Cheryl | Heart of the Matter

June 15, 2009 By Cheryl 6 Comments

I have been writing on a continuing theme here the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. But, before I get to the next Perk of the Month, feel free to read through the previous homeschool perks, listed in my top ten format, under related articles at the bottom of this post. And now for this month’s perk:

Homeschool Perk#3: Family Bonding

There’s no doubt about it: when you homeschool you spend a lot of time together. When you spend a lot of time together, you end up getting to know one another really well, warts and all. It isn’t always pleasant, and believe it or not, it’s this occasional unpleasantness that allows for closer connections between family members. Why is that, you may ask? Well, I believe it’s due to a little word with a very big impact: forgiveness.

Forgive

I grew up in a family where feelings often went unacknowledged, and very much unsupported. One’s feelings were taken personally by the other, and so I learned to be very indirect about my feelings, or to express how I felt by means of blaming. God has shown me many things in my Homeschool Journey, and one of them is a God given desire to overcome this. In order to overcome this, I continue to be presented with many an opportunity to appropriately share my feelings with my children – thus setting an example for them to model. If they do not have a model, they will not learn it themselves. What does this have to do with forgiveness you may ask? Well, sharing one’s feelings often makes the other aware of how their behaviour can affect others, this often bares remorse, and consequently allows for ample room for forgiveness.

If I want to demonstrate humility, I must be able to say I’m sorry when I have hurt someone, intentionally or not. When I apologize for hurting one of my little people, I am giving them room to model forgiveness, and believe me – they are very good at it. They do not hesitate to forgive, and I believe this is due to the innocent nature of children. I believe this very nature of children is one of the reasons why God says: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 18:3

I do not model it perfectly. Oh no – far from perfect. But I am usually very aware of my behaviour after the fact. I hear myself saying things like: “Oh, that was a little harsh.” or “Why am I acting this way?” or “Wow, I really blew that one.” I have discovered that forgiveness is the glue that bonds and holds a family together. And when you homeschool, there is ample opportunity to practice it.

reconcile

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. – Psalm 19:12

Just this morning I found myself looking one of my children in the eye and saying “I’m sorry I spoke harshly, I was being impatient. Could you please forgive me?” The first time you do this, it may seem difficult and awkward, but a sincere gesture goes along way in terms of restoring peace in the hearts of your children.

Forgiveness – one little word with a very big impact. A word that reconciles. A word that builds up. A word that bonds families together. A word that I get to practice daily in my Homeschool Journey.

Cheryl has been married to her ‘do all’ husband for 13 years. They live in British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island. Cheryl has been homeschooling their two daughters ages 8 & 10, for 5 years. Her approach to homeschooling is mostly Classical with a dash of Charlotte Mason. She used to be one of those parents who thought they could never homeschool – boy, was she wrong. She enjoys blogging to encourage others that they too can homeschool if the desire is upon their hearts. She homeschool simply because – her kids are worth it. Please visit Cheryl at HomeSchool Journey.

May 18, 2009 By Cheryl 2 Comments

I have been writing on a continuing theme here the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. But, before I get to the next Perk of the Month, feel free to read through the previous homeschool perks, listed in my top ten format, under related articles at the bottom of this post.

Homeschool Perk#4: You Can Have Your Own Flex Week

This is a great benefit of homeschooling, and one that I exercise regularly. Homeschooling doesn’t mean you have to school Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Depending on what province or state you live in, homeschooling can allow for great flexibility regarding school time. Presently, we exercise a four day school week, Mon – Thur and we leave Fridays for extra curricular activities. I find this works best for us, as the majority of the week allows for uninterrupted (for the most part) school time, and Friday becomes our out day. Fridays are usually filled with swimming lessons, library time, art classes and track and field. This year we have even been able to allow for a weekly unstructured nature walk/hike on Thursday afternoons as well. I find this gives us lots of physical activity, and social time, and because these events are situated towards the end of the week, I have discovered it gives the kids incentive and motivation to ensure they complete their weekly school work.

The beauty of this kind of flexibility is that you can structure it any way you like. It can be structured to work around parents’ availability, part time jobs, younger siblings, and home based businesses. Some families who work on the weekends and have weekdays off have even structured their school week to include Saturdays, so that they can have a family day together during the week. I have known families to structure their school week around volunteer activities, illnesses, and home based care. And what a great opportunity for children to learn about the importance of being able to be flexible and to give freely of ones own time. That is, after all, what life sometimes doles out. An unexpected illness, or an aging parent who may need to be cared for.

A family business that may require a flexible homeschool schedule can also provide a means to educate one’s own children in the business of entrepreneurship. Many home based businesses depend on the flexibility of their homeschool schedule to accomodate the family members involved. Many missions families choose to home educate in the mission field itself, providing yet another educational experience otherwise negated. Other families I have known have embraced an opportunity to home educate while traveling across the country, or visited a country of origin for an immersion experience. These experiences provide the kind of educational enrichment simply not possible while attending and institutional school like setting. All of these experiences were made possible simply because of the flexibility that one has available to them when they choose to home educate.

I could go on and on, because the flexibility that homeschooling offers, provides boundless opportunities for enriched educational experiences. How do you exercise this perk?

cheryl Cheryl has been married to her ‘do all’ husband for 13 years. They live in British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island. Cheryl has been homeschooling their two daughters ages 9 & 11, for 6 years. Her approach to homeschooling is mostly ecclectic with a dash of Classical & Charlotte Mason. She used to be one of those parents who thought they could never homeschool – boy, was she wrong! She enjoys blogging to encourage others that they too can homeschool if the desire is upon their hearts. She homeschools simply because – her kids are worth it. Please visit Cheryl at HomeSchool Journey.

May 17, 2009 By Cheryl 2 Comments

I know I do. Somewhere midpoint through our school year I begin to feel overwhelmed, overburdened and overtired. I have been homeschooling for 5 years and have been both an enrolled and registered home learner. I have tried a variety of curriculum and homeschool approaches. I have gone to homeschool conferences, seminars and meetings. I attend a monthly homeschool support group and have many homeschool friends who have also chosen similar paths – and still, at some point I end up feeling like this guy here. I find I end up saying to myself “Just why am I doing this?”

I found myself saying this very thing one day to a good friend of mine who had the wisdom to tell me, “Yes, why are you doing this? Don’t you remember?” I’ll never forget that conversation, because whenever I find myself repeating those words, I can hear her reply. Her reply changed my thinking. She reminded me of all the good reasons to homeschool and most importantly she reminded me of He who led me here.

Homeschooling came as an interruption to me. I never dreamed I would homeschool, I never gave it a second thought. I was on my way to become an interior designer and was already apprenticing. My plan was, when my daughters would turn school age, I would design full time. I still remember where I was. I was sitting on the computer (of all things) looking for recipes when the thought came into my head,

Maybe you should homeschool.

“What?” I said aloud. Where did that thought come from?

Maybe you should homeschool.

There it was again. Am I really thinking that? I wondered. Could I really do this?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5

That was His message to me five years ago, and that is still His message to me today. Of course it wasn’t long before I started asking myself the incredibly stupid question: What will people think? Of course it wasn’t long before I was met with:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

So when I find myself feeling like the poor guy at the beginning of this post I remember these things – I remember how I got here, and I remember the One who led me here:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. John 15:16

May You find comfort in Him and may God bless you all in your homeschool journeys.

April 21, 2009 By Cheryl 6 Comments

I have been writing on a continuing theme here the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. But, before I get to the next Perk of the Month, feel free to read through the previous homeschool perks, listed in my top ten format, under related articles at the bottom of this post.

Homeschool Perk #5 – No Longer Be a Slave to Grades

Homeschooling is all about flexibility, and one of the greatest flexibility perks happens to be the option of being able to teach to your child’s specific learning ability – no matter what their grade level. You can have a 4th grader doing 5th grade math, or a 7th grader writing at a lower grade level depending on their capabilities. Often, in a school classroom, financial cut backs and lack of teacher’s assistants often create an environment that makes this kind of flexibility rather difficult if next to impossible. Providing a learning environment for your child that allows them to work on par with their learning abilities, fosters self esteem and builds confidence in the homeschooled student. There is less emphasis on pass or fail and more emphasis on obtaining understanding.

In addition to being freed from the restraints of grade levels, homeschooling can also free the student from grades themselves. After all, letter grades were designed for a classroom not a homeschool. In homeschooling, the emphasis shifts from doing what it takes get the best grades, and either feeling like a winner or a loser as a result, to becoming self motivated individuals who are truly excited about learning. My kids have never been ‘graded’, yet they seem to have a natural desire within themselves to master material. They don’t turn a blind eye to the errors on their math sheet, or mistakes made in a spelling test. In fact, I have had to help them to not be so hard on themselves. Whether or not this kind of self motivation is a result of a personality type, or the fruit of a homeschooling environment, I’m not really sure. What I do know, is I am thankful for the opportunity to see my children bloom without the added pressure of an outside measure.

Of course, grades become inevitable if/when the homeschooled student chooses to attend high school, college, or university – and absolutely necessary if there is a desire to obtain scholarships. This post isn’t about whether or not grades are useful, but rather their seemingly uselessness in a homeschool environment. However, even some universities are rethinking the value of a graded system, and in essence, trying to avoid students from placing a higher level of importance on grades, rather than the education they are supposed to represent.

Even though homeschooling can provide a learning environment less restricted by grades and grade levels, there is still a delicate balance between being able to provide the homeschooled student with a measure of academic victories, and challenges. Eventually the homeschool parent finds this balance, and because we typically have the same student(s) with each consecutive year, the homeschool parent begins to recognize their children’s academic strengths and weaknesses – simultaneously helping them to develop or overcome them. This is indeed, a gift for which I am truly thankful.

March 18, 2009 By Cheryl 4 Comments

I have been writing a on a continuing theme here the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. Before I get to the next Perk of the Month, let me re-cap for those who may not have been following along. Feel free to view any of the previous perks listed here in my top ten format:

#10 Take Off Season Family Vacations

#9 Develop A Love of Learning

#8 Teach to Develop Your Child’s Interests

#7 The Great Outdoors as Your Classroom

and for this month: #6 You Can Develop Your Own Learning Plan

As many of us know, homeschooling in our province (British Columbia, Canada) allows us the choice of registering or enrolling our children. For more information about registering or enrolling click here. Both options allow quite a variety of flexibility, but which ever you choose it can be very beneficial to create your own learning plan. Creating or customizing your own learning plan can create infinite possibilities of topics to study, and the order you choose to study them. Customizing can allow you to say, teach history chronologically, spend a year on one science topic if the interest is there, and choose curriculum to better fit your child’s learning style and academic abilities – just to name a few.

You also have the option of working above, at or below said “grade level”, adopting a variety of homeschooling methods or philosophies, you have time to take subjects out of the box and/or break the boundaries that separate them. For instance, if you choose to teach or enhance world history with literature, you can often do away with a history or social studies text book. I often use a world history spine such as a children’s world history encyclopedia, or a curriculum like Story of the World, as a jumping off point and enhance this method with a variety of children’s biographies, and literature (both fiction and non-fiction) written around these topics. This way I find we cover everything without abandoning the excitement of discovery and simultaneously cementing the things they are learning. Personally, I find I remember historical events and time periods much more vividly if I have connected with it emotionally (through literature for example), rather than trying to remember a jumble of facts.

Though I’m not convinced that there is really a perfect learning environment (private, public, or home school), by now you should start to see the value of the kind of flexibility a home learning environment can emulate. I know this perk is one I highly value and am continually revisiting in order to create a learning environment that academically challenges and stimulates the love of learning in my children.

February 16, 2009 By Cheryl 8 Comments

I have been writing a on a continuing theme here the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. In fact, I decided it might be fun to write on this theme in a “Top 10″ format, so this month I arrive at Homeschooling Perk #7.

But before I do, let me recap for you. You can click on the links below to read the previous “perks”. Unfortunately, Homeschool Perk #8 seems to have disappeared forever into cyberspace, sadly these things sometimes happen, but if you would like to read more about various learning styles, you can read from one of my older posts here.

Top 10 Homeschooling Perks:

#10: You can take “off-season” family vacations!
#9: Your children will love to learn.
#8: You can cater to your child’s learning style.
and this month: #7: You can make the great outdoors your classroom!

Spring is my favorite time to homeschool! The days are getting a wee bit longer, the ice starts to thaw and sooner or later there is new growth stretching it’s shoots out of the ground. This is the time of year when I really get motivated about our learning – a second wind so to speak. Primarily, this is because I can now take our learning outdoors. After spending the majority of our winter inside due to very chilly temperatures or high gusts of wind or torrential island rain (not to mention snow) we are all to eager to make use of the outdoors as part of our learning environment.

When I first started homeschooling we discovered Charlotte Mason, and I fell in love with the idea of nature walks and nature journals. As the the kids got a bit older, life seemed to get a little bit busier and nature walks occurred less and less often. Recently, I have decided to revisit some of Charlotte Mason’s methods and this means making nature walks part of our regular routine. Some of our most memorable learning experiences have taken place outdoors. This is the venue for kids to get up close and personal with nature. It’s one thing to read about trees and flowers and how they grow, it’s quite another to observe it firsthand.

Nature walks have also inspired my girls to draw. Charlotte Mason encourages her students to not just observe, but take this observation a bit further by recording the object’s likeness on paper. This of course, leads to the creation of the Nature Notebook. Over the years I’ve used a variety of books from the library on this topic, my favorite (which I recently decided to purchase) being: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You, by: Clare Walker Leslie. I highly recommend this book if you’d like to learn more about making the most of a nature notebook.

Since we have rekindled the nature walk routine, I also decided to splurge and purchase the Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Comstock. This seems to be the book of nature study recommended by Charlotte Mason fans, and it is probably one of the most thorough I have ever seen. However; whether or not you decide to keep a nature notebook, being able to make the great outdoors part of your learning environment is a HUGE perk of homeschooling and can be explored many different ways. In the past we have attended many of the local CRD parks programs, we have explored nature on our bicycles, we have gone on family hikes, and signed up for some amazing nature oriented field trips. I could write so much on this topic, but I must end it here and this is where I encourage you to go out there and make the outdoors part of your home learning environment!

Cheryl has been married to her ‘do all’ husband for 13 years. They live in British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island. Cheryl has been homeschooling their two daughters ages 9 & 11, for 6 years. Her approach to homeschooling is mostly ecclectic with a dash of Classical & Charlotte Mason. She used to be one of those parents who thought they could never homeschool – boy, was she wrong! She enjoys blogging to encourage others that they too can homeschool if the desire is upon their hearts. She homeschools simply because – her kids are worth it. Please visit Cheryl at HomeSchool Journey.

January 7, 2009 By Cheryl Leave a Comment

Well, here we are in January, and for many of us this month can sometimes represent the January Humdrums. Where did our motivation go? Where is our excitement? The bustle of Christmas is over and the January bills are coming in. It’s hard to keep up the enthusiasm and needed perseverance to get back into the math and grammar texts.

This leads me in to the topic of my January post as I continue my Top 10 Homeschooling Perks (my most humble apologies for not making my posting in December – sigh). Persevere, I must.

So, what is Homeschooling Perk #8? Well, I hope to encourage you and counteract the January Humdrums with this little fact: You can cater to your children’s interests. That’s right: you can cater to their interests.

So, fear not. If Mom (or Dad) is feeling a little less enthusiasm than usual, why not allow this time to explore some of your children’s interests. Are they anxious to get out that new microscope they got for Christmas? Or read a new series of books? My youngest daughter received a rock tumbler for Christmas and as I listen to the thing tumble and churn away, the thought crossed my mind to allow her to spend a little time exploring geology before our scheduled science topic of Sound and Light. It’s not always easy for the kids to become reacquainted with their school routine either after a few weeks of Christmas holidays – which for the most part (at least with us) involved lots of unstructured play time, a little sleeping in, and ample time for dust to collect on their math books!

By taking advantage of this little homeschooling perk, a parent can allow their children to re-ignite the enthusiasm and help build some fresh excitement. Enthusiasm is contagious, so why not take advantage of it? Take a few cues from your children this month. And yes, you will still have to get out the math books and sneak in a little grammar (or whatever your child’s least favorite subject is – I have one who happens to love math) – but allow that natural enthusiasm for learning to flourish. Before you know it, you’ll be back on schedule.

Cheryl has been married to her ‘do all’ husband for 13 years. They live in British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island. Cheryl has been homeschooling their two daughters ages 9 & 11, for 6 years. Her approach to homeschooling is mostly ecclectic with a dash of Classical & Charlotte Mason. She used to be one of those parents who thought they could never homeschool – boy, was she wrong! She enjoys blogging to encourage others that they too can homeschool if the desire is upon their hearts. She homeschools simply because – her kids are worth it. Please visit Cheryl at HomeSchool Journey.

November 12, 2008 By Cheryl 6 Comments

As I write this, it is just the beginning of the month of November. Halloween has come and gone, and here on Vancouver Island, the rains are now beginning to make their appearance. The foliage is at it’s peak, and is now starting to fall away and blow pretty much everywhere. This is the time of the year when homeschooling gets cozy – a little more time indoors, and extra time spent on the sofa together as we enter the worlds of Narnia, or Neverland through the pages of well written literature. Which brings me to the topic of this post.

I have started a monthly theme here at Heart of the Matter, in the form of my Top 10 Homeschooling Perks. You can read about last months perk here. This month however brings me to:

Homeschooling Perk #9: Your children will love to learn. This is a pretty big perk, and I contemplated making it Perk #1, but that is 9 months away and I simply cannot wait.

Presently, I am teaching one of the Sunday school groups at the church I attend. Teaching these kids has been a joy, and although Sunday School is quite different from Home School, my enthusiasm for these kids keeps me going. This Sunday, however my ears were tuned in to the words of one outspoken child who clearly did not want to be sitting in this class.

“I hate learning. Learning is boring!” he exclaimed.

This statement both alarmed and saddened me. How unfortunate that the love of learning was clearly not present in this child’s mind. One of the huge benefits of homeschooling has got to be the fact that one will rarely, if never, will have to hear those words. Why, you ask? Well, I’m not entirely sure, but I can definitely deduce that from my own experience learning is something that is on going, and is continually being explored by both the kids and the adults in our family. Learning becomes second nature -it is simply something that we do quite naturally.

Of course at least one of my children has been known to groan when asked to get out her math books, but generally I hear a lot of “Can we do science today?”, “Can I write a letter to my friend?’, or “Can I work on my story today, mom?” or more often than not: “Can I just finish one more chapter?”

I have discovered that when you homeschool, things like television, video games and pop culture tend to have a considerably smaller presence in the lives of these children. Instead these things are replaced with the likes of good literature, family time, field trips, physical activities, healthy friendships and endless learning opportunities. Subjects become alive and the kids become perpetually curious. The world becomes their classroom as they are not bound by the limitations of a poorly written text book. Learning becomes and remains exciting.

If you are considering homeschooling, then take this perk to heart. It has become and remains a measurable benefit of home learning. This is in fact, something our schools strive for, but more often than not, they end up falling short. Children are naturally curious, enthusiastic learners, and I have found that homeschooling continually fosters and increases the love of learning.

October 15, 2008 By Cheryl 7 Comments

Wow, it’s hard to believe that October is already here. Fall has arrived here on Vancouver Island, and the wind, rain and many falling leaves are telling their story in the skies. In honor of a the new 2008/2009 homeschool year. I thought I’d share with you my top 10 homeschooling perks. Each month I will share one of these fabulous and hopefully unique little perks with you, starting with October and…

Homeschooling Perk #10: You can take “off-season” family vacations!

This is my 6th year of homeschooling and coincidedly, the first year that we took advantage of this as a family, and let me tell you – this is a great perk! Vacationing off-season allows for many benefits – the biggie of course, being the opportunity to save piles of money on reduced hotel rates. Depending on where you decide to vacation, there are many other benefits to be discovered. If you happen to visit a theme park on your vacation, then obviously not having to deal with enormous crowds of people is a major advantage. Our September getaway took us to Anaheim, California – non other than the happiest place on earth: Disneyland! Which by the way, in September, has virtually no crowds.

In September, I wrote about how my summer was an opportunity to rest, and rediscover lost loves of sorts. This was a much needed time of introspection and relaxation. We had decided (much earlier) that in September, when everyone else was back in school, we would try what many other homeschooling families had tried and raved about: taking a family vacation off-season.

Homeschooling, you see, allows one to do just this. Homeschoolers are not bound by the typical summer vacation status quo. We can pick up and go any time of the year, because we don’t have to take the kids out of school to do so. If needed, we can make up for lost time (if any) in many creative ways, perhaps working through spring break or working a few ‘extra’ days here or there. In our case, only being one week, we found we didn’t lose any time at all.

In addition, many homeschoolers will use their ‘vacation time’ as a learning opportunity of sorts. Many a road trip has turned into an extended field trip. Geography, history, science and art (to name a few) can be explored in a very real, tangible, and often unforgettable way. It is one thing, for example, to read about and look at pictures of the Grand Canyon, but it is quite another to travel right through it. Atlases are pulled out, kids learn to read maps, cities are pinpointed and routes are highlighted and landmarks visited. On a bus trip from Anaheim to San Diego, my kids learned quiet a lot about the state’s history and various geographical landmarks along the way.Homeschooling families end up spending quite a bit of time together, and taking a vacation off-season simply allows for an enriched vacation experience as the holiday tends to be a little more relaxed from the get go – an yes, this is possible even in Disneyland.

September 17, 2008 By Cheryl 1 Comment

How was your summer? Was it everything you expected? Was it less than you expected? Whatever your summer held for you and your family, the fall welcomes us back with its usual predictability. This was by far the best summer I have had in quite a while. There were no bells and whistles, I didn’t win the lottery or buy a new car, but what I did do, was rest. That’s right – I rested. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? I mean summers are supposed to be full of excitement, and thrills, summer activities and family holidays – sights, scenes, and sensations, right? Or, not?

I guess the answer to that question will vary depending on the individual. But this individual took a much needed time out. Perhaps I needed it, or perhaps turning 40 has caused me to re-evaluate a few things. I’ve always thrived on busyness – as long as I can remember. It was usually work related, and then evolved to homeschool related busyness – but it’s always been busyness. This summer has caused me to be rather introspective. In my rest, I have become aware of my busyness. I have rediscovered lost interests and passions. Interests and passions that summer, in it’s lazy generosity, has provided me the time to explore. Among them: running, photography, reading for pleasure, and this one surprised me: poetry.

I have discovered, that fulfilling ones role as homeschool mother/teacher is so complex, diverse, exhausting, and at times demanding, that finding time for these simple pleasures becomes rather elusive – to say the least. The running of a school year requires much thought, planning and a reasonable amount of routine. These requirements plus the regular demands of running a household can easily snuff out any viable opportunity to explore ones personal interests, let alone adequate time to properly take care of oneself.

So, what is one to do? The answer is an annual look at balance in ones life. We may not achieve this successfully, but if we become aware (perhaps even for the first time) that balance is a healthy and necessary ingredient to mental health, we may find ourselves revisiting this equation periodically – evaluating as one goes along. So, go easy on yourself – give yourself room to roam; and perhaps along the way, you just may end up discovering a long lost or new founded passion along the way.

May God bless you richly as you pursue a new homeschool year with your family.

Heart of the Matter

Connect With Us

Sponsors

Recent Posts

Announcements

HOTM on Facebook

Archives

What You Are Saying