If only I had known…
that my qualifications to teach my children rested in my parenthood, not in my education degree.
When I started, we had a very rigid schedule and I made meticulous lesson plans. My daughter sat at a desk and I used an old car antennae as a pointer. We had a word wall that took over the
entire ceiling of the room we were using as a school room and every bit of wall space was taken over by posters. My daughter was expected to raise her hand to ask questions, to answer them and to use the restroom.
When I first got my materials for the Principle Approach, I turned the seven principles into objectives. To see what I was trying to do, take a look at this. Go ahead, I’ll be here when you get back.
I worked as an elementary school teacher in Texas before moving here to Nebraska and I knew my TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). Every lesson plan required them to be written out, with TAAS objectives highlighted to ensure that we were covering the key tested areas regularly. I had a sheet like the one you looked at for every subject. So what did I do when I began homeschooling?
I made up a sheet for every subject that looked just like that. I had one for each subject area with the seven principles as headings and the skills organized under them. My fellow PAers will instantly recognize that I was missing something, but it goes to show just how much we are shaped by our education.
I am not condemning standards or objectives, but this is my home. Looking over that list, what is there that you do not already naturally do in the home environment? Do you need a checklist to ensure that your child “responds appropriately and courteously to directions and questions?” (English 1B) These standards were designed to facilitate the teaching of a room full of other people’s children, not to direct the interactions between parent and child.
Learning to let go of my role as the teacher in control of the classroom in favor of a role as a discipler was the most difficult lesson I had to learn. And that brings me to this illustration which I have posted here before. It has always represented my views of education, but has come to mean something very different to me:
As a public school educator, the contents of the pitcher represented my knowledge and the standards I was meting out to the children.
Now it represents to me living water. And as I pour that forth, the hearts of my children blossom.
This post is part of Back to Homeschool Week being hosted by I have to say…Check out some more posts on the topic by following the links she is collecting over there.
Dana,
You are too funny. I have a confession ~ My first year, I wrote 3-5 objectives for each subject we were going to cover. Each objective included the conditions, an appropriate and measurable verb, a quantifiable was to measure progress and a time frame. I listed the books or texts we would use to teach each objective and planned several activities under each objective too.
Uh, the last two years I worked as a nursing instructor. I brought all I knew home and plopped it right in there.
You see, Marissa and I were both on a great learning curve. She didn’t know how to be a student in a class of one and I didn’t know how to teach her ~
A homeschooler after my own heart.
It is comforting to know that they don’t know any better than we do.
Hi Dana – Thanks for stopping by my blog. Nice to meet you -
I do not actually know that there’s karate in the Y..lol I probably should check that out before we do the Taekwondo since they are sort of same anyway, I guess.
I like that picture. My husband is a public school teacher and he sometimes questions things I do or do not do with the boys. Most of the time he is pretty good about letting me just do my thing…AND with NY states strict home school requirements, he is good at letting me know things they will need etc.
Ah, CDS (Classroom Duplication Syndrome). I suffered from it myself, right down to the hand raising and saying the pledge. CDS can require spousal intervention if it progresses. Usually the kids stage a mutiny before the intervention is necessary though. I’m glad you overcame your CDS. ;o)
Rhonda in TN
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/RhondaMama/
that my qualifications to teach my children rested in my parenthood, not in my education degree….
Brilliant, just brilliant.
I love that picture, by the way.
I can imagine it is very difficult to go from a school setting to a home setting. I have a friend who was a teacher and said she just can’t let go of what was so ingrained. Glad you managed it and found what works for you!
The picture and your representation speak to me.
I might have to borrow that illustration one day…
How is life in Nebraska? My wife and I are thinking of moving out that way.
Awesome post!!
Love the first quote up there, and the picture is just beautiful 
CDS…that is great! Thank you for the smile. Is there a support group for that, yet?
Thank you everyone for your kind words.
John, Nebraska is a pretty nice state. The taxes here are a little higher than in most places. Until recently, I would have said our schools are good. They still are in relation to a lot of places, but we have had a number of things happen recently which have taken the control away from local communities and put it in control of the state.
There are a lot of people fighting it, but with NCLB, I fear it is inevitable. Homeschooling here is pretty easy. I don’t object to any of the requirements, but if you unschool, I think there are some difficulties with the paperwork. I don’t, so I do not know how much of an issue it really is.
What a refreshing way to view the whole “filling up” analogy.
Hi! I followed your link here from Randi’s site. I love the picture of the watering can and flower pot. I think I will print that out and put it in a spot I will see it frequently while we are homeschooling as a reminder, especially on those challenging days.
Just as a side, my husband and I were born and raised in Nebraska but now live in Minnesota. My kids always say they want to move there after a visit to Grandpa and Grandma’s houses there!
You aren’t going to be flying a Texas Longhorns flag in your yard are you?!! 
Right where I am at–where and how to begin? So far…I have no clear cut definitive plan LOL and school starts shortly! maybe that is a good thing? Maybe it is not? I suppose it will all sort its self out. Some of what I am looking for is less structure and more following our own interest and herats **shrug**
Thoroughly enjoyed your post today. I could certainly identify with the “starting out a rigid schedule” and having to rid yourself of the “public school mentality!”
I especially loved your imagery and example using the “pitcher.” Thanks so much for this thoughtful post!
Have a blessed day! In Him, Janet
P.S. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. I’m so glad you did, so that I could find your blog!
When I first started homeschooling I was so excited to be the teacher. It was like playing school. I worked on writing my own curriculum, pulling resources from the web, the library, and purchases. The only problem was that I spent all my time planning how to homeschool instead of actually doing it. Oh well, it was fun to play school for a very short season. lol
“Now it represents to me living water. And as I pour that forth, the hearts of my children blossom.”
Exactly!
Yes, my home was like a public school, too. Now we are much more relaxed. We are from Texas! Too familiar with that stupid test!
http://tonsofsons.wordpress.com/
Hi Dana, thanks for stopping by my HeartnSoul blog and commenting on the War on Truth posst
We actually did meet up with some friendly bloggers we didn’t know IRL on our way to NE, it was great fun, so don’t feel bad lol. Loved this post of yours too!
Denise
Are you near the state capitol? That is where we went. My boys stayed for “education” in detasseling lol. I may be flying there again by myself within the year.
blessings
Denise
ooooo Good Post!!
Thank you for your comment the other day. It was so nice to have you stop by. After reading your posts – I’m a bit impressed that you stopped by my spot in the blogosphere.
I, too, want to be more intentional in getting the kids involved a bit more – but we still have to be careful. We have a LOT going on that it would be so easy to overwhelm ourselves.
I also want to be careful in the feeling of disconnectedness and watch out for how it enters into my thoughts – because, really, I’m happy at home. But sometimes home – is just too much. *LOL*
Bleach Free Blessings!
Thank you, ComfyDenim (and I LOVE your screen name). I don’t really want my children involved in more activities…they are fine on that account. I just want them to have more of a feeling of being connected in our own community. I was talking more about the casual things that come up in the day.
I love being at home, but I think God created us for fellowship with one another. Working satisfied some of that on a superficial level so I did not notice it as much way back when. And I do not want to replace that need with activity as a homeschooler, either. Does that make any sense?
It has been a long summer for me with a lot going on, so things sort of feel piled up.
LOL, that could have been us the first semester we homeschooled.