Spring Fever pt.2

What changed in our homeschool is that I stopped chasing after the perfect program for each subject. I looked at the homeschool methods that I was drawn to. I knew that the classical (or neo-classical as some would prefer) model laid out in Well-Trained Mind. The stages of the Trivium seemed to make perfect sense to me. Why teach a child by what grade or age he is? Why not teach to the stage of the child's development. Reading Well-Trained Mind was the first time I knew that I could possible homeschool through high school, Lord willing.

Charlotte Mason's methods also appealed to me. I liked a lot of her ideas and the meshed will with the classical model that I liked. The idea of living books that tell the story of people and places instead of dry, boring text seemed like a breath of fresh air.

All I needed now was a plan. I was pregnant with baby #5 and I felt the need for some hand holding.

Spring Fever

It is that time of year for homeschoolers....spring fever. Not just the wiggly, giggly I cannot stand to be inside another second I just have to be outside fever. It is the time to evaluate, to determine what works and what need tweeking (or is it tweaking?) Curriculum fever, the endless searching, researching, combing message boards ...looking for that perfect curriculum. Worrying that we didn't get xyz done this year, we are behind in math, or writing, or spelling or...EVERYTHING!!!


I have been there, I have spent hours, days, years in search of the perfect curriculum. I spent so much time every spring and summer researching that I lost something. I lost sight of the teaching. I filled my bookshelves with the latest, greatest, most wonderful and forgot that one day I would have to get myself up from the computer chair and actually teach my children this stuff. Researching became a passion, but getting the work done was secondary.


One day I realized that if I put some of my computer time into my children in teaching them and less on researching maybe the curriculum wouldn't matter so much. My focus changed, and so did our homeschool.

Beginnings

Why Blog? Another blog in a sea of blogs...why another one? Why add to the chatter, the chaos, the never ending chatter of opinions and advice? Why?

For my children. My children have wanted me to blog for ages, and I have finally obliged and agreed to try. To squeeze time out of an already busy day to speak. Maybe it will help me to remember the little things, the precious moments that are so often forgotten in the everyday routine of living.

Maybe for me. Maybe I can put down all the rambling thoughts that I speak to myself, to the mirror, in the shower. The inspirations that never leave this house, the pearls of wisdom that are here today and gone in an instant.

Perhaps for you, someone who I will never meet, but will join in this journey of life, motherhood, homeschooling, and faith with me.

And so we begin...

M