Our
Home School Journey
by Robin Sampson
Our home school journey began with a desire to
teach our children God's word and the necessary
academics to prepare them for life. At the time
we had four school age children and a toddler.
I prayed, set up a schoolroom, chose a curriculum,
planned a schedule. We were well prepared to go
forth on our journey. The classroom was equipped
with bookshelves, a child size desk for each student,
a miniature desk for the toddler, a teacher's
desk, textbooks, pencils, papers, notebooks, and
complete with an American flag. Each child had
a separate Bible, history, science, math, spelling,
and English workbook. School rules were enforced
the children were not allowed to talk to each
other or me unless they raised their hand. We
were "doing school."
Obstacles and
Pot Holes
The journey progressed as planned except for
one unexpected obstacle. I, leader of the expedition,
was exhausted. I spent each evening planning six
subjects for four grade levels. I spent so much
time planning school that I did not have time
to interact with my children. School became little
more than a sticky note on the outside of a textbook
or workbook telling each student what pages to
accomplish for the day. During the day, I sat
at my desk, graded papers and spent countless
hours writing scores in miniature boxes in a teacher's
lesson plan book and if I had time answered questions
about school work. We were "doing school."
When a mother becomes exhausted, she begins to
see things in a different light. Little things
become huge, she becomes irritable. A child's
normal amount of time to learn a fraction concept
can become distorted. A few misspelled words seem
life threatening. Suddenly, it appears that the
children have no intelligence and will never be
able to comprehend very simple concepts. When
some of my children's papers reflected a lack
of comprehension, I panicked. We spent more time
in problem areas and increased the amount of school
time. I was determined we were going to "do
school."
Taking a Detour
I realized it was time for a detour. I was so
busy planning, I wasn't teaching. I redid our
schedule, changed from a text book approach to
a unit study. This allowed me to teach all Bible,
history and science, to all the children at the
same time. I worked separately with them on math
and language arts. My planning and grading time
was drastically cut. The children and I interacted,
we read aloud together, worked on projects, and
they were really learning. I thought I had found
the answer. The children were doing well academically.
Our school day was much more interesting and we
all looked forward to school. We were home schooling
instead of "doing school."
To be sure I was meeting state requirements,
I spend a vast amount of time studying state standards
and achievement tests. This work resulted in my
first published book, What
Your Child needs to Know When.
Finding an Alternate
Route
I'm not quite sure when it hit me, but it hit,
and it hit hard. The children were learning academics
but somewhere along the line, probably when I
wasn't seeing things in proportion, I replaced
Bible time with math, spelling, or history. A
quick evaluation of our school time showed a very
limited lack of Bible study. Our curriculum was
Christian and we read an occasional Bible verse
but we were not spending time in God's Word. I
wasn't even starting the day praying anymore.
We had changed to a better road but somewhere
we changed destinations.
I wasn't the only homeschool parent on the wrong
path. The same same attitude prevailed at home
school conferences. As I spoke to new and veteran
homeschoolers., the most frequently asked question
was "How do I know if I am doing enough".
As a result, of all those worries, What
Your Child needs to Know When. rapidly became
a bestseller in the homeschool community. This
bothered me. Everyone, including myself, was anxious
about state standards and bypassing the destination.
It was time to inspect the map to see exactly
where we were headed. I believe this happens to
most homeschoolers. Either the destination is
chosen poorly in the beginning or somewhere along
the line, the intentions to teach children what
God commands us to teach our children changes
to teaching what the state or "world"
requires. This happens simply because parents
were taught that school equals academics.
God's Word, our map, is alive. It can quickly
reveal a wrong chosen path and put it on course.
One Needful Thing
In the Bible story of Mary and Martha, Martha
was so busy with preparations as Mary sat at the
feet of Christ. When Martha complained about Mary,
Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha,
Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many
things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken
away from her." (Luke 10:40-42.)
The lesson is simple: only one thing is necessary.
Everything else that does not promote that one
thing is extra. The most important thing we can
ever teach our children is to sit at Jesus' feet
and hear His word. Sensible Martha had many accomplishments,
but worry and trouble were her rewards. Mary,
on the other hand, was praised for choosing "that
good thing" which was itself her reward and
which would not be taken away from her.
Martha's preparation work was not wrong; in fact,
it was important. It was Martha's focus that was
wrong. It is your focus that makes the difference.
Socialistic achievement, which the world stresses
so much, is important, but it is nothing without
Christ.
Academics (math, language arts, history, and
science) matter, but only as they sharpen your
focus on the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
The academic subjects are important tools, but
only tools to help in the journey not the destination
or goal. The moment academics redirect you, cloud
your view, to whatever degree they slow your pursuit,
they then move from helpful tools to what Jesus
calls the "cares of this life."
Another Change in Course
I purposed to accomplish the "one needful
thing" daily by committing to reading the
Bible before any academic schoolwork. True wisdom
is only available by spending a significant amount
of your home school time studying and teaching
God's Word.
I rewrote What Your Child needs to Know When.
adding about 200 pages comparing and changing
the focus from what the state requires to what
God requires us to teach our children. The academics
are important (and check lists remain in the book)
but the focus in on God's Word..
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful,
and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
(Hebrews 4:12).
I set aside strivings and anxieties and purposed
to teach my children who Christ is. We began to
spend time sitting at His feet and feast at the
table of His mercy, forgiveness, and peace. We
began to learn the unseen things of God. We began
to learn true wisdom.
The Journey
Continues...
Our Destination:
A Heart of Wisdom
Today, we have the five younger children at home
(I just recently had our eleventh blessing). Six
of our children have grown, graduated, and have
children of their own (our nine grandchildren).
Two of my daughters began homeschool their children
this year!
Over the years, I changed how we studied but
maintained the purpose to always put Bible before
other studies. Through the years this included
different daily devotions, Bible study curriculum,
focusing on one particular book of the Bible,
reading a certain amount of chapters per day,
or by reading Bible stories. Honestly, I must
say that at times it has been a struggle. It's
very easy to slip back into "doing school,"
but each time I slipped, God gently reminded me
of the one needful thing and we would get back
on track.
The Heart of Wisdom Approach
After a dozen years of examining different teaching
philosophies, learning styles--and most importantly--what
God's word says about teaching children, I designed
an approach of teaching based on much prayer and
my experience above. I call it the Heart of Wisdom
approach from Psalms 90:12, Teach us to number
our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Not only must we renew our thinking about the
context of what is taught but also the method
of which is taught (Joshua 24:23, Proverbs 3:5-6;
Matt 6:19-21; Romans 12:22). The Heart of
Wisdom centers all teaching on God's Word.
The Heart
of Wisdom teaching approach is more than Bible
it is an approach to teach all curriculum. It
was greatly influenced, and actually a combination
of teaching methods, utilizing the Charlotte Mason's
philosophy; The 4 step lessons; Ruth Beechick's
language arts teaching methods; the integrated
unit study method, the Lifestyle of Learning approach;
David Mulligan's writings in book Far Above Rubies:
Wisdom in the Christian Community; and a writing-to-learn
philosophy similar to that used by The Principle
Approach.
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Heart of Wisdom Unit Studies
I have been developing a unit study curriculum
based on the Heart of Wisdom Approach for 7 years.
The first seven units are now available. See
Heart of Wisdom Unit Studies.
Summary
In summary, the one thing I wish I could share
with all those beginning to homeschool:
Put the Bible first. It is the one needful thing.
Everything else is secondary.
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