A Philosophy of Education that is working for my family:
Charlotte Mason believed that education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life. In a similar vein, I see homeschooling as a lifestyle. Homeschooling is integrated into every part of life when it is viewed this way. I call it family schooling, because the whole family is educated together and hopefully learns how to build strong, healthy relationships.
And we have a lifestyle of learning. Most of us love to research and share what we learn with each other and share information, ideas, opinions, experiences, and thoughts with each other.
We live life together. Using this method makes learning natural and enjoyable, fun and lasting.
We follow our interests and learn more about the things that delight us. We dive deep into a subject and learn as much as we want to know about it and spend as much time and effort on it as we deem appropriate or adequate.
Then we rather naturally move on to something related or totally unrelated that somehow strikes our fancy or in some way comes to our attention.
I see this philosophy of learning as very similar to what Charlotte Mason taught. I also view it as a way to make homeschooling sustainable since it is more natural and organic and uses our interests and delights to direct our studies.
So there is less stress, resistance, and control that occurs, and the learner and the teacher (or facilitator of learning, as I like to call myself) are working together to make learning happen instead of having an adversarial or authoritarian relationship that can stifle learning and happy relationships within a family.
Give a Kid a Job and Let Him Figure Out How to Do it
I asked my 13 year old son, Garrett, to put the towel rack back up in the bathroom. I gave him a few tips that I thought might help him figure out how to put it up. I don’t really know how to do it myself. He took it from there, got 10 year old Emma to help, and voila, they put the towel rack up perfectly. Then they went on to put the toilet paper roll holder up, too!
His ingenuity and willingness to try really impressed me. I’m proud of him and glad that he was able to help us with this project and successfully complete it. It made him feel successful and proud of himself, too!
Prayer for New Homeschool Families and Prospective Families
I did a Periscope Broadcast today. I prayed for new homeschool families and prospective homeschool families. I also prayed for those who are having a hard time getting back into the groove of learning after the holidays – students and moms!
Prayer for Families and the Family Mountain
Watch this Periscope broadcast and join me in praying for our families!
Teaching History Using Biographies, Autobiographies, and Living Books from the Library
Come and listen to me and Morgan as we talk about his favorite way to learn History. He reads biographies, autobiographies and other living books (books by one author who is an expert on the subject who really loves the subject). Then he tells me what he knows from what he has read.
https://www.periscope.tv/penneymaried/1BRKjVeVvbgKw?
This post is included in a link-up at http://www.proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
