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Little Moments that Change the World

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I’m finding more and more that flexibility is the key to truly creating an environment that is conducive to educating my children. I truly don’t know how public school teachers are able to teach large groups and stay on task. My little ones have so many questions and we end up deviating from my lesson plans just about every day. I have ended up delving deeper into topics I had no idea my children would be so interested in.

Lately, my kids have been super interested in the religions around the world. Each religion started in one region, and spread across the globe. Hinduism is the topic of conversation right now, and we are learning about the many different gods and their purposes in the lives of the Hindu people. It’s fascinating to watch my kids devour information on people around the world and begin to understand the reasons why we are different and yet so much the same.

About three weeks ago we were covering the reality of poverty around the world. My children have never faced a night of going hungry, and I wanted them to understand just how wonderful a blessing it is to have an abundance of food. I didn’t think the video I chose would have the intense impact on my children that it ended up having. Seeing the conditions many people live in, both within the United States and around the world, had my children in tears. I had not intended to put them into a state of total despair, but that’s where we ended up.

My daughter looked at me as soon as the video was over, and with tears streaming down her face she declared that we must somehow make a difference in these children’s lives. We have decided, as a family, to put aside more money each month to donate to those in need. One way my kids have helped make this possible is by slowing down on the amount of food that is wasted in our home. Their commitment to change has had an enormous impact on our budget. I was amazed at their commitment and ability to make such a huge dent in our weekly finances.

Again, this was one of our many tangents in education. We spent hours researching what poverty looks like and how we can help make the lives of those who struggle just a little less difficult. I’m so incredibly thankful to have the time and opportunity to work with my sweet children as they learn about the world around them. Who could have possibly known that a lesson on cultures could take us down the path that would lead my children to a place of empathy and love? I want them to believe that one person can make a difference, and it is a priceless experience to watch them pursue their plan to make the world a better place. Such a sweet moment as a mother and as a teacher.

Art Is Back!

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I haven’t been as good at getting art classes into our curriculum the last two years, and this horrible downward spiral needed to end. I know that providing time and tools for the kids to let their imaginations and creativity run wild is an important aspect to developing individuality and dreams. I have felt myself descend into a more rigid academic pattern, and as our school days got longer I let go of some of the most important classes…art being one.

One of the reasons we homeschool is to have the time to search out answers to questions the kids have and to pursue individual interests. I really needed someone else to come into my home and help me organize an art program that would push and inspire my children to continue developing artistically. I stumbled upon a really well done program that is accessed online. Thrive Art is broken down into three levels of classes and each level has six lessons. The program is $300 total, and you can go back to review lessons at any time–once you purchase their curriculum. The kids have completed two of the lessons, and I think we will make it through the entire program by the end of the school year.

I love teaching my kids, but art is not my forte. I needed help, and was thrilled to find a program that was created by artists and meant for kids. There are times I feel my inadequacies pounding on the front door, and I am so glad to have such amazing support systems available for when I just can’t quite give my kids what they need.

Homeschooling is a journey that is constantly changing. The plan I had for my children when we first started hardly resembles the plan we now have in place. If someone would have told me four years ago that I would be teaching my kids at the breakneck speed we have been moving at, I would have called them crazy. But my kids just dive in and we moved from four hour days to seven hour days before I knew what hit me. I’m so glad we have homeschooling networks and friends to remind me that academics are not all my kids need. This class is our first step in yet another twist in our homeschooling journey.

Museums

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One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling is the flexibility it affords us. I love working hard on the days we are completing a normal class schedule and then taking a day off to hit up a museum or some other field trip. We recently made a little trip over to Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville Arkansas and had a complete blast.

The hiking trails around the museum are amazing and the museum itself is absolutely incredible. Our favorite exhibit was the “100 Unknown Artists”. This particular exhibit showcases the works of artists who are not well known and all of them are from the United States. It was fun to see all the “out of the box” thinking that comes with artistic freedom. My personal favorite was the pigeon knitwear. I have recently taken up knitting and crocheting and neither of these things is particularly easy for me. But the intricate costumes this designer created for pigeons were off the charts amazing. I can only assume this person has patience that goes beyond most humans, because these things were detailed beyond belief. I would pay good money to witness a NYC fashion week “pigeon walk” of these designs.

My kids were totally amazed at some of the work shown in this museum. We have a small pottery wheel in our home, and my kids have truly tried to master the art of throwing a pot. Their work is displayed in our home, and they regularly complain about my pride in their original pieces. I guess none of them want to showcase their masterpieces, but I insist. The pottery and ceramic works this museum contains are beyond anything my children had ever seen before. It is one thing to read about art in a book, but it is a whole different animal when you actually have the opportunity to see the piece with your own eyes.

Hands-On Activities

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I absolutely love all hands-on teaching methods, and this is one of my favorites from the last two weeks. My 5th grader is learning about some of the most important advancements made in the world of transportation. I am blown away by all the educational materials available to my children. We can jump online or head over to the library and find an insane amount of supplemental materials for each topic. I had no idea the Wright brothers ran a bicycle shop full-time and made planes in the winter when the shop was slow. This is just one of the fun facts we learned while researching some of the amazing inventions and inventors from America’s past.

My son was particularly interested in Henry Ford and his amazing Model T. We talked all about the advancements made in production, and why this car made such a huge impact on the world of motor vehicles. The Model T was the first affordable car for the general population, and it was the beginning of a total shift in how we would mass produce the enormous number of items used by today’s consumer. There is clearly a down side to the mass market mentality, but we tried to focus on the upside of this new production method.

In order to show my kids just how much of an impact an assembly line can have on production, I challenged each of my three kids to produce as many candy cars as they could in just one minute. Each of the kids did their best to run around the kitchen and grab all the items they needed to create one car at a time. The outcome was one sloppy car from only one child. The other two were not able to create one single finished product in 60 seconds. Then each child chose their jobs, and we created an assembly line to produce the tiny candy cars. The kids were able to pump out three completed cars and one half finished product in just 60 seconds. It was a real learning moment for each of them. The amount of time and energy needed to complete this challenge diminished significantly when they implemented the “assembly line” mentality. I’m sure they could have pounded out a few more if we would have had access to a moving assembly line, but that was not to be… I hope they never forget Henry Ford and his moving assembly line.

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Homeschooling Away From Home

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One of the great advantages to homeschooling is the ability we have to take this show on the road. When we travel, so does our school. On our last trip, I think half of our car was packed with school supplies. My husband never complains about all the books he has to pack into our family car, but he always makes at least one comment about the number of shoes I claim are necessary for any getaway.

I know all our “school stuff” took up a good portion of our hotel room. I had crates of books, workbooks, paper, and other miscellaneous supplies all packed into our little hotel room for the entire trip. We sacrificed one corner of the hotel room to the two little kids’ supplies, and the coveted desk to my high schooler and all his materials. The only person who seemed a bit disconcerted with my stash was the sweet woman from housekeeping who somehow ended up with our room for a solid two weeks. But luckily she developed a cleaning method that included turning a blind eye to the piles of papers and books.

For the entire two weeks we got up early in the morning and completed an entire day of school well before noon. It was awesome. My kids were able to spend time with their cousins and not worry about falling behind in school. In fact, my oldest got so far ahead we were a little concerned we would run out of class materials before the two weeks were up. In hindsight, I think he figured out how to pace himself so that he could take a couple of days off–out of “necessity”.

I know that I say this all the time, but I am so thankful to live in a country where I am able to home school my children. As we sneak up on the launch date of my first book, I am looking at taking my kids on the road for a couple of months. Right now they seem to be completely excited about the potential this adventure holds. I will dig up information on all the interesting sights, museums, and educational experiences we can do as a family while we are on the road. It will be epic.

Let’s Get Real

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I am a homeschooling mother of  two, soon to be three, beautiful kids. I came to the homeschooling community with an interesting and atypical background. I have a master’s degree from Arizona State University in education. I was trained to work in the public schools. I feel like this training gives me some interesting insights into both the typical schooling system and the homeschooling system. I started this blog because I want to share my experiences and expertise. I am unfortunately going to offend some people on both sides of the homeschooling debate. I believe there is a place in this world for both public schooling and homeschooling. I have a hard time finding people who share this belief. It seems the proverbial “line” has been drawn, and most people just pick a side.

My blogs are driven by topics I find to be relevant to parenting and homeschooling. If you don’t home school, but have opinions or questions you would like to share… feel free. I try very hard to base my stance on factual information, but my stance is still just an opinion. Keep this in mind as you read and respond to this blog. We all are entitled to our opinions and should be respectful of each other as we discuss the topic of education. I love to hear any and all perspectives others are willing to share. I am always learning and growing because of the brave souls who are willing to put their beliefs and opinions out there.

I have stated time and again, on many different forums, that homeschooling is not for everyone. There are a plethora of circumstances where it is logistically impossible for a parent to home school their child. But if you are interested in homeschooling and are committed to the process, you absolutely can be successful teaching your children at home. The day my son came home and asked me if I would consider homeschooling him I picked up the phone and called my friend Krista. She homeschools all four of her kids, and was my “go-to-gal-pal” for this situation. Krista was a sounding board and an insanely insightful resource for me in a moment of confusion and fear. I want this blog to be a “virtual Krista” for all of us. This needs to be a safe place for asking questions, sharing frustrations, making friends, and building up your network of homeschooling families.