First Day O' School

What better way to begin a school day than with a romp in a mud puddle. . .let's call it gym class. . .

Or with your favorite foods. . .a healthy oreo breakfast?

I'm ready! I've got my normal "spread everything so I can see it" going on. :)  Okay, we're at the table, ready and waiting to start Bible. Where's my husband. . .

Oh, there he is. . .okay NOW we're ready!  Someone's missing. . .it's Tyler, the big brother. He's in college. We sure missed him at our school table! 


This year. . . I feel like I have a bit more perspective, having graduated one homeschooler and getting to view his education in hindsight a little. Things that I knew now appear larger and even more vital like:


~God, our worship of him and our living out the gospel, must be at the center of everything we do.
~Skills win over drills hands down. They (my kids) must *know* how to research, *understand* how to communicate in writing and verbally, be *stretched* to learn perseverance. 
~Easy and delightful is pleasant, but one is rarely strengthened under it. The brain must be challenged to grow stronger. The student must be challenged to learn their capabilities. There got to be balance.


To accomplish my goals, I can't just follow any curriculum blindly. The writer has never met my students. The writer can assign 30 books, but the teacher has to put as most important, teaching the student more than how to read those 30 books. The teacher has to guide them to understand each book, to judge its contents according to Truth, and to communicate effectively what is learned. Better to learn through 5 books than conquer reading 30 books with no learning.


Education is a huge undertaking. It's much easier to simply complete assignments and check off the little boxes. It takes less time and effort. But there's little true education in it. True education breaks a sweat, it's messy, and includes lots of mistakes. But, it's worth it. . .