I have been thinking a lot about what makes me, well, me....I am a woman who Loves God and hope that He knows it, I love to organize and admit that sometimes I let my kids make an organization disaster just for a challenge, I love to run and while running I listen to very loud often hard rock music...But, one of the things that really makes me me is how I love to learn. I love learning and teaching (I really learn more when I teach actually because you must study so much harder). I have already shared with you just how much I love my books. The other day my mother gave me the worn serendipity series, these are the books we had her read to us over and over again as children. I literally burst into tears when she gave them to me I was so happy. I also have thought about "school" a lot in the last couple of years. The answer that came to me is that there isn't one right way or wrong way to school...we do a lot of different things in our home and I love certain aspects of all of them. Kyle home schools. Jamen goes to a traditional public school. Isaac & Grayson go to a district pre-school for a few hours each week...So in tribute to that a little top six of why I love home school and public school...
Public School Pro's
6-I love preparing for school days. Love backpacks, sack lunches and school supplies.
5-My Jamen gets to be around lots and lots of kids, for him that is as important as breathing.
4-I get to be the mom when he comes home and not worry so much about the teaching. Not that I don't get to help him with homework or do extra things but it is in a mom role. I love how he comes home all lit up with news of his day and I get to just listen and fix him an afternoon snack.
3-I love when they take field trips or see the world as a group.
2-I appreciate my children learning from someone other than me, I think there is so much to learn from other people. When my children get an especially good mentor our whole family benefits. Last year Jamen had a teacher who was on fire for learning! He fell so in love with Van Gough that he marinated in it for months, I love that!
1-I love public school for Jamen because for him it works. He is happy and learning and that's all I could ask.
Home School Pros
6-I get to choose who his mentors are and he has some great ones. Jeanette has taught him more this year than he has ever learned anywhere (piano, government and history). She is also the kind of woman I want teaching my kids. (I will miss you Jeanette). Becky is one of his teachers for Knights of Freedom. He really is learning how to be a modern day knight and she is an excellent mentor for him. It is awesome to have the choice about who will mentor your kids and there are some great ones right here in small town USA.
5-I get the opportunity to teach. I love being a mom of toddlers, but it is so cool to fill the role of teacher. I have really had to stretch and that's good for the old brain. Let's face it the cobwebs needed to be dusted!
4-I am thrilled to see Kyle working at Kyle's pace. He had pretty near turned into a zombie for school the last few years. Not at all the fault of the teachers, but Kyle has always sort of been able to get something seeing it once. Sort of like, "we learned multiplication yesterday do we really need to ever go over that again?" This year we breeze through the stuff he knows and he gets to labor over the things he doesn't, that is so good for him!
3-I get to see him! Once your kids hit about first grade they sort of disappear....they are gone so often and then I think before you know it they are grown and you wished you could have seen them more. I get to be with him all day. I took him to a foreign country for two weeks and didn't come home to a pile of busy work. I love having him around and seeing who he really is.
2-Kyle gets to spend more time on the things he loves. My son loves classical music and plays the piano so amazingly well. Now he has more time to play and compose and that is good. He especially loves politics and studies it constantly. There are so many lessons taught from his passion. He knows all the states (and how they vote), he has studied math as he figures out voting percentages, his reading has improved because he reads some deep political things that are a stretch and let's face it the kid is a walking encyclopedia and that is cool. Ask him who ran against Richard Nixon second term, he knows. But I do want you to know that once you show an interest you will be game for all political discussion---ever seriously considered your position on gun control, Roe Vs Wade or government spending?
1-It is the right thing for him. I have watched my son come back to life this year. He has had great teachers in the past, by no fault of theirs he just wasn't challenged enough to find school interesting. He is so happy and I am so happy to see it...
As for the little boys, we all have our strenghts. Little people learning colors and such is not mine. I love that they have teachers that plan "smelling field trips" and other great things. I also love having a few hours without light sabers and tantrums! As for me, my ideal day would include a stack of books, a quiet place and a bag full of chocolate...
7 comments:
I love that there are so many options available for schooling these days. Like you, I have found what I think is the best fit for my kids and I am happy with the education they are getting. I love that you homeschool your genius, and that you even have the patience to do so. You've got an awesome bunch of boys, and they have a super mom.
I'm with you on the books and chocolate thing. I'd love to read all day too!
Heather, this was an extremely well written post (if my opinion counts for anything). I love your analysis of schooling, and it was good for me to hear about some of the different types of learning we all have. Thank you!
Well, I love taking something that has so many facets, like education and pinning down your thoughts on the subject. It's not easy, like you say there's pros and cons and other interesting side notes for all of it. As someone who has studied these options along with you, I say amen and excellent for you -not just good for you- for making the best thing work (for everyone). Luv ya :)
that is a really great list and i feel so lucky that you can be a resource for somebody who would not judge me or try to sway me one way or the other regarding which would be best for my children. public school has been great for grace so far but i have a feeling it will not always be smooth sailing for her or my others so i am grateful to be learning and gathering (and i still need to get and read a thomas jefferson education!)
I'm glad that times have changed a little bit. When we were younger we thought all home schoolers were...well, you know. But now it is such a great thing and I love that you have the patience to do this.
Thanks for your sweet compliments. I love having Kyle around. He is a little bit of an anomaly making it that much more exciting to have him around. He told me last piano lesson that practicing Hanon had moved up a little bit of a notch from complete torture, so PROGRESS! He makes me laugh and I can't wait to see him when the boy part of him has grown up to be a match to the man side of him he already has. The world better watch out, baby! I hope he takes his time though. No need to rush.
One more comment on teaching, not only do you study more when you're going to be teaching something, don't you think you study differently? Knowing you are going to try to explain something and wanting it to be somewhat interesting makes you look for the explanations and the interestings already there. I love it!
Heather, you really are an inspiration and have a lot of wisdom. I think Kyle is such a great little boy (or I should say little man) He was great to have in Haiti with us and I loved getting to know him and you. What a gigantic spirit that little boy has. I really admire that you are giving your children the education that best fits each of them...and for sure I agree with you on the books and chocolate!
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