discovering joy in the journey

Joy to the Heart

Typically, around this time of year, it helps to pause and take time to refocus or refine the vision for our homeschool journey.  The following are books that I like to revisit from time to time for encouragement, to remember why we do things the way we do, to regain focus for ending the year well, and for assistance in the upcoming contemplation of curriculum choices  for the start of the next year… 

Encouragement
Help For the Harried Homeschooler by Christine Field
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring
The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

How To’s
Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson
The Three R’s / You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick

Obviously, I don’t have time to reread all of these books – LOL!  As a busy mom, I barely had time to read through each one the first time.  I usually scan my underlines and any notes that I might have originally made in the margins.  This is done in an attempt to jar my memory to reapply some things that I might have let gradually slip by the wayside over the course of the craziness of our school year.

Here are some quotes from the above resources that stuck out to me during this last perusal…

May we never choose to turn back from the path the Lord has set us upon simply because it isn’t easy.  (Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit, p. 44)

On being a servant to the needs of your students….  This concept of being the servant means that if your best laid plans are not giving your children what they need, scrap them and find something that better fits their learning style.  When what is most important to you is the fact that your children truly learn something, the method of that learning becomes secondary. (Beyond Survival, p. 112)

God uses ordinary people, calling and equipping us to do a job we sometimes feel is beyond our ability.  We rest in the faith that he never calls us to do more than we are able.  (Help for the Harried Homeschooler, p. 222)

Conviction comes from the Lord.  It comes with the power and promise of the Holy Spirit to help us repent and take appropriate action.  Condemnation comes from the Enemy, whose goal is our discouragement and defeat.  The irony is that the more we seek to walk with God and desire to know him, the greater our self condemnation when we think we have blown it. We set such high expectations of ourselves that our world comes crashing down around us when we fall short.  Yet Romans 8:1 tells us, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’   God does not want to condemn us, especially when we are so eager to condemn ourselves.  Instead, he longs to embrace us, to welcome us back to his heart, which is our source of strength, refuge, refreshment, and encouragement.  God’s grace is never used up, even when our human grace runs dry.   (Help for the Harried Homeschooler, p. 252-253)

Don’t set unrealistic expectations for you, your children, and those around you. Since you can’t realistically do it all, you need to determine what you can do and then be secure in that.  (Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, p. 95)

All that God requires from any of us is a desire to serve him and a trust that he can make up the differences for the things we lack.  The Lord would have us know that he is the one ultimately in charge of our children.  He will use our willingness and our efforts, then fill in the gaps of our inadequacies , to prepare their hearts for what he has in mind.  (Mission of Motherhood, p. 84-85)

What homeschool books do you like to revisit for encouragement, for vision, or for additional ideas for how to make your homeschool run more smoothly?

Last spring, I heard all the raving reviews of Sue Patrick’s Workbox System.  Being the organizer that I am and the lover of all purposeful baskets, holders, and containers, I had to take a closer look at this and see if it might work for our family.  

Sue Patrick’s original system consists of using 12 clear plastic shoeboxes for each child, placing a learning activity in each one.   You can learn more about her full system at her website and through her book.  I could see the benefit of her ideas, but I also knew there was no way I was going to be able to purchase and eventually store 5 sets of 12 large boxes! (My husband would have balked at the idea as well =) )   I knew that implementation of the entire system was not realistic for our growing homeschool family, but the goal behind it still intrigued me.   After reading several blogs of how other homeschooling moms of 3+ children altered the system to suit their needs, I grabbed some containers and followed suit!   I decided to try to use one plastic file box with 12 hanging files per child.  I made, printed, laminated, cut, and attached labels and we were set to go!

All I had to do next was place materials in each of the folders for each child.  AWANA, Bible, language arts, and math generally were the subjects focused on.  A few file folders would only have a card inside to indicate the activity to be completed.  For example Xtra Math practice on the computer, instrument practice, working with a sibling, etc.  

At the end of our school year, I asked each child, “What did you like about our workboxes this year?”   Here is a quick review by our kids…

4 year old preschooler

1. “the name on it and the picture”
   (Mommy’s Interpretation:  He likes that he has a box with his very own name on it.  He also likes that he got to choose the color and background for the front of his box.) 
2. “finding verses in it” 
   (Mommy’s Interpretation:  In the very first folder, I would place his Cubbie book containing his Bible verse from AWANA so that we would be sure to practice it daily!)

6 year old kindergartener

1. “putting the tags on” 
   (Mommy’s Interpretation: She liked being in charge of removing the tags from her folders and placing them on the outside to show that she was finished with an assignment.)

8 year old second grader 

1. “When I put the tag on, I know that I did something.” 
   (Mommy’s Interpretation:  She likes the visual to know when she has accomplished a task and how much she has left to do.)

Mommy’s Review of our Workboxes 
Likes:

1. I like that I wasn’t the keeper of all the books and materials!   In previous years, I had one tote for all of us.  It was becoming more and more difficult to fit everything for our growing family all in one tote.  Language arts and math for each child, history, Bible, etc. was overflowing and weighing my tote down!  This year, I reserved the tote for activities and lessons we would do together as a family – science, history, Bible, art, and music.  The childrens’ individual language arts and math lessons now had a new home in each child’s very own workbox.
2. In previous years, I would be in charge of when the kids worked on their assignments.  This year, using individual workboxes, the children were given more freedom and control over which subject they wanted to work on and in which order.  At the start of the day, they would check the front of their box to see how many assignments they had and then check the outside of each hanging file to see which assignments were to be completed on their own and which were labeled as ‘work with mom’ or ‘work with a sibling’.  They would then then peek into their folders to get a glimpse of what they would be working on that day.  Previously, with the one tote, it was hard for them to see what we had to work on for the day and they never knew what was coming next nor how much more we had to do.  Individual workboxes, with the chart and movable tags, gave the children a visual for how much was left and for what they had already accomplished.  I  think they found it motivating.
3. For our preschooler, his workbox was set up to be almost all ‘work with mom’ time.  His workbox gave us an organized space and order for working together.
4. I truly think the implementation of workboxes made preparing and organizing work for each child more manageable as well.  Whenever there is a designated place to put items, it makes things go much more smoothly! 
5. Using file boxes with handles made the workboxes portable.  We could work in a variety of places throughout our home and easily take our work with us… to the basement, an upstairs bedroom, the living room, even on a trip to dentist!

Dislikes:

1. We used standard hanging files and several hanging file folders ended up tearing and splitting half way through the year.  I attempted to tape and mend them to make it through the year, but it was not a pretty sight.

I am looking forward to using our workboxes again this coming school year. The only changes I am planning to implement are using heavier duty hanging files and adding a small pouch to the front of each box to hold pencils, a small box of crayons, a glue stick, and pair of scissors for each PreK child or older.  I am also considering letting our fourth child have her very own workbox (slightly different than the older kids) and join in on the fun as well =) 

Oh, one last favorable review of workboxes came from Daddy –
“If it keeps mommy sane, I like it!”