90 days of school done--
80 left to go...
80 left to go...
Somehow, even through some of the trials of homeschooling we've had recently, I honestly feel like this has been our best school year yet.
In the past, we have gotten behind in lessons, not kept up our records, lacked attention in certain little one's reading lessons, and had some major struggles in subjects. But through it all, I am really pleased with our home education this year.
I can actually see the growth in the kids and their education.
I think it changed because I changed my priorities and expectations.
I don't see the workbooks as the focus of their education anymore, but the life lessons and their relationship with Jesus to be the most important of all. The more we focus on family and values, the more I see my kids excel.
I always knew that character was the priority, but now I actually see some of its fruit-- grades will follow character, but the opposite does not necessarily hold true.
If a kid has great character formed by his or her relationship with Jesus accompanied by parental love and discipline, then it would naturally follow that they would want to do their best in all the areas of their lives including school work and overall attitude.
In most cases, good character results in good grades, but good grades won't birth good character (just ask my husband, who admittedly was lying to his parents and coaches and doing drugs and partying while getting straight A's in high school).
For some reason, this operates counter to our thinking-- maybe because we've been programmed differently our whole lives looking at external results (grades, scores, wins, losses, awards, etc.) rather than the internal condition (integrity, compassion, sincerity).
I assumed: more rigorous academics would improve performance and attitude toward work. It doesn't work that way.
In the past, we have gotten behind in lessons, not kept up our records, lacked attention in certain little one's reading lessons, and had some major struggles in subjects. But through it all, I am really pleased with our home education this year.
I can actually see the growth in the kids and their education.
I think it changed because I changed my priorities and expectations.
I don't see the workbooks as the focus of their education anymore, but the life lessons and their relationship with Jesus to be the most important of all. The more we focus on family and values, the more I see my kids excel.
I always knew that character was the priority, but now I actually see some of its fruit-- grades will follow character, but the opposite does not necessarily hold true.
If a kid has great character formed by his or her relationship with Jesus accompanied by parental love and discipline, then it would naturally follow that they would want to do their best in all the areas of their lives including school work and overall attitude.
In most cases, good character results in good grades, but good grades won't birth good character (just ask my husband, who admittedly was lying to his parents and coaches and doing drugs and partying while getting straight A's in high school).
For some reason, this operates counter to our thinking-- maybe because we've been programmed differently our whole lives looking at external results (grades, scores, wins, losses, awards, etc.) rather than the internal condition (integrity, compassion, sincerity).
I assumed: more rigorous academics would improve performance and attitude toward work. It doesn't work that way.
So even if my oldest has a few current events to get caught up on, that's not my main focus anymore. It's when I see my children having adventures outside, all of us having family Bible night, the oldest four playing Monopoly while the youngest are playing Hungry Hippos or my oldest two reading "A Case for Faith for Kids" that I know we are OK as long as we stay faithful to Jesus.
2 comments:
Your blog is so encouraging! Mine are too young to school just yet (but soon!) so I love reading your posts!
Amen! I find that my best ways of "testing" our progress and accomplishments are by seeing just how much the kids, and myself, have grown in God and enjoyed what they are learning!
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