Disclaimer 1:?? I am at risk of boring you out of your skulls with Home School??blogging.????If Home School chatter doesn’t “float your boat” ;)…ignore these posts.?? I am so excited about all my research??and I??can’t refrain from writing about it.?? My purpose in blogging about this little journey is (a) so in the future if I get discouraged, I remember what my mission is (b) to record this leg of my journey in parenting??and (c) so a few of my friends who are interested in homeschooling will have the opportunity to take this journey along with me so that when their time comes, they have more resources?? and ideas.

Disclaimer 2:?? If??you choose to read these posts and are not intending to home school OR you are homeschooling and don’t??agree with my critiques or methodology…please do not internalize it.?? My??intent in blogging about this is NOT to convince ANYONE to home school or home school differently.?? See disclaimer 1 🙂 .?? I believe that there are good reasons to home school and good reasons not to.?? Each family has their own??specific dynamics and what is appropriate for one family is not appropriate for another.????Even within the homeschooling circles there is a??diverse crowd.?? Totally different methodology, approach, and curriculum.?? In??fact, using Heidi as??an example…I think??we??are likely to make??very different choices in methodology and curriculum.?? One isn’t better than the other.?? We just have different and unique needs and desires.????

Disclaimer 3:?? If you have read my blog long enough, you may be concerned that I struggle with grammar.?? Secondary Education with English as my focus??was my college major 🙂 !?? My blog does not reflect my education because when I “free write”, I don’t take time to edit/revise.?? I am usually in a hurry and just want to get my thoughts down.?? So no worries 🙂 .

Now that I have THAT out of the way 🙂 …..

I was up until 2:00 AM last night studying and researching.????I had so much fun!????Health wise things are really changing for me.?? God has been good!?? I am getting my energy back and feel so much better than last year.????As a result, I??have??been able to pour into this without that “overwhelmed” feeling.?? I am walking away from this so excited for September!?? As I was researching last night, it occurred to me that my love of learning came from my parents.?? My mother loves to research and study and she passed that on to me.?? My father was also a great influence.?? In fact, he helped me with my education more than my mother.?? It was my dad that had more influence in my writing than any of my teachers.?? He taught me to outline at a very young age.?? I acclimated to it so well I actually THINK in outline form LOL.???? When I was in Junior High my dad was working on his Doctorate of Theology.?? He used to take me to the college libraries with him and called me his “research assistant”.?? I had to look up books relevant to his thesis, and go through them looking for the “nuggets” he would need for his paper.?? I was only 13 at the time but that “real life” experience with my dad is what spurred my love of knowledge – to seek it and find it.?? Even at that young age, I felt like I had something valuable to offer in my assistance.?? He always used yellow highlighters for everything, note cards, and outlines.?? I learned a lot by watching his methods.?? Even now, Dad and I love to trade books with all our highlights so we can have our attention drawn to what the other most appreciated.????I remember more of what my parents taught me at home and in life than what my teachers taught me (and I was public schooled).????

I don’t know when my desire to home school was first sparked but I do remember that when Jim and I were dating he expressed the desire for our kids to be home schooled.?? At first, I was scared to death of the thought.?? Little did I know I would have SEVEN years to think about it and settle it in my heart before my first son would be born.?? Over the last 13 years I have been thinking about this.?? What did I want??? How did I want to do it??? What was most important to me??? Why do it??? What do I want the outcomes to be?

This week as I have been studying, it has occurred to me that I would be wise to start answering those questions before going further.?? If I don’t know what my goals are, I??could arrive at an unknown destination and wonder how in the world I got there.

As it stands though, I??do know what my goals and objectives are.?? The more I research, the more I realize that most programs don’t meet MY objectives.???? Weeding out what I don’t want has helped me to really cement in my mind what I do want.

So homeschooling mission objective number one is this -??create my mission objectives and use this to determine what methodology and curriculum I use.?? I think I have a strong inkling about which methodology I will choose post research but I’ll share that in my next home school post.?? For now, I want to take the time to write out my objectives.?? This is??a work in progress.?? Over time it will be edited and fine tuned but it’s a start!?? (And Jim wonders what my point is…but I know what I need to ground “me” 🙂 ).??

I am sure I have more to add to this but this will do for now.????I read this tonight to Jim and he wanted to know why I would post it in my blog.?? Was that his way of saying “Babe this is a real snooze?”?? :)?? Oh well.?? It made me happy to write it out.

MISSION??OBJECTIVES

• God’s??Word to be the central theme and focus – not a piece of the curriculum but the core of the curriculum.?? Proverbs 22:6?? Train up a child in the way that he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it.
• To??shepherd my children’s hearts
• To give them the foundation they need to be a true follower of Jesus
• To raise??men of character (and hopefully someday women 😉 )
• To educate them in such a way, that as they grow and mature, they will be able to draw upon a fountain of knowledge that will help them in making right and wise choices, thus enabling them to be equipped to better serve Christ.
• To teach from a Hebrew model of education as opposed to a Greek model.
• To teach first from a Hebrew historical viewpoint and then branch outwards.?? Our Creator used many men of Jewish descent to give us His inspired scripture.?? In order for my children to understand God’s word in proper context, an understanding of Hebrew history and culture is necessary.?? From Abraham to the Messiah, God’s Word was protected by the Jews.?? Therefore, I want to teach the ancient histories as it relates to the Hebrews first – and then bring into context what other nationalities around the world were doing simultaneously.?? In this way, my children will follow the story God wrote – from what I consider “His” perspective.
• To observe the interests, talents and passions of my children and help direct them in line with the gifts God gave them.
• To realize that secular education is important but secondary to this primary spiritual objective.??
• To give my children a love for literature.?? “Leaders are readers and readers are leaders”.
• To equip my children to articulate their??thoughts fluently and eloquently with all the passion bestowed on them by their Creator.??
• To equip my children to articulate their thoughts fluently and eloquently with all the passion bestowed on them by their Creator – through writing.?? “I don’t know what I think until I read what I wrote” 🙂
• To help my children develop a love for history so that as they age, they see themselves as significant in God’s grand love story for mankind.?? In this way, they will also see the continuity of God’s story from beginning to end.?? “Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.?? A proper perspective of history??will aid them in making and defending good and right choices.
• To challenge their minds in such a way that they deeply root in truth.?? Unafraid to explore, debate, decipher, and test truth so that the fruits of their labor will grow in fertile ground where the storms of life will not shake them.?? 2 Timothy 2:15?? Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
• To equip them for a successful college career and offer extra resources to them for their hobbies, interests, and talents.

??

General Likes/Dislikes

• An education full of diversity – not a prepackaged education based on the standards and interests of another.?? For this reason, I will likely avoid curriculum packages.
• To teach from “living” books – true books of life and character and brilliance avoiding textbook teaching that can be dry and dull with little practical relevance.
• I love Unit Studies because:?? 1.?? It will allow me to teach more than one child at the same time using the same basic resources with tailored exercices.?? 2.??One thing I love about Bible Study Fellowship International is that you get the same information in 4 formats.?? First the notes, then the homework, then the class discussion, and finally a lecture.?? This method helps solidify the teaching in my mind.?? A unit approach allows you to live with a topic for awhile and really dive in.?? You get your history, your reading, your recitation, your spelling, your writing, and sometimes your science…all at once.?? The varied exercises allow expanded education in both reading comprehension, grammar, and writing as well as reinforcing the topic itself.
• While spending tedious hours laboring over curriculum is not my goal, I would rather use real literature and articles??found at the library, in magazines, on the Internet to develop my unit studies as opposed to someone else’s choices.?? I will only use the resources of packaged curriculum eclecticly – if that “piece” meets my objective.?? Math will probably be the primary exception.
• I want my children to be able to test well but I don’t want to consume too much time testing what I should already know about their skill sets in regards to subject mastery.
• I want freedom with how I teach, what I teach, and when I teach it.?? Thankfully the state of Arizona allows me that.
• I want to be part of Home school Co-Ops for P.E. and for extra curricular activity but I do not want to share the teaching experience by giving certain subjects to another parent.
• I want Jim to be involved in their education as well as reserving some skills for Daddy to teach.?? He has already agreed to this lucky me!?? :)?? For next year he has agreed to thus far teach telling time, counting money, and rope tying to include shoelaces 🙂 .
• I want to work at our own pace without having to record hours.?? Again, another benefit to living in Arizona.
• I don’t want to keep tedious records of scores.?? Again, I will know their level of mastery by my involvement in their education.?? This would be a tedious chore for ME.
• I want to avoid redundant tasks and pointless exercises.?? Which probably means very little workbook activity with the exception of possibly mathematics.??
• I want our school day to be more than just book learning.??
• I want to teach all subjects from a Christ centered world view.
• I want to teach my children to be patriots and “One nation UNDER GOD” will be recited in our home.
• I want to read through the bible every year with my children.?? I read the One Year bible for 7 years straight before moving on to book studies (7th to 12th grade).?? I would love to help my child read it in it’s entirety 12 times before reaching adulthood.????The boys and I have completed 3 children’s bibles and are working on the fourth.?? I want to ALWAYS be disciplined about this!!!!?? This should be at the very top of my list.
• I want to teach the truth about the foundation of this great nation without being censored by a secular curriculum or agenda.
• I want to present secular theory’s alongside biblical truths and allow my children to explore the arguments.?? I am not afraid of the truth.?? I don’t want them to be.????I want my children to be exposed to secular viewpoints and have the opportunity to formulate their own arguments.?? I want them to seek out the truth as they mature and teach them to excel in Christian apologetics.??
• I don’t want a traditional classroom environment.?? While I do want my kids to have the ability to sit still and focus for lengthy periods of time, I want to have more flexibility to cater to their varied learning styles.
• I appreciate many “unschooling” theories and believe that much of what is taught that “sticks” was learned through life lessons and practical application.
• I want to put much more emphasis on reading, writing, and public speaking than my kids would likely get in a traditional classroom.
• I want my children to love learning at home and for the family bond to grow tighter because of this shared experience.??
• I want to teach them elective subjects that they wouldn’t have as much opportunity for in school.?? (Daddy will be good for a lot of that).
• I want my children to know that Daddy and I consider them our greatest treasures given as gifts by God.?? For that reason, we want the privilege of watching them grow and mature for as many hours in a day as we can.?? They grow up so fast.?? Jim and I have more invested in these precious ones than anyone and I don’t want to miss a thing.

I am sure I have more to add to this but this will do for now.?? The next posting will contain information on the methodology that I am thus far preferring based on my above objectives and interests.???? I read this tonight to Jim and he wanted to know why I would post it in my blog.?? Was that his way of saying “Babe this is a real snooze?”?? :)?? Oh well.?? It made me happy to write it out.