I'm a lesson planner. I love to write down all the nitty gritty details of our learning. But over twelve years of homeschooling, I came to realize that I was crossing out a lot of my own plans and substituting God's plans instead. Early on I began to write my plans in pencil, to allow for quick changes. I've learned to be flexible. Most of all I've learned to trust God in our homeschooling.
A few years ago, the Lord led me to stop planning weeks in advance. He was showing me how to simply show up each day with a surrendered heart. He taught me how to pay attention to the way that my children were made and helped me encourage THEM to set goals and learn how to work towards fulfilling those accomplishments.
At the same time, the children had basics that they needed to cover everyday. So as my younger children did those things, we wrote them down together. I would write in a framework and we would simply fill in the page numbers and the finer details. On the other hand, my older children (8th grade and up) plan everything start to finish, on their own. (After some training and discipleship, of course.)
Generally speaking, the curriculum I've chosen for my children to use is planning friendly. A child simply completes one "thing," a day. (One lesson, one page, one subsection, one project, etc...) I've hopped in whenever necessary, guiding and instructing all along the way. It has worked very well, but admittedly it has irritated my inward "planner," who likes everything written down in advance, nice and neat. However, for the most part, I have refused to give in to it because following God in our daily lessons has given my children a healthy measure of success.
So what do I mean by "following God," in our daily lessons?
I'll give you an example:
Sam, heard the older boys discussing their history lesson on the three branches of government, and how the president is elected. He became curious and asked if he could go with me when I voted on November 4th.
On Election Day, we packed a lunch, and stood in line for an hour waiting for our turn to vote. While we were in line, we met a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Poland, who shared with us a little about Poland's government and how he was so thankful to now be a citizen of the United States. This elderly man talked all about the wonderful checks and balances our government has with the legislative, judicial and executive branches. We also met a woman who voted for the first time when she was eighteen years old. She voted for Eisenhower. She shared all about the giant metal voting booths with the heavy levers. Sam ate up the information these folks shared with him. We returned home and he finished the rest of his lessons.
That evening, the election returns started coming back. Sam was prepared. He drew the United States by hand, and labeled the map by electoral votes. Did I ask him to do that? No. He wanted to do it. For fun.
If you ask Sam about the three branches of the U.S. government, the electoral college, or the evolution of voting in our country he can hold a really decent (if not awesome) conversation with you. Would he have been able to do that if I simply said, "No Sam, you can't go with me. You have assignments to complete?" I doubt it.
Now remember, for my younger children I write down a minimal framework, and I leave a lot of space for me to fill in how God directs us as we go. On Sam's lesson planner for November 4th it says:
1. Read history text pages____-____. (Sam fills in the page numbers)
2. Math section ____
3. Grammar page____and____
4. Science pages____ - ____
Accompanied mom to vote. Spoke to a polish immigrant about 3 branches of government. Talked to a lady who voted for Eisenhower in the 50's, learned about the voting booths of that era. Created a hand drawn electoral college map and labeled them with alloted electoral votes.
A few years ago, the Lord led me to stop planning weeks in advance. He was showing me how to simply show up each day with a surrendered heart. He taught me how to pay attention to the way that my children were made and helped me encourage THEM to set goals and learn how to work towards fulfilling those accomplishments.
At the same time, the children had basics that they needed to cover everyday. So as my younger children did those things, we wrote them down together. I would write in a framework and we would simply fill in the page numbers and the finer details. On the other hand, my older children (8th grade and up) plan everything start to finish, on their own. (After some training and discipleship, of course.)
Generally speaking, the curriculum I've chosen for my children to use is planning friendly. A child simply completes one "thing," a day. (One lesson, one page, one subsection, one project, etc...) I've hopped in whenever necessary, guiding and instructing all along the way. It has worked very well, but admittedly it has irritated my inward "planner," who likes everything written down in advance, nice and neat. However, for the most part, I have refused to give in to it because following God in our daily lessons has given my children a healthy measure of success.
So what do I mean by "following God," in our daily lessons?
I'll give you an example:
Sam, heard the older boys discussing their history lesson on the three branches of government, and how the president is elected. He became curious and asked if he could go with me when I voted on November 4th.
On Election Day, we packed a lunch, and stood in line for an hour waiting for our turn to vote. While we were in line, we met a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Poland, who shared with us a little about Poland's government and how he was so thankful to now be a citizen of the United States. This elderly man talked all about the wonderful checks and balances our government has with the legislative, judicial and executive branches. We also met a woman who voted for the first time when she was eighteen years old. She voted for Eisenhower. She shared all about the giant metal voting booths with the heavy levers. Sam ate up the information these folks shared with him. We returned home and he finished the rest of his lessons.
That evening, the election returns started coming back. Sam was prepared. He drew the United States by hand, and labeled the map by electoral votes. Did I ask him to do that? No. He wanted to do it. For fun.
If you ask Sam about the three branches of the U.S. government, the electoral college, or the evolution of voting in our country he can hold a really decent (if not awesome) conversation with you. Would he have been able to do that if I simply said, "No Sam, you can't go with me. You have assignments to complete?" I doubt it.
Now remember, for my younger children I write down a minimal framework, and I leave a lot of space for me to fill in how God directs us as we go. On Sam's lesson planner for November 4th it says:
1. Read history text pages____-____. (Sam fills in the page numbers)
2. Math section ____
3. Grammar page____and____
4. Science pages____ - ____
Accompanied mom to vote. Spoke to a polish immigrant about 3 branches of government. Talked to a lady who voted for Eisenhower in the 50's, learned about the voting booths of that era. Created a hand drawn electoral college map and labeled them with alloted electoral votes.
~~~~~
Last weekend, I had a momentary lesson plan panic. Being that I've taken a part time job while my husband is unemployed, I was fearful that things wouldn't get done as they should. I had the urge to micro-manage and prefabricate some sort of educational fun. I went to "plan" Sam's lessons and I came across November 4th's date. I stopped in my tracks. My mind wandered to the memorial stones of our homeschooling journey. My lips whispered, "Nope, we'll just continue to do what we're doing."
I'm going to continue writing down the framework as you see it above...and Sam will fill in the page numbers. We will continue to trust God to bring those teachable moments and rabbit trails that have been the backbone of our educational process all of these years.
And as I'm typing this I hear Sam telling Grace all about the three types of volcanoes. Apparently, plinian eruptions are "way dramatic and devastating." {snort}
God is good.
Related posts:
So grateful for grace,
©2008 Y.M.F.
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