. The righteous DO endure to the end. My heart is willing; I am resolved to bear the hardships and trials You deem necessary for my life. Build my character as I abide in You. Cause me to remember what You showed us in James 5:10--that we should look to the prophets of old who spoke Your Name as an example of patience and suffering. They abided in You because they knew You. And since You have called me (and know me), I want to endure in all things, great and small, also to the end as they did.

Today I choose peace.

Waiting on Him is pure peace and He blesses those who do it; He smiles on those who persevere (with rejoicing) through the trials He brings us. Waiting on the Lord is an act of worship and a symbol of our faith. I will choose to be joyful in all things, no matter the tribulation. When difficulties come I may cry for the moment, but immediately thereafter I must look up and press onward because there waiting for me is the very strength that the Lord Himself renews in me. (Isaiah 40: 31) I won't faint nor will I walk in weariness. I will bring Him glory.

Not perfect. But ever enthusiastic.

I need to be eager to read His Word and obey it. I am not the perfect homeschool mommy or beautiful, adoring wife. Think about your toddlers, though. Remember how they would traipse around behind you, following you as you were doing your chores, wanting to help? They were so eager to please. Their work was kinda crummy by adult standards, but their hearts were right there with ours. They wanted to please us--to bless us (even though they made more of a mess than anything else). We have to be that way with the Lord, our Parent. We don't get it all right. But we can follow after Him and try. We can obey His Word and even after messing up, get back up again and run after Him. Of course, He is there with us with arms outstretched, ready to let us try ever again. He dusts us off and sets us on the right path (through His Word, the Bible). He is the Perfect Homeschooler, isn't He? His kindness--His PATIENCE--drives me to want to bring Him glory.

Psalm 37:24: "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." He will hold you up! He will not let you spiral downward. You might free-fall for a bit, but listen, as you do it, REJOICE IN HIM. Rest in Him. Be still. He is in control even if it doesn't feel like it. Feelings are subjective at times! Lean on Him (yes, even as you are falling). Forsake your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and trust in Him with all your heart instead.

Psalm 55:22: "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Cast your cares on Him, friends. He hears you. He sees your trials and He knows them even better than you do. He holds the timing in His Hand, too, to relieve you of them. Be patient. Let Him work behind the scenes. Trust the Lord; trust Him. He is trustworthy.

Love to you all and abiding in Him right along with you.

Paul and Gena Suarez reside in Gray, Tennessee, or Northern California (depending on when you ask!), where they homeschool(ed) their six children: Paul (22), Luke (20), Levi (18), Julia Rachel (15), Susanna Hope (4) and Chloe Abigail (2). They enjoy long country drives in the van while listening to books on CD, hanging out with good friends, and staying up late. By the grace of God, the Suarez family founded and continues to publish The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC.

Copyright, 2011. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally published by The Old Schoolhouse^® October 31, 2011. Visit The Old Schoolhouse^® at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com to view a full-length sample copy of the magazine especially for homeschoolers. Click the graphic of the moving computer monitor on the left. Email the Publisher at Publisher@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.

How We Learn

Well, we’re already halfway through our first 5-week session of schooling for this year and  what a hectic time it’s been with both mine & my sister’s birthdays 5 days apart and Oma returning from Ireland for good. I can’t believe we’re almost at the end of January again.

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Last year we converted one room into a classroom. Initially the boys were happy to sit at their desks, but then, with the schoolwork added, they very quickly felt like they were at school & the dislike to being their started. Towards the end of last year, Jesse described it as being let out of jail when we took them out of school, but then just being put straight back into jail with the schoolbooks. Then I allowed them to find themselves a comfortable spot & the classroom was deserted for the remainder of the year. This year we’ve done away with the “school at home” approach since that just had us all totally stressed out and frustrated already half way through last year.

We started off last year with our brand new classroom which in the meantime has had some minor changes and at this stage only Misha uses it. Jesse does most of his learning on his PC in his room or on dad’s iPad and my Galaxy Tab.

I recently discovered Reading Eggs, a reading program for kids up to 13 years old. I signed Misha up for the 2 week trial & it seems to have him all excited over learning to read. Of course he’s been sitting under Jesse’s desk with his laptop doing Reading Eggs for hours ever since I’ve signed him up. He’s already done 20 lessons since he started on Thursday, which for him is a major achievement. Now all I still need to find is similar programs for his other subjects, then school for us would be a breeze. However, for right now, I think I’ll let him stick to the Reading Eggs to improve his reading further before I start worrying about all those other subjects that are still waiting. I think it’s more important to conquer the reading anyway. Once that’s sorted the other subjects will be so much easier for him to master. If Reading Eggs continues to tickle his interest, I’m sure he’ll be up to his grade required reading speed before the end of this year.

Thanks to Mel’s recent blog post on reading & how to motivate them, he turned Jesse’s desk into his reading tent. Who said you must sit at a desk to learn? Misha’s converted Jesse’s desk into a reading tent. This is cool & works for him, so I’m happy and Misha’s learning. I’m happy to see that he’s much more confident reading out loud as well as making his own sentences. He’s also making up stories now, something he refused to do before.

I’m also going to be doing The Story of the World 1 with them this year. Thus far I’ve done quite a bit of reading for them. We also picked up the guitar lessons again. Amazingly enough though, this year they are showing more interest. Jesse’s already started to learn to play his first songs today. For the past few days he’s been practising about 3 times a day as opposed to last year when it was a drag to get them to focus. I’m quite sure Misha will follow suite as soon as he notices Jesse moving getting better. I’m happy I left it at that because now they’re motivating themselves to continue.

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I’ve taken a similar approach to Jesse’s other subjects, since forcing him just produces more resistance. Pretty much left him for the first few weeks this year & now he seems to be starting to pick up his studies on his own. Although it’s not all that easy, I am learning to trust him that he will learn in due time when he’s ready.   

Give Thanks!

A Unit Study About Gratefulness

By Donna Rees, Managing Editor

As homeschooling families, we have the opportunity daily to nurture Godly character in our children, both by example and via instruction. Gratefulness is a character quality that is pleasing to God. We know this because throughout His Word, in both the Old and New Testaments, He tells us to be thankful people, to give thanks, in verses such as these:

• “Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.” (1 Chronicles 16:8)

• “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

• “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.” (Psalm 92:1)

Gratefulness is a demonstration of humility, which God commands us to seek. (See Zephaniah 2:3, 1 Peter 5:5, Matthew 18:4, James 4:6, Micah 6:8, and 2 Chronicles 7:14.) As we express gratitude, we acknowledge the benefits we have received from others, whether those are tangible benefits such as food and clothing or intangible ones such as prayer support. To give thanks is to remove the focus from myself and deliberately to honor others, to highly esteem them and thus encourage them. These are choices that please our heavenly Father and bless others. (See 1 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 3:13, 2 Corinthians 9:7, and Jude 3.)

Although the possibilities are unlimited, here are a few ways that you could learn about giving thanks in your school.

Bible

The Word of God is the best starting point for any subject, and it certainly is the best starting point for this study!

• Teach your students how to use a Strong’s Concordance. Identify and list all of the verses that use these words: thanks, thankfulness, thankful, grateful, gratitude, and thanksgiving. Together, look up these verses and read them out loud. Based on what you learn from these verses, compose an excellent definition of gratefulness.

• Identify, list, read, and discuss accounts in the Bible in which individuals or groups of people expressed their gratitude. How, why, when, and where did they express their gratitude? How can you apply in your life the wisdom gained through observation of their examples? Is it acceptable for individuals to express gratitude in different ways? Discuss your answers.

• Younger students: Memorize a short Psalm of thanksgiving. Think up simple hand motions that would illustrate the message to carry out as the Psalm is quoted to others.

• Older students: Select a favorite Psalm and do a thorough word study of the main verbs used in that Psalm, recording the Hebrew words and their definitions. How can he/she personally apply what has been learned through the study of that Psalm—this week?

• When did Jesus give thanks? Locate all of the verses in the Bible that record accounts of situations in which the Lord Jesus gave thanks. Design a poster that includes the passage reference, a simple description of the thanksgiving Jesus expressed, and an appropriate illustration.

• The Old Testament records several accounts of situations in which Godly leaders spoke words of repentance, thanksgiving, praise, and worship to God. Read and study these passages with the goals of (1) learning how to better express praise and thanksgiving to God yourself, (2) gaining wisdom, and (3) gaining knowledge about Godly individuals, especially Godly leaders who demonstrated the character quality of gratefulness with their words and actions.

• http://www.sundayschoolsources.com/classmat/thankfulworksheet.htm—A simple worksheet “Be Ye Thankful” in which the student is provided with fill-in-the-blank Scripture verses that answer the following questions: Who gives thanks? When? Why? How? By whose authority? For what? What else is it called?

• http://www.sundayschoolsources.com/classmat/im_thankful_for.htm—A printable worksheet for younger children, in which they match a drawing to a phrase that describes something to be thankful for

• Several websites provide instruction about how to write a psalm of praise or thanksgiving, including these: www.provenmen.org/framework/index.php?page=how-to-write-a-psalm (for older students and adults) http://web.archive.org/web/20081202105402/http://www.jim-street.com/node/73, and www.harvestime.org/Psalms/WriteYourOwnPsalm.pdf.

History and Geography

• Learn why, how, when, and by whom the Statue of Liberty was created and presented to the United States. How is this statue a symbol of gratefulness?

• Visit www.waymarking.com/and review the entries listed in the category titled “Gifts From Other Countries.” Find out which of these gifts were expressions of gratitude from one country to another. Do further research about these gifts and the countries in which they are located.

• Learn about various cultural expressions of gratitude and the history behind those expressions. For example, in many countries bowing symbolizes honor and gratitude. How did the tradition of bowing get started? When a person bows, is it always an expression of gratitude?

• Thanksgiving Day—The United States is not the only country that celebrates Thanksgiving Day. Find out which other countries have designated a special day of thanksgiving, why, and what traditions are carried out on that holiday.

• From the library, gather books, CDs, and videos that introduce your children to the reasons we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States. There are numerous websites and resources that can provide you with educational, fun activities to learn about Thanksgiving. Here are just a few: www.dltkholidays.com/thanksgiving/index.html, www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/thanksgiving, and www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/.

• Ask one or more of your younger children to create a “Box of Blessings.” Either you or their older siblings can assist them in decorating a shoebox or small cardboard box that has a lid. Cut a slot in the lid. Invite family members to contribute to the box daily by briefly describing things they are thankful for. You may read these entries aloud daily, weekly, or on Thanksgiving Day. You could easily use a “Jar of Blessings,” which might be more appealing, since everyone could then observe how the pile of blessings in the jar grows!

Handwriting

• Use Psalms of thanksgiving from the Bible as copy work with which to practice excellent handwriting.

• Collect your five favourite quotes about gratitude. Display them on an attractive poster. This could be an individual assignment, or it could be a fun family project, with each family member contributing his or her favourite quote to the poster/display. Here are a few sample quotes; there are many to choose from.

“Thou hast given so much to me. . . . Give me one thing more—a grateful heart.”

—George Herbert

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

—G. K. Chesterton

“Oh, that I could dedicate my all to God. This is all the return I can make Him.”

—David Livingstone

• Use your best handwriting to copy the definitions of gratitude, thanksgiving, and thankfulness, as found in the 1828 edition of Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (www.1828.mshaffer.com).

Language/Language Arts

• As a family, learn how to say “thank you” in at least five different languages, including sign language. Get a book from the library that provides this information, or check out these websites for assistance: www.etailersdigest.com/greetings/saythanks.htm, http://web.archive.org/web/20110723114654/http://users.elite.net/runner/jennifers/thankyou.htm, and www.wikihow.com/Say-Thanks-in-Different-Languages.

• Take a class to learn how to make your own cards. Many scrapbooking shops and libraries offer such classes, and usually the only cost involved is the cost of the materials used. Make a thank-you card for someone who is not expecting to receive it!

• Sponsor a card-making party at your house. Invite an adult who loves to make cards (and who loves children too) to come to your home to share her knowledge with young card-makers.

• Learn about the elements of a letter (heading, salutation, body, closing signature). Check out this creative, free resource, titled “Letter Generator,” for use by your younger students: www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/letter-generator-30005.html. Ask each of your students to write a letter to a neighbour, friend, or relative, expressing his or her gratitude for that person’s friendship or example of excellent character. Encourage each child to describe a specific instance in which he or she was blessed and encouraged by this person.

• Practice expressing gratitude by saying “thank you” politely, promptly, clearly, and sincerely whenever you receive anything from anyone. Practice making eye contact with the person to whom you express thanks.

• Ask each student to name or list ten things he or she is thankful for. Lead your children in prayers of gratitude for those things.

Music

• Many songs that teach the importance of saying “thank you” are available. Find some at your local library, or purchase your own copies at your favourite children’s bookstore. Learn them and sing them together regularly.

• Many worship songs talk about thankfulness. Choose one as your family theme song to sing before meals or times of family worship.

• Organize a presentation day in which your children either recite a Scripture, sing, or play a piece of music related to a theme of thankfulness.

Arts and Crafts

• Make a “gratefulness wreath” to present to someone your family appreciates, such as your mail carrier, Scout leader, pastor, or even your favourite cashier at the grocery store! To make the wreath, trace around the hands of each child, using a different colour of construction paper or coloured tag board for each pair of hands. The children may decorate and/or write their names on their handprints and then cut them out. Cut out a cardboard circle that is approximately 1 inch wide and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Randomly glue or staple the cut-out handprints onto the cardboard circle.

Staple a piece of looped ribbon to the back of the wreath, with the loop extending well beyond the edge of the handprints that are glued to the cardboard backing. The wreath can be hung on the wall or a door knob. Commission an older student to create an attractive thank-you card to present along with the gratefulness wreath. Ask every family member to sign the card.

• Using the letters in the words THANK YOU or GRATEFULNESS, create a unique thank-you card for someone. For example, you might work together to make this large, poster-size thank-you card for your neighbours:

The very best neighbours in the world!

Hospitality and happiness!

And for getting our mail when we go out of town.

Nice to have neighbours we trust and enjoy!

Knowing you is the best part of living here!

Sooooooooooo glad you’re our neighbours!

Thank you for getting our mail

and watering our plants while we were on vacation.

We appreciate you!

Love,

The Sandusky Family

Donna and her husband Timus have been blessed with the privilege of educating both of their children at home (1983-1999), depending daily on God’s grace for wisdom and strength. They take great delight in encouraging families who are currently enjoying that adventure!

Copyright, 2011. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, Fall 2011. Visit The Old Schoolhouse^® at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com to view a full-length sample copy of the magazine especially for homeschoolers. Click the graphic of the moving computer monitor on the left. Email the Publisher at Publisher@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.

New Year, Curriculum & Challenges

The holidays have come and gone so fast. We’ve had a restful break with some fun activities and although it seems just never long enough, we’re easing back into school slowly this week.

This year we’ll be mostly unschooling in order to focus on restoring the boys’ love for learning which has been totally destroyed at private school. Last year we used Le-Amen’s “school at home” curriculum & regretfully that just worsened the boys’ hatred towards schoolwork. Our aim for this year is to restore their love for learning, find their strengths and interests in order to help them reach their full potential.

Since they’ve picked up so much damage at school, I thought I’d start them off with the “I Am a God Idea” Curriculum to rebuild their self confidence.

The curriculum is a ‘way,’ a journey, a guide to discover your child’s full potential. An easy, fun, step by step journey toward your child’s destiny. It consists of a Presenters Handbook that guides parents and teachers all the way from lesson 1 to 40. And a Children’s Handbook in colour that is full of fun and interactive activities. Every lesson is based on an “idea” that the child should remember for life. Every idea is presented in an interesting way to “hook” the child into the truth of the lesson. Every lesson is supported by “word and verse “from the Bible. Every lesson includes a little activity to make learning fun and memorable. A book full of truths and blessings - a book with a vision for your life.

Misha, now in Grade 4 will be doing    online as his core curriculum for Language Arts, Maths, Science & Social Science this year. In addition to that we’ve added for Bible Study and Study Dog to enhance his reading as well as Maths. For spelling, we’re adding All-About-Spelling Level 1. He will continue his art lessons with Edward once a week as well.

Jesse’s requested for all of his schooling to be on computer. For this year (Grade 9) he will be doing Grammar Express English on iPad (also available for Android), Khan Academy Maths, Switched on Schoolhouse Science, and for Social Science we’ll utilise Barry’s Education Support for hands-on learning. He will also be continuing his hands-on Technology lessons with Edward once a week. In September he’ll start working on an accredited High school diploma through using their Switched on Schoolhouse core curriculum.

We’ll also be using Critical Thinking software to enhance other areas of learning. Both boys will also be doing Junior Engineering in Northriding once a week and of course loads of “How it’s Made”, “Mythbusters”, “Natgeo Wild” & whatever other educational programes, activities & games we can find. We may even look into some Woodworking classes during the course of the year,

For most part we’ll be taking this year one day at a time and add/remove material as we go along and find what works & what doesn’t.

Happy New Year!!!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take... but by the moments that take your breath away! May all your days be breathtaking in 2012 & may you be surrounded by true friends, loads of love & tons of happiness... Wishing you and your loved ones a very blessed & Happy New Year!!!

Just One Request
Dear Master for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I do not pray for happiness,
Or any earthly thing—
I do not ask to understand
The way Thou leadest me,
But this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
I want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear Master make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.
And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be—
If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
By: Chris Mostert

~::~ Christmas Gifts for Everyone ~::~

Wishing all a Blessed Christmas, to you and  the family.

Spend this time with loved ones sharing All The good things God has done in your Life

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Friends of Kloofendal

Jesse’s been on holiday in Shelly Beach with an old school friend since the 30th November and was only due back on the 16th. This has left Misha home alone, but I’m surprised to say that he’s actually been quite content on his own, although he’s used this time to sleep in Ouboet’s room every night…

When the email came around last week for the Friends of Kloofendal Adventure activities I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to allow him some independent learning close to home. Up to now, he’s always had Jesse with on activities to keep an eye on him, but flying solo was a new learning curve for both of us…

Monday ~ Bush Survival

The guide, made the children aware what is needed to survive in the bush, is not just food, as water, shelter, warmth, navigation are all important factors in bush survival. The children were then sent off into the bush with guides to ensure that they find all the essentials to survival. Back in the amphitheatre the guide checked whether the various groups found their survival ingredients with which, with under experienced guidance, they were able to make a fire and cook bush food, which included meal worms and crickets. Did you know meal worms contain more protein than meat? I was told they tasted like seafood and found it very amusing that this cook refused to eat her own cooking, but then I don't think I would have either.

I gave him a camera to use for taking photos, but Misha had so much fun during the activities that he forgot to take photos, so most of these I took when I came to fetch them afterwards.

Kloofendal Nature Reserve ~ Bush Survival VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Tuesday ~ Goldmine Tour

I wanted to see the mine myself and asked Misha if he would mind me accompanying him on the tour. Of course, he was not very impressed because he reckoned I's said I'd let him fly solo from Monday to Thursday. I decided to join next time when both boys go on the adventure activities.

The guide took the children on a gold discovery experience, which included a visit into the Confidence Reef, the first goldmine on the Witwatersrand (= the beginning of Johannesburg). They tried out gold panning, which is quite a skill, but no gold was found. They learnt about the history of the miners, and the stamp mill, what this huge machine is used for, how it works and why it came from all the way England to South Africa.

Once again, Misha forgot to take photos until his friend reminded him about the camera, so we these are what we got...

Kloofendal Nature Reserve ~ Goldmine Tour VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Wednesday ~ Bundu Bash Adventure & Action Programme

Experienced guides accompanied the children on this adventure for active children with inquiring minds. They explored what is all happening in the nature around them, discovering signs of animals, learning about the wonderful uses of local plants, tasting, smelling, feeling, hearing the different sounds (birds, frogs, insects?), collecting various required items on the way to discuss at end of the walk, finding a treasure using simple map reading skills, exploring mine trenches and adits. The boys came out there quite dirty and obviously had loads of fun.

Fortunately the guide's camera battery was flat thus he used Misha's for photos and we got a few more than the previous days...

Kloofendal Nature Reserve ~ Bundu Bash Adventure VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Unfortunately Thursday’s Rand Water Programme was cancelled due to too few bookings received so we went to the movies to see Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 (Chipwrecked) instead.

Misha had so much fun with these activities and said he’d be disappointed if he weren’t able to do them again, so I will definitely be looking into letting the boys take part into many more of these activities during the course of next year.

 

This post features on the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers (SACH Bloggers) where South African home schoolers share experiences, ideas, philosophies and much more. You can join the carnival too by heading to the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers sign up page. We hope you enjoy the carnival as much as we have!

SA Home Schooling Blog Carnival #14

 

Unschooling

After a very stressful year with the “school at home” approach through Le-Amen, I’ve been looking into unschooling for both my boys because the hate schoolwork with such intense passion. Fortunately Daddy has finally agreed to unschooling although just for a period until we’ve helped them restore their love for learning.

Here are some sites about unschooling worth checking out:

• What is Unschooling? by Earl Stevens
• by John Holt
• by Joanne
• by Sandy Dodd
• 
• 
• 

What we Achieved this Year

Since we finished our first year home educating last week, I’ve been asking myself what we actually achieved this year…

I must admit goal setting has never been one of my strong points. Generally I just take life in it’s stride, although I always managed to get things done…

Academically, however, I had their year all planned out. By the end of last year I had bought their “worksheet wasteland” curriculum and expected the schedules to run smooth sailing… but alas, my schedules were met with much resistance. By the end of the first term already they were getting annoyed with my insistence to get the worksheets done.  They wanted to wrestle and play instead of doing the boring bookwork.

During the second term I learnt about learning styles and realised that this approach wasn’t going to work for us and I was back on the internet searching for alternatives. I canned the schedules and decided instead to take one day at a time. I realised that for my own sanity as well as the boys I just had to find a better way to educate the kids.

Misha started with Le-Amen worksheets, changed to All-In-One programme, then we used Switched on Shoolhouse for Language Arts and Teaching Textbooks for Maths. Eventually we converted worksheets into lapbooks and finally we switched him over to Time 4 Learning. He has redone his whole Grade R foundation with Hettie and his gross and fine motor skills as well as midline crossing abilities are finally up to date. He has learnt to read and his overall confidence has improved a great deal. He’s discovered a love for art and has his future all planned out, wanting to become a Science and Art teacher.

Although I eased off on the bookwork with Jesse, he still had to do his assessments and write the Le-Amen exams. He did very well for a child that hated schoolwork so much. It took most of the year to get there, but he’s finally started to open up to me. All the “sit on mommy” time and wrestling have finally paid off. I’m getting to know him better and finally have a better idea how to approach the next year with him. The Technology lessons with the Tutor were a hit and he really seems to love the hands-on learning.

Thanks to HomeSchool Tracker Basic edition I was able to track all their activities and scores to give an accurate report on all they have achieved.

In spite of all the challenges, with curricula that didn’t work for them, both boys still managed to improve their grades substantially.

I was blown away after collecting the boys' reports today…

I have absolutely no idea how Le-Amen got to their scores but somehow, only Jesse's Afrikaans & Social Science results correspond with what I handed in and his 83% average has dropped to 70%.

Misha scored a whopping 86% average for all the assignments he has done, but their report classes him as an average student... Now how does this make sense?

Although the Le-Amen results don’t correspond with mine, at least they have promoted the boys to grades 4 & 9 respectively for next year. I don’t have the energy to put on a fight about it, so I'll just write this homeschool support center off to a very bad experience never to be used again... I will just ignore their reports and use our own instead.

Bringing them home, where they belong has been the best move ever. I just love having the boys around all the time. We’re enjoying our new found freedom and are not missing the daily trips rushing to and from school at all.

I, of course, failed miserably at being super organised (having been a secretary, PA & Office Administrator before becoming a housewife), have everything filled, up to date, know what’s happening where, complete tasks etc. Somehow time just didn’t seem to be on my side.

We did manage to get into a routine and even managed to get them doing some chores. Jesse’s become a master at making fudge and jelly. Even Misha’s been helping around the kitchen lately.

We managed to do many things together, from baking, to playing and of course we even managed to fit in more field trips than our whole family has had in all our schooling careers together. They loved the monthly ice skating trips and the horse camp in September was a major hit.

I’m most impressed with their personal progress though. All the sweat and tears this year were well worth it just looking at how much they’ve grown…

Misha is no longer a tired, stressed-out whiney child and the boys hardly ever fight any more. They play games together and get along so much better these days. Jesse also seems to be much more relaxed. He’s even started doing small maintenance jobs in and around the house. If he keeps it up, one day he may be able to teach Daddy a thing or two…

All in all, our whole family life style has changed for the better… I’m beginning to understand the way they learn and I have an idea of how to make “school” work for us next year… And of course we’ve saved about R20,000 on school fees, even with all the extra murals which included ice skating, Junior Engineering, Tutors as well as camping for both of them.

Misha’s starting to show interest in some forms of learning and I trust by the end of next year Jesse will be enjoying learning again too…

Well done boys, you did us proud!

Merry Christmas

It’s been a week since we finished & I’m still struggling to recover. I don’t know if it’s normal but I’m finding it hard to shut off from reading home education related emails, websites & books. I guess after a few days of scrap-therapy I might just feel different.

Jesse’s been off to the coast with a friend since last week & we’re missing him terribly. I miss the regular “Sit on Mommy” time sessions although this 14 year old is way to big to fit on my lap anymore. He has outgrown me by far and pretty soon I will probably also lose the weight advantage for all those fun wrestling matches…

I’m still finding it extremely hard to believe that it’s this time of the year again. Last year I vowed to do my Christmas shopping early so as not to have to brave the traffic in the centers during peak season, but alas I failed miserably at that… this year has passed me by so fast that I haven’t even had a chance to think about getting presents yet.

Somehow the Christmas fever seems to have bypassed me this year, or maybe it’ll still hit me later. We finally put the Christmas tree up this week because Misha wanted it up.

The closest I’ve managed to get to crafts or ideas thus far is this digi-scrap greeting card and since my brain is just too tired for creative writing at this stage, this will be a very short blog post just to thank you for all your valued contributions by means of comments & suggestions into our first year of home education.

In the interim we would like to wish you all a very blessed Christmas and all God’s richest blessings for 2010.

Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope.

This post features on the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers (SACH Bloggers) where South African home schoolers share experiences, ideas, philosophies and much more. You can join the carnival too by heading to the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers sign up page. We hope you enjoy the carnival as much as we have!

SA Home Schooling Blog Carnival #13

Creating a Lapbook About Horses

by Katie Kubesh

I know I’m supposed to be on holiday, but I’m catching up on email backlog and just discovered this one… I don’t know why I didn’t notice this article in my mail when it came through in September just before the boys went on their horse camp. It would have made a good unit study for the boys in preparation for their camp… I will definitely have to keep it in mind before they go on the next one.

If you or your children have ever had the privilege of visiting a farm and riding a horse, you probably discovered how easy it is to fall in love with these magnificent creatures! Those dark eyes, soft coat, and long, flowing mane are hard to resist.

Did you know that horses are measured in units of hand length? A “hand” is equal to about 4 inches, and the average horse stands between 15 and 17 hands high. Speaking of hands, what better way to learn about these beautiful animals than with hands-on activities that are assembled together to create a horse lapbook!

You may already have heard that student learning improves when lessons incorporate hands-on activities. It’s true! Therefore, a lapbook would be a great way to teach children about horses and incorporate hands-on activities. Although creating a lapbook about horses may seem as daunting a task as riding the biggest, fastest horse on the farm, with a little research and equipped with some basic home office supplies, your student can learn about the horse and complete an attractive lapbook displaying everything he or she has learned.

Your student will need file folders, paper in a variety of colours, crayons, pencils, markers, or other writing tools. You can find many reproducible templates for mini books, pocket cards, and other booklets and graphics online. You can also make your own mini books by folding paper in various ways. Other items to use in your horse lapbook include clipart, stickers, scrapbook paper, die cuts, colouring pages, games, puzzles, drawings, and photos.

Key concepts will vary depending on the age/skill level of your student and on what you decide you want to learn about horses. Here are some ideas to choose from:

Scientific Classification

What is the horse’s classification? What other animals belong to the same family? Horses, donkeys, and zebras look alike because they are all in the same family. Encourage your student to compare these three types of animals, using a mini booklet or Venn diagram.

Anatomy

Find a picture of a horse and have your child label the anatomy. Important features include the back, belly, dock, eyes, fetlock (ankle), forelock, hock, hoof, knee, mane, muzzle, neck, nostril, shank, tail, and withers. Find out about the different facial markings and leg markings on horse breeds, and encourage your child to draw markings on a picture of a horse’s face and/or legs. Markings might include star, snip, stripe, or blaze.

When studying anatomy, this would be a great time to explore the purpose of horseshoes! Why do horses wear shoes and how are they put on? Have your child record his or her answers on a horseshoe-shaped booklet.

Diet

Horses need plenty of food and water. What do horses eat? Are horses considered omnivores, carnivores, or herbivores? Visit a local feed store to learn about the different types of feed available. It is important to feed domestic horses properly, including lots of good quality hay. Visit a local horse farm and ask the owner to explain the dangers of feeding a horse bad hay. Ask him how to tell the difference between good and bad hay.

Life Cycle

How long do horses live? What are some of the stages of a horse’s life cycle? On a yearly calendar, have your child record or count the gestation period for a horse (11 months).

Horse Senses

How do horses use their senses? Horses rely on all five senses, but four are especially sensitive. Encourage your child to learn how horses rely on their senses of hearing, sight, touch, and smell.

Horse Gaits

What are the different types of gaits? Pretend you are horses and try demonstrating each of the different gaits: walk, trot, canter, gallop.

Size and Age

How are horses measured? Compare the size of different breeds of horses and/or compare the size of horses to other animals in the Equidae family. Find out what the smallest breed of horse is and the largest. How is a horse’s age determined? Suggestion: Have your child write his or her answer to this question on a mini book with horse teeth on it!

Body Language

If you ever wonder what a horse is feeling, look at its face and ears! A horse’s body language is a good indicator of how the horse is feeling. Explore the different ways that horses communicate with each other and with humans. If possible, have your child observe a horse and record in a journal what he or she notices. Are the horse’s ears forward and flickering? Are the ears pinned back? Are its nostrils flared? Is one ear forward and one ear back? What do all these things mean?

Horse Breeds

What are the different breeds of horses? Have your child pick one (or more) of his favourites and write a brief report about that breed, including the average height and weight of the breed, common colour, where the breed originated, distinctive markings, and other interesting facts.

How Horses Are Useful

Horses are able to follow basic commands and have been very useful to man throughout history. Research at least five ways that horses have been useful to man. Visit a racetrack, recreational facility, or a farm where horses are used as part of the work team. Explore the etymology of the term horsepower to learn when, where, and how the term was first coined.

How to Care for a Horse

What do horses need to survive? Visit a local farm or veterinarian’s office to find out. Or do some research online and at the library to identify the basic needs of horses, including food, shelter, and veterinary care. Find out which basic pieces of equipment are needed to ride horses.

Identification Terms

A horse is a horse, but during your research you may come across a variety of terms that are used to identify a horse, depending on its age and gender. Encourage your student to become familiar with different terms used to identify horses, including these: foal, colt, stallion, gelding, filly, mare, dam, and sire.

Famous Horses

From racehorses to cartoon characters, horses have made a name for themselves throughout history. What are some of your favourite horse characters? Is your favourite horse a real horse or a fictional character? Famous horses your student may want to investigate include Black Beauty, Mr. Ed, Barbaro, Citation, Seabiscuit, Silver, and Trigger. Encourage your child to create his or her own imaginary horse character! Write a story about a horse, or create finger puppets to act out a horse-themed play.

Vocabulary Terms

As with any study, vocabulary is important! Find the definitions of relevant or new words as you go through the study. Some vocabulary terms you may want to include in your horse lapbook include these: breed, canter, colt, farrier, filly, foal, gait, gallop, gelding, herbivore, mare, reins, sire, stallion, thoroughbred, trot, walk.

Related Reading

Don’t forget to read some fun books about horses! Some horse-related books include these: Mrs. Mack by Patricia Polacco, H Is for Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet by Mike Ulmer, I Wonder Why Horses Wear Shoes by Jacki Gaff, The Kingfisher Illustrated Horse & Pony Encyclopedia by Sandy Ransford, and Horse Sense by Beth Gruber.

Completing Your Horse Lapbook

To complete your horse lapbook, simply fold the file folder(s) shutter style and attach the mini booklets and other graphics to the lapbook. Your completed horse lapbook has become a portfolio of your student’s study of the horse! Your horse lapbook is easy to store and will fit into a file cabinet, file folder, or magazine holder with ease. Pull the horse lapbook out again and again to review and reminisce about the great things you and your child learned about the magnificent horse!

Katie Kubesh is co-owner and writer/researcher for In the Hands of a Child. Recognizing that hands-on projects are essential to the learning experience, In the Hands of a Child has created project packs that go beyond the hands-on aspect. They have taken the preparation time out of the parent/teacher job description with complete, ready-to-assemble, lapbook-style units that are available in ebook, printed book, and CD formats. Please visit their website at http://www.handsofachild.com/.

Copyright, 2011. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, Summer 2011.

Visit The Old Schoolhouse^® at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com to view a full-length sample copy of the magazine especially for homeschoolers. Click the graphic of the moving computer monitor on the left. Email the Publisher at Publisher@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.

We’re Finished

WoW, we have finally delivered our evaluations to Le-Amen on Tuesday afternoon and that officially marks the end of our first year of homeschooling. Little did we know that this "school at home" approach would make our journey such a hectic and stressful one for us.

Home education is not for the faint-hearted…

Honestly, I do regret using Le-Amen as our service provider as our experience with them has been rather disappointing. Their material for Misha was way too much "worksheet wasteland" orientated and boring to work with. He hated doing them, & I didn't enjoy marking them either. Needless to say, I’m still waiting for feedback on the missing activities in his environmental studies manual… After repeatedly querying this, I gave up and he was overjoyed when I finally discovered lapbooking and allowed him to cut the worksheets up for his lapbooks.

We eventually replaced all the worksheets with Smart Tutor, Switched on Schoolhouse Language Arts, Teaching Textbooks and many other alternative resources until we recently stumbled onto Time4Learning again. After all the chopping and changing, he still managed to do quite well for a child that was struggling through school years before.

We also discovered his sudden interest in painting after taking him to a tutor to help with his “way beyond his age” art project for his Le-Amen portfolio. We were amazed at the end result and this term decided to let him continue art lessons with Edward.

He thoroughly enjoyed these lessons. From building the frame for the canvas, to painting this picture with Edward’s guidance. It turned out quite pretty. He enjoyed it so much that he’s been asking for more lessons this week.

Thanks to HomeSchool Tracker I was able to track everything the boys did. Misha averaged 86.11% covering Afrikaans, English, German, Art, Bible, Environmental Studies, Social Studies, Life Skills, Maths & Science.

Jesse’s books were not at all homeschool friendly. Pushing this textbook approach, just fuelled his intense hatred for schoolwork instead of help recover his love for learning. The textbooks were classroom orientated & the teachers manuals were aimed at professional teachers and not homeschool parents. When I questioned this I was told English and Maths were important and I shouldn’t worry about the others as they were “poer vakke”. How on earth is a child's supposed to be able to self-study with material that’s not appropriate for that purpose? I finally replaced most of his textbooks with alternatives and also got him Switched on Schoolhouse Science to try out.

Technology VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

He thoroughly enjoyed the technology lessons with Edward. This year he’s had in depth training on architectural drawings, built a miniature sample to accompany the drawings. He also started AutoCAD drawing lessons. As a technology project he’s busy building me a new washing line for the back stoep. This entailed measuring, drawing, planning material as as well as welding lessons.

Although he hated the bookwork, Jesse still managed to increase his average with 14+% from last year to 83.72% covering Afrikaans, English, German, Accounting, Bible, Social Studies, Life Skills, Maths Natural Science, Science & Technology. Now if this is what he’s capable of whilst hating what he’s doing, I can just imagine what he’ll achieve when he loves learning again.

However, apart from the “school” stress, we did also have loads of fun this year. We’ve done more field trips in one year than what Clive & I had in our combined school careers. I love having the boys home with me. We’ve grown so much closer as a family.

Fortunately I have discovered learning styles and how that affects their ability to retain what they've learnt and we still have some time to salvage the damage caused by the "system". For next year I’m planning loads of hands-on activities and fun instead of the traditional “school at home” approach.

I have been inspired to write a home educating philosophy for our family… but this is as far as I got for now…

I must admit I haven't been this tired & stressed in ages. It's already taken me a few days to de-stress and I'm only now starting to feel slightly normal again. I've been in bed by 22h00 most nights this week and am still tired. Fortunately we have a few weeks’ break now and I trust next year will be better and less stressful as we explore educating the WAY THEY LEARN.

For now, I’m looking forward to a nice long break and I’m sure the boys are happy to be on holiday too…