Homeschool

Are You Ready For School?!!?

Seems like no matter how many years we have been homeschooling, I still feel inadequate at what I am to do.  I guess that's part of the Lord keeping me humble in it.  If I get too confident then will I depend on Him to get us through the year?  As I've been purging and refilling my kids school bins I feel the joy, the excitement, anticipation, and some doubt rising up inside.  "Is this going to be a successful year?  Will my kids be "on-track" scholastically?  How will we fit it all in?", are just some of the questions that echo in my mind as I finger through the pages of books yet to be explored. I know most of us homeschool moms, if not all, have the same concerns and questions about our children's educations.  I think every parent, regardless of where the child attends school, actually does.  There's a lot riding on those who educate the next generation, it's no small task.  Anyone who educates others knows how it feels to see them succeed and the heart break when a student fails.  We had an incident a few years ago, after the addition of our fourth baby, where I was not as on top of things as I had thought I was.  It all looked great on paper, but being consumed in "new mommy-hood" again, a lot went over looked.  By the time I realized my mistake it was a long time of recovery for one of my little learners and I carried the guilt of that for long into the next school year.  Determined to never let that happen again!  We, as home school moms, won't do it all perfect everyday, but we don't give in and give up either.  As we begin our upcoming year I know there will be mistakes both on my and the kids parts. I also know the one who lead us to this journey of homeschooling and that these children are first and foremost His and only He has control of how everything goes.  We each do our part, of course, but only through trusting Him and His ways will we be able to succeed.

"The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:33

Happy School Year!!!!

Love,

Colleen

Home Schooling the High School Years...

When we were first blessed to start this journey of home schooling, there 

was A LOT to learn!!! So much more than I had ever even thought.  All I knew 

was the Lord had laid it on my heart, and my hubby was for it, so we 

started... I thank the Lord for making me so brave during that time to even 

attempt to try it out.  Now as I look back on the past 10 years, I can hear all 

of the questions I have been asked about our decision and the answers, even 

unsure ones, ringing in my ears...What about socialization? What qualifies 

you to home school? How long are you going to home school?...just to point 

out a few that everyone I know have been asked.  I have always felt 

 confident in answering those questions and over looking the judgement,

but one question I was a little nervous about...Are you going to home school 

them all the way through?  My answer was always, "I hope to", and is still

my hope today.  The thing that changed inside that response was my 

confidence, from seeing the Lord provide what we needed in school year after 

year and him sending others who have gone before me to graduate their 

children has boosted my confidence to home school through high school. 

Recently I was blessed with a CD on Home Schooling through High School, 

and I was so encouraged once again to keep on the path that I wanted to 

share it with you.  It is an older recording from the writer and teacher of the 

Apologia Science curriculum, Dr. Jay Wile.

Here is a highly educated, college professor, and scientist who saw first hand 

through his college students the differences between traditional schooling 

and home schooling.  His observed such a huge and positive difference that 

when he and his wife adopted their daughter he knew there was no other 

option but to home school.  There were a few really encouraging things he 

said that I know I won't be able to quote exactly, but I wanted to at least try 

to share the encouragement: Your home school experience is NOT going to 

look like anyone else's, that's OK!  Our kids are getting everything they need 

from home schooling.  Studies show that a home schooled child tests as well 

or better than public or private schooled children no matter the highest 

education level of the home schooled child's mother or the income level of 

the household.  Home schooled students seem to do better in college 

because they are self-learners/teachers. We as home school "teachers" serve 

three roles from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Grades K-5 we are the 

teacher, 6th-8th grades we shift more responsibility to the student and 

become more of a tutor, and 9th-12th grades we give almost total 

responsibility to the student and become a fellow learner.  That is how the 

self-learning/teaching is created.  If we learn something on our own it 

becomes ingrained and we will have learned it for forever.

WOW!! What an encouraging thing to hear after the day some of us have 

had, right!?  The message from this CD is so encouraging and I urge you to 

try and hunt one down if you are faced with any doubts at all about if you are 

capable of doing this "home school thing".  We ALL need a little 

encouragement and reassurance from time to time~

    Love,

Colleen

One of the many reasons I love homeschooling is it can be done literally at any time of the day and week!

Just last night as we came home from church and the kids bounded up the front porch 

stairs,  my son put out his 7 year old boy hand to open the front door and a HUGE moth 

flew right into it!  When I say HUGE I mean HUGE!!!  Like a “Hulk Moth”, if there were 

ever.

So, I could see our school day had not ended…

This is “Hulk”

We “googled” him and found out he is a male, Luna Moth.  God made so many 

interesting creatures for us to be in awe of!  This moth lives only to mate…as do most 

creatures,  but just the facts on him are so fascinating! He is rare and it is actually a 

“treat” if you are blessed to meet one.  He will only be a moth for a week before he dies.

He is also considered an endangered species in some areas.  We know "he" is a "he" 

by his thick, fuzzy antennae. They have a wing spread of about 4 ½ inches…so try to 

imagine Teddy’s surprise when Hulk greeted him with a handshake!  I have never been 

so intrigued over a moth…I mean, we've caught caterpillars in jars, cared for them, 

watched them make cocoons, hatch and be moths that we set free,  but this guy was 

really a gift!  Especially for us,  because not only did we get to find out about him and 

study him for school…we also got to do it together and that memory will last 

forever.  We may never see another “Hulk” 

moth again, but we did once J

                 Love,

                        Colleen