Homeschool Style: Sticking to it!

Story break.....

A friend of mine...when I say friend, we saw eachother at art class and often chatted about homeschooling...so maybe I should say an acquaintance....anyway, 

she was a lot like me in her homeschooling style. Calm. Cool. Relaxed. Lots of good books. Picked a math curriculum and just went with it. You know the type. We don't do many crafts and we're part of a community so we don't have to do science projects at home! 

Then, a new girl moved to town.

Complete. Opposite. (which is ok and wonderful!)

She was crafty. She had an awesome homeschool room. She always had things planned to the minute. Complete with all the latest and greatest curriculums money could buy and all the fun stuff to go with it! I even found myself being envious over her. But my friend jumped right in. Had an addition built on to her house. Changed all her curriculum. Slowly our conversations were less and less because she was spending all her free time planning her next big idea. It wasn't long before her and her children were in tears and burnt out! 

If your style is like this new friend's with the craftiness and the planning that's AWESOME and wonderful and I say do it heartily as unto the Lord! If this is you, let me add that you're doing an awesome job and many of us wish (in ways) that we could be more like you!

But if it's not, I want to encourage you! It's okay! Do what works best for you and your family! Don't worry about what everyone else is doing!  Find your style and stick to it!

In this social media world, it is easy to get wrapped up in what everyone else is doing. How cute their homeschool rooms look. How pretty their crafts look. How clean their homes look. Etc. But that's just it....they just look that way!  They have bad days/weeks/months/years too! Don't let the pretty pictures talk you into trying to be something/someone you're not!

We homeschool all over the house.

My kid's rooms are usually a mess.

I have a daughter who is particular.

I have a son who struggles to read.

I have another soon who has a bad temper.

We're working on it! 

Things take time!

Then sometimes you find this.....

And This.....

(literally while I was typing this post :)  )

And you have a "I must be doing something right" moment!

So... how do you find your style?

You can google home school teaching style quiz and take a few of those.

You can mimic someone who is a lot like you and see how that goes.

Or...... My Favorite.....

You can pray and ask God to show you some things that line up with what He would have your homeschool to be! 

Some people are naturally structured... some are not!

Some children are naturally structured... some are not!

(isn't it amazing how those kiddos can have the same genes and be so different!?!?!)

Some people like everything laid out for them... some people like to lay things out themselves!

Some people are simple...some people are complex...some are compound complex!

But, we're all God's creatures great and small! We're all called into this amazing journey of homeschooling! Don't let people influence you in a negative way!

So... get a a piece of paper and write you're school name at the top. Divide it in 2 sections...1)We Do and 2) We Don't. As the good Lord speaks to you about your homeschool and you learn through trial and error, write it down! Every time you entertain the idea of trying something different or new, look back at this list and see if it fits!

What's your style?

Have you ever tried something that didn't work well for your family?

What's your take on the outcome?

Homeschool Habits: 7 Proverbs to Help Keep Your Homeschool Running Smooth!

Some days are worse than others!

Let's face it! We cannot have an ideal homeschool day every day! Here lately, I haven't had a single one! Things happen. Life happens. So, what can we do to get back to the basics?  What can we do to make sure our days will run smoothly?

In my 4 years of homeschooling, I have found these 7 Proverbs and tasks to be tried in true in having a smooth running day.

1) Prayer - Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility."
Daily humble yourself before God in prayer and recognize that apart from Christ, you can do nothing. Call on God to help you throughout your day to keep your focus on Him. Pray for your children! Pray God will open their minds and hearts to receive what they will be learning that day and pray for any specific needs your child may have. (Here are a few posts I've written on prayer)

2) Devotion - Proverbs 4:20-22 "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
I cannot stress this enough! I know this is the hardest thing for a Mommy to get done! The simplest way to make sure this happens is to wake up 30 minutes earlier!  I know it's hard but the Lord will bless your efforts! Do NOT skip this! Sometimes I let my morning get away from me and I am tempted to keep on trucking. I have to stop myself and make myself steal away for a time of devotion. Sometimes this means backing everything up 30 minutes, getting 3 kids busy on something, and hiding! Just do it!

3) Know Your Teaching Style - Proverbs 16:20 "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."
I didn't realize how important this is until I saw a friend try to do things that were not in her nature to do. Homeschool friends are great but we are all passionate about what we are doing individually. I am always careful to share with new homeschoolers because I have seen how easy it is to latch on to what others are doing. Handle this matter wisely and you will see the good! Know your style and stick to it!

4) Be aware of your time - Prov 27:23 "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds."
I Do Not use a timer!  I know I'm breaking homeschool protocol!  But I do not want my child's learning time to be defined by the sound of a timer going off! However,  I am always aware of what time it is and how long we've been working on a task!

 

5) Use a bell to regroup - Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels."
We are constantly splitting up and regrouping throughout the day. I found a cute service bell at a local store a few weeks ago and we are loving it. When I need everyone to come back together for whatever reason, I ring the bell. Simple! It has helped with first time obedience and following directions! Keep it interesting. Don't let every time you ring the bell be for giving directions....they'll stop coming! Change it up with a "drop everything, we're going to the park"! Or hand out candy! Or sing a song. Take a walk. Have fun with it!

6) Be flexible - Proverbs 10:16 "The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin."
Leave time to tend to life because life happens whether you're ready or not! Sometimes we all just need a break! Sometimes people drop by! Sometimes the dishwasher breaks and there's water all over the Kitchen floor...true story! Don't let it ruin your day (like I almost did)! Take care of business and pick up where you left off!

7) Make lists for each child - Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
If they don't know what is going on, you'll loose them completely! A while back I found myself telling my kids over and over what we were doing that day. I started making lists for each child (read more here). It takes me about 15 minutes to make my list and three children's lists each night. They know what's going on, what's expected of them, and where to look for their next task when Mommy's not available. It has encouraged responsability and independence in our home! (You can read about my children's lists here)

I hope these verses have helped you as much as they have me! Keep strong. Keep it simple. Keep praising God for the opportunity to homeschool! It is truly a gift!

What are some verses that have helped you keep things in perspective?