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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.

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.

Seize the Day

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I am constantly reminded of just how short and precious life truly is. Losing both my parents in a three year timeframe has given me a deep respect for each day I am here. This perspective influences the way I plan both short-term and long-term goals. I used to believe that there would always be time to do whatever I wanted, but I have converted my thought process to “seize the day” and “put your money, and hard work, where your mouth is.”

I recently came across a father who inspired me immensely with his “seize the day” attitude. Brian Smith has a son who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. He, as do all parents of children with any non-typical developmental struggles, faced a myriad of unknowns. Brian found that his son responded extremely well to music and connected to the messages within the lyrics. With fortitude and planning, Brian began the process of creating songs to help his son navigate through new experiences life presented. I was thrilled when I was introduced to Brian’s work, and even more enthralled when I found out more about the man behind the music. Each of us faces moments when we realize someone needs to step up and make a difference. But very few of us look within ourselves and choose to become that catalyst for change. Brian was one of the few who looked inside and opted to do the hard work necessary to make a change.

I have been inspired by Brian’s attitude and his ability to make the world a better place than he found it. As I move forward with my goals and continue on my journey, I am working to become more of a catalyst for change. If you are interested in finding out more about Brian Smith and The Aus-Sums go to http://theaussumdad.com/ and check out what they are working on now.

Pranksters

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One of the downsides to homeschooling is the way my kids have decided to harass me with fake snakes. I guess, as their teacher, I should know better than to think that they would let me teach in total peace. But I was under the impression that, being my children, they would not try so hard to induce panic and possible heart attacks. Most of their extra time in the day goes towards hobbies and educational activities, but a portion of it clearly goes into planning strategic snake attacks for their personal entertainment.

I’m only including a couple of the pictures of the last few “fake snake attacks” as evidence of their crimes. I’m thankful I have never had the old-school “tack on the chair” prank, but these snakes are seriously realistic and have elicited numerous screams. The problem is the fact that we have actually had two snakes in our home in the last four years, and so each fake snake attack evokes some level of PTSD style reaction.

 

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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.