A good schedule is as important in your life as good food and water. If you don't use your time wisely, than you'll be missing out on opportunities in this life that you would have otherwise experienced.
Recently, I sat down with the kids, mainly Hannah since Gabe is still in Core Phase, and we figured out a daily plan to help her accomplish the things she's striving for in her education. We had already done a 6 month plan a while back, so her goals had already been set and she was already working on them. By helping her make a "plan" or schedule, it will help her stay on task. Hannah was really excited about what we came up with.
Now, just because I have helped her schedule her "time", does not in any way mean I have made her schedule her "content". She is in charge of her education and I am mentoring her every step of the way. I offer suggestions and give logical explanation for my opinion then I leave it up to her to make the choice. You'd be amazed how when a youth is given the ability to chose for herself, how inspired she can become. The choices are hers. She has to claim ownership for them. She feels a higher sense of commitment to them and feels a deeper sense of regret when she has let something slide. It's such a wonderful concept...."Teach them correct principles then let them govern themselves".
Here's what Hannah came up with for her first day of "planned" learning...
10am~ Math (we use ALEKS, which I feel is a WONDERFUL system. We were using it prior to finding TJEd and I was thrilled to see that they suggested it as well).
10:30am~ Family Reading Time (This was already planned on my schedule so she marked her schedule to coincide)
11:00am~ Hannah & Mom Time (this is where I specifically help her in areas she'd like help with or if there's a certain area I'd like to instruct her on)
11:30am~ "Wednesday Writers" (we set aside an amount of time each Wednesday to actually write letters or cards to others) & Journaling
12:00 Lunch
1:00pm~ "Learner Time" (this is when she has free time to study however she'd like. It could include reading, using items from our "Learners Closet", or even watching a video on a certain subject).
2:00pm~ Read Classic: Anne of Green Gables
3:00pm~Faith in God (which is a program designed for young girls Hannah's age that our church has in place)
3:30pm~Dictation
Each day of the week she covers different subjects that will help her attain her "Six Month Goals". So, on Friday, her schedule will be different than this example. Also, we sit down every morning for a quick "Planning Meeting" and this is when I get to tell her the things I need to get done, like "family reading time" or "Arts & Crafts" etc, and she gets to tell me the items she'd like to accomplish. By the end of the Planning Meeting, we already have a map of how our day will happen. Sometimes things pop up that aren't on the schedule, which happens a lot with baby twins, but I explain to her that it's just a guide and that we strive to fulfill it but some days we won't.
My schedule for that same day was as follows...
10am~ "Gabe Time" (this is when I work with Gabe on certain topics that he's learning, such as the alphabet, numbers, letters, sight words, etc)
10:30am~ Reading Time (we initially had only a half hour allotted for reading but we quickly moved it to a full hour)
11:00am~ "Hannah Time"
11:30am~ "Wednesday Writers" & Journals
12:00~ Lunch
1:00pm~ Individual Chore (I have five chores that I have specifically schedule on a certain day during the week)
2:00pm~ Classic Reading-Pride and Prejudice
3:00pm~ Spanish B.O.M. (I have begun reading a book of scriptures in Spanish, with my trusty dictionary and the English version for reference. I've REALLY enjoyed doing this thus far. I haven't gotten far AT ALL but even if I get through one paragraph, it's so worth it!!)
I have found that since we have items that we'd like to accomplish daily, weekly and every six months, and that we have them scheduled, it has helped us ensure that we are heading in toward our goals without losing any of the precious "minutes" that the Lord has allotted us!
Celeste <3
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
What Would You Do With $1440?
What would you do with $1440? How would you spend it? What would you have to show for it?
What if you received $1440 a month? How would you spend it? What would you have to show for it?
What if you received $1440 a week? Would you be spending it differently? Would you have something different to show for it?
Now, what if you received $1440 a day and you had to spend it each day, or you'd lose it. You'd continue receiving the same $1440 each day for the rest of your life. Everyone in your family received the same $1440... how would you spend it now? What would you have to show for it? What would they have to show for it?
Well, each of us don't necessarily get $1440 a day BUT we do get 1440 minutes each day, which are of greater worth than money. These minutes can be used as we see fit. If we don't use them, we don't get them back but luckily we get a fresh 1440 each day.
How do you use your time? And what do you got to show for?
This was part of a lesson at our church services a while back. It really spoke to me and I began thinking about how I use my time and if I'm using it in the best way possible. Then Hannah leaned over to me and said that this is an area she needs to improve on because she didn't think she was using her "minutes wisely". I found her ability to recognize area of weakness in herself wonderful! My little girl is growing up!!
That's when I decided to really focus on our schedules and find areas where I could improve them.
I will talk about "The Schedule" on my next post.
Celeste <3
What if you received $1440 a month? How would you spend it? What would you have to show for it?
What if you received $1440 a week? Would you be spending it differently? Would you have something different to show for it?
Now, what if you received $1440 a day and you had to spend it each day, or you'd lose it. You'd continue receiving the same $1440 each day for the rest of your life. Everyone in your family received the same $1440... how would you spend it now? What would you have to show for it? What would they have to show for it?
Well, each of us don't necessarily get $1440 a day BUT we do get 1440 minutes each day, which are of greater worth than money. These minutes can be used as we see fit. If we don't use them, we don't get them back but luckily we get a fresh 1440 each day.
How do you use your time? And what do you got to show for?
This was part of a lesson at our church services a while back. It really spoke to me and I began thinking about how I use my time and if I'm using it in the best way possible. Then Hannah leaned over to me and said that this is an area she needs to improve on because she didn't think she was using her "minutes wisely". I found her ability to recognize area of weakness in herself wonderful! My little girl is growing up!!
That's when I decided to really focus on our schedules and find areas where I could improve them.
I will talk about "The Schedule" on my next post.
Celeste <3
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Why TJEd?
When I first started homeschooling, I used several different curriculum, trying to find which would work best for our family. After a few months, I knew I still wasn't where I was suppose to be. I could tell that the Lord was trying to lead me in a different direction but I just didn't know which way to move. I began wondering if I was suppose to put the kids back into public school. I prayed concerning that decision and it came back as a definite "no". So, I went back to searching and pondering and praying for direction.
Then one morning, I noticed a friend of mine, from where I had used to live, had commented on Facebook. She usually doesn't comment much so it surprised me. As I read her comment, it just hit me..."She homeschools her little girls!" I made a promise to myself that I would send her a message as soon as I fed my baby twinners their breakfast and ask her what was working for her and if she had any suggestions.
It was probably about 10 minutes later (maybe less), when I glanced over my shoulder and saw that someone had sent me a message on Facebook. I clicked on it to see who it was. And I kid you not...it was that same friend. I was in awe because we had never send messages to each other before.
I proceeded to open her message and literally about fell off my chair as I read her words. She explained to me that she had just got back from a Homeschool conference and that while she was there, she kept feeling that the things she was learning, she needed to share with me. So, that was what she did. She simply told me the situation she had experienced and then told me what she felt I needed to share, then ended it with the "if you need this, great, if not, just ignore it" kind of thing.
It would be a total lie to say that I didn't feel the Spirit strongly as I read her words. I knew that the Lord had inspired her to tell me about TJEd. He used her to answer my prayers and I'm so so grateful.
In the beginning, I had done some basic research into TJEd, but hadn't read the books myself. I had read what others thought of the books and how they instituted it and I could see some value in what they were doing but I still didn't "get it". I didn't fully understand what TJEd was about. I like telling people who ask about TJEd that just listening to me talk about the books, would be like me telling you about my favorite movie (that you haven't seen personally)...you just won't fully understand; it just wouldn't be complete knowledge.
Needless to say, I went out that day and purchased three TJEd books. I began reading them and instantly found the peace I had been looking for. The Lord had guided my path and had inspired a friend to be His hands, if you will, to answer my prayers.
It was a wonderful experience that strengthened my testimony of not only TJEd but also the love my Savior has for my children. He knows what my children's missions are in this life and He knows that they'll need A Thomas Jefferson Education to achieve them.
Celeste <3
Then one morning, I noticed a friend of mine, from where I had used to live, had commented on Facebook. She usually doesn't comment much so it surprised me. As I read her comment, it just hit me..."She homeschools her little girls!" I made a promise to myself that I would send her a message as soon as I fed my baby twinners their breakfast and ask her what was working for her and if she had any suggestions.
It was probably about 10 minutes later (maybe less), when I glanced over my shoulder and saw that someone had sent me a message on Facebook. I clicked on it to see who it was. And I kid you not...it was that same friend. I was in awe because we had never send messages to each other before.
I proceeded to open her message and literally about fell off my chair as I read her words. She explained to me that she had just got back from a Homeschool conference and that while she was there, she kept feeling that the things she was learning, she needed to share with me. So, that was what she did. She simply told me the situation she had experienced and then told me what she felt I needed to share, then ended it with the "if you need this, great, if not, just ignore it" kind of thing.
It would be a total lie to say that I didn't feel the Spirit strongly as I read her words. I knew that the Lord had inspired her to tell me about TJEd. He used her to answer my prayers and I'm so so grateful.
In the beginning, I had done some basic research into TJEd, but hadn't read the books myself. I had read what others thought of the books and how they instituted it and I could see some value in what they were doing but I still didn't "get it". I didn't fully understand what TJEd was about. I like telling people who ask about TJEd that just listening to me talk about the books, would be like me telling you about my favorite movie (that you haven't seen personally)...you just won't fully understand; it just wouldn't be complete knowledge.
Needless to say, I went out that day and purchased three TJEd books. I began reading them and instantly found the peace I had been looking for. The Lord had guided my path and had inspired a friend to be His hands, if you will, to answer my prayers.
It was a wonderful experience that strengthened my testimony of not only TJEd but also the love my Savior has for my children. He knows what my children's missions are in this life and He knows that they'll need A Thomas Jefferson Education to achieve them.
Celeste <3
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A Valuable "Keeper"
When I first began homeschooling, I chose to use a lot of Charlotte Mason's ideas, which I did enjoy. Once I was led to TJEd, I decided to only keep the "dictation" idea for spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc. We have a wonderful book with a collection of short, meaningful passages from mostly classics, that Hannah has to write in both print and cursive. It has not only helped her spelling but it has drastically helped her penmanship. Her cursive is beautiful, especially for a 10 yr old.
Every week she gets a new passage to work on. Together, we read the page and talk about the lesson it is trying to teach us. We have wonderful talks this way and it truly has opened up many areas of interest for her.
I feel that it is a valuable part of our homeschooling so I thought I'd pass it along.
Here's the link. If you click on it, the page will give you a brief description about the process and how it helps the child in their schooling.
http://simplycharlottemason.com/2010/10/13/copywork-transcription-dictation-language-arts-part-7/
Celeste <3
Every week she gets a new passage to work on. Together, we read the page and talk about the lesson it is trying to teach us. We have wonderful talks this way and it truly has opened up many areas of interest for her.
I feel that it is a valuable part of our homeschooling so I thought I'd pass it along.
Here's the link. If you click on it, the page will give you a brief description about the process and how it helps the child in their schooling.
http://simplycharlottemason.com/2010/10/13/copywork-transcription-dictation-language-arts-part-7/
Celeste <3
Friday, August 19, 2011
Preparing for Fall
I thought this was a good video on how to go about preparing for the Fall 6 month plan. I am just sitting down to do the same for our family and it was nice to see how someone else went about doing it :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksoHV2Jau6c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksoHV2Jau6c&feature=player_embedded
What About Their Social Life?
As I stated in my last post, many people are worried about my children's "social life". This is not an area where I wasted even a minute of my time because I truly believe that it's blown WAY out of proportion.
First of all, my children have lots of interaction with people outside of our family. They have friends within our neighborhood. They spend lots of time at church or participating in church activities. Plus, when they are in groups or clubs or activities outside our home, they get plenty of "social time".
My thought on this is...Do I really want my kids to be "socialized" in the public school system? And this is why this question is important. What type of social ideas come out of the public school system? A lot of them I try each and every day to shield my children from in the first place. Why would I want to immerse them in values that I don't support, such as...
I believe, as parents, the survival of our families and the delicate spirits of our children depend on us doing what we can to shield them from these dangers.
Now, with that being said, it's also just as important to ensure that my children get quality outside interaction with people of all ages, backgrounds, races, etc (because it can be just as damaging to a child to keep them from outside interaction completely). And since I'm the one allowing or not allowing the interaction, I can ensure that the "social ideas" exchanged are those that I support and feel comfortable with.
This is an area that I know I've made the best decision for my children. Right now they have quality friends with values and standards similar to theirs. What I want is for my children to learn to be confident and to feel comfortable around people of all ages. I want them to know that being kind to everyone, no matter their outer appearance, is what's important in this life. I want them to gain confidence in their abilities by their successes and not by other's failures. I want them to have an Christ-centered environment to spend their day in. I want them to feel blessed when they get to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. I want their lives to be full of prayer and not feel ashamed for being a believer. I want my children to be each other's best friends and I want them to look to me for quality mentoring. I feel I'm now providing that environment for them.
I'll end with a quote from "A Thomas Jefferson Education"...
"Homeschool is uniquely designed to be a wonderful place to socialize children and youth--with their peers and in interaction with adults. With a little planning, the right kind of socialization can be one of the real strengths of homeschool.... Homeschool is natural to socializing future leaders who don't feel compelled to follow the crowd or bend to social pressure, but who do feel at ease with others and work well in society."
First of all, my children have lots of interaction with people outside of our family. They have friends within our neighborhood. They spend lots of time at church or participating in church activities. Plus, when they are in groups or clubs or activities outside our home, they get plenty of "social time".
My thought on this is...Do I really want my kids to be "socialized" in the public school system? And this is why this question is important. What type of social ideas come out of the public school system? A lot of them I try each and every day to shield my children from in the first place. Why would I want to immerse them in values that I don't support, such as...
- thinking they have to look a certain way or wear certain clothing to be accepted?
- thinking that you can only play and be friends with kids that are your own age, race, religion, background, popularity?
- or the "I'm gonna tear you down so I can build myself up" outlook that literally fills our public school system?
I believe, as parents, the survival of our families and the delicate spirits of our children depend on us doing what we can to shield them from these dangers.
Now, with that being said, it's also just as important to ensure that my children get quality outside interaction with people of all ages, backgrounds, races, etc (because it can be just as damaging to a child to keep them from outside interaction completely). And since I'm the one allowing or not allowing the interaction, I can ensure that the "social ideas" exchanged are those that I support and feel comfortable with.
This is an area that I know I've made the best decision for my children. Right now they have quality friends with values and standards similar to theirs. What I want is for my children to learn to be confident and to feel comfortable around people of all ages. I want them to know that being kind to everyone, no matter their outer appearance, is what's important in this life. I want them to gain confidence in their abilities by their successes and not by other's failures. I want them to have an Christ-centered environment to spend their day in. I want them to feel blessed when they get to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. I want their lives to be full of prayer and not feel ashamed for being a believer. I want my children to be each other's best friends and I want them to look to me for quality mentoring. I feel I'm now providing that environment for them.
I'll end with a quote from "A Thomas Jefferson Education"...
"Homeschool is uniquely designed to be a wonderful place to socialize children and youth--with their peers and in interaction with adults. With a little planning, the right kind of socialization can be one of the real strengths of homeschool.... Homeschool is natural to socializing future leaders who don't feel compelled to follow the crowd or bend to social pressure, but who do feel at ease with others and work well in society."
Why I Chose to Homeschool
Many people have asked me why I decided to homeschool my children instead of having them continue going to public school.
To tell you the truth, from the first moment I thought about my oldest child being old enough for Pre-school, my heart had been set on keeping her in the home with me. I taught her from home through the preschool years and I loved every bit of it!
Then it came time to start kindergarten. For some reason I struggled with what to do. I knew inside I wanted to keep teaching my daughter at home but there was definitely a lot of people around me concerned about my daughters "social life". I had a feeling that the supposed "must have" social life of my 5yr old wasn't as important as those around me made it out to be. But I still found it hard to stick to my beliefs, mainly because the world around me supported their views instead of mine. I ended up giving in to the peer pressure and enrolling her into the public school system. Sadly, I lacked confidence in myself & my feelings on the subject.
Every year, just as I prepared to send my daughter back to public school, I got that same gut feeling that she should be homeschooled. And every year there was something or somebody the convinced me otherwise. Then FINALLY, when my daughter was in the 4th grade, the feeling within me got so strong that I couldn't ignore it any longer. It was like the Lord was smacking me upside the head and saying..."LISTEN TO ME!!! I know what's best for your daughter!!" That's when I followed through and gladly checked her out of the public school system.
Every time I tell this story, I have others wondering why the Lord would insist on my kids not being in public school when He's not insisting their kids be removed as well. I don't have an answer for that. All know is that the Spirit's message to me was undeniable and I had to follow it.
As soon as I walked my little girl out of that school, it was like a ton of bricks had been removed from my sholders. I knew I had made the right choice. I knew, for some reason, my daughter was suppose to be home with me. Since then I have gained a clearer understanding on that subject, which I will share at a later date.
So, there I was, on my way to homeschooling my children, just as the Lord guided, and then the "insecurity" set in. The doubt. The fear. The lack of confidence in my ability to teach my children.
The adversary knew what would make me question my decision, just like he had so many times before, but this time I turned to the Lord for the strength and understanding I needed. The moment I gained the knowledge I needed...the knowledge that I was even more qualified to teach my children than the school teachers...I stopped listening to Satan's lies and began having faith in the plan the Lord had provided.
I know my children better than anyone. I know what they like and don't like, what their weaknesses and strengths are. I know when they're having an off day and when they're having their best days. I know when I can push them a bit and when I need to back off. I know that the "mother" has been commanded to teach their children in all areas of their lives. Once I not only knew that priceless information but also believed it, I knew the homeschooling process would be a wonderful thing for our family. I also knew that with God...ALL things are possible!
This situation brings two of my favorite scriptures to mind, which are...
1 Nephi 3:7
7 ... I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Moses 5:6
6 .... I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
Knowledge is Freedom!
Celeste <3
To tell you the truth, from the first moment I thought about my oldest child being old enough for Pre-school, my heart had been set on keeping her in the home with me. I taught her from home through the preschool years and I loved every bit of it!
Then it came time to start kindergarten. For some reason I struggled with what to do. I knew inside I wanted to keep teaching my daughter at home but there was definitely a lot of people around me concerned about my daughters "social life". I had a feeling that the supposed "must have" social life of my 5yr old wasn't as important as those around me made it out to be. But I still found it hard to stick to my beliefs, mainly because the world around me supported their views instead of mine. I ended up giving in to the peer pressure and enrolling her into the public school system. Sadly, I lacked confidence in myself & my feelings on the subject.
Every year, just as I prepared to send my daughter back to public school, I got that same gut feeling that she should be homeschooled. And every year there was something or somebody the convinced me otherwise. Then FINALLY, when my daughter was in the 4th grade, the feeling within me got so strong that I couldn't ignore it any longer. It was like the Lord was smacking me upside the head and saying..."LISTEN TO ME!!! I know what's best for your daughter!!" That's when I followed through and gladly checked her out of the public school system.
Every time I tell this story, I have others wondering why the Lord would insist on my kids not being in public school when He's not insisting their kids be removed as well. I don't have an answer for that. All know is that the Spirit's message to me was undeniable and I had to follow it.
As soon as I walked my little girl out of that school, it was like a ton of bricks had been removed from my sholders. I knew I had made the right choice. I knew, for some reason, my daughter was suppose to be home with me. Since then I have gained a clearer understanding on that subject, which I will share at a later date.
So, there I was, on my way to homeschooling my children, just as the Lord guided, and then the "insecurity" set in. The doubt. The fear. The lack of confidence in my ability to teach my children.
The adversary knew what would make me question my decision, just like he had so many times before, but this time I turned to the Lord for the strength and understanding I needed. The moment I gained the knowledge I needed...the knowledge that I was even more qualified to teach my children than the school teachers...I stopped listening to Satan's lies and began having faith in the plan the Lord had provided.
I know my children better than anyone. I know what they like and don't like, what their weaknesses and strengths are. I know when they're having an off day and when they're having their best days. I know when I can push them a bit and when I need to back off. I know that the "mother" has been commanded to teach their children in all areas of their lives. Once I not only knew that priceless information but also believed it, I knew the homeschooling process would be a wonderful thing for our family. I also knew that with God...ALL things are possible!
This situation brings two of my favorite scriptures to mind, which are...
1 Nephi 3:7
7 ... I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Moses 5:6
6 .... I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
Knowledge is Freedom!
Celeste <3
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Something to Think About
On the first day of school, the little boy waved to his mother and turned to run down the bright hallway to class. His teacher smiled and pointed out his desk. "This is going to be great," he thought. "I love to learn new things."
After a few fun stories, the teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy enthusiastically grabbed the crayons and began to imagine all the things he could draw: moutains, lakes, airplanes, his family, his dog, the ocean, the stars at night...
Hundreds of ideas raced through his creative little mind.
His teacher, seeing that he had started drawing, stopped him and said that today the class would be drawing flowers. The boy's mind again ran wild: daisies, daffodils, roses, carnations, violets, lilacs, pansies, mixed bouquets, green gardens full of rainbows of color...
The teacher again interrupted, informing the class that today they would be drawing a certain kind of flower.
Taking colored chalk, the teacher went to the board and drew a green stem, with two leaves, and four identicle pink petals. The little boy, eager to please, dutifully copied her drawing.
After several attempts, his drawing looked exactly like hers. The teacher congratulated him for doing such good work.
As the school year passed, the little boy became a very good student; he learned to listen, obey instructions and get the right answers on tests. His parents were very proud of him, and his teacher was impressed with his excellent progress.
When the next school year arrived, the boy had done so well in his classes that he was enrolled in an accelerated program. During the first week of class, the teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy, still in love with art, enthusiastically picked up his crayons and waited for instructions.
After several minutes the teacher noticed that the little boy wasn't drawing. "Why haven't you started?" she asked. "Don't you like to draw?"
"I love to draw," responded the little boy, "but I was waiting for you to tell us what the assignment is."
"Just draw whatever you want," the teacher smiled and left thet little boy to his creativity.
The little boy sat for a long time, watching the minutes tick off the clock and wondering what he should draw. Nothing came to mind.
Finally, in a burst of creative inspiration, he picked up his crayons and began to draw:
A green stem, with two leaves, and four identical pink petals."
The story is indicative of an entire generation of American education, which has been called "the cloning of the American mind." Fortunately, the tragedy is not complete because many parents across the nation are reaffirming their role in educating their children."
"A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver Van DeMiller
Before someone asks, this is about education in general....public, private & homeschool...in all these arenas "the cloning" might be happening. It's our job, as parents, to ensure it's not happening in the arena we have our children being educated.
Celeste <3
After a few fun stories, the teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy enthusiastically grabbed the crayons and began to imagine all the things he could draw: moutains, lakes, airplanes, his family, his dog, the ocean, the stars at night...
Hundreds of ideas raced through his creative little mind.
His teacher, seeing that he had started drawing, stopped him and said that today the class would be drawing flowers. The boy's mind again ran wild: daisies, daffodils, roses, carnations, violets, lilacs, pansies, mixed bouquets, green gardens full of rainbows of color...
The teacher again interrupted, informing the class that today they would be drawing a certain kind of flower.
Taking colored chalk, the teacher went to the board and drew a green stem, with two leaves, and four identicle pink petals. The little boy, eager to please, dutifully copied her drawing.
After several attempts, his drawing looked exactly like hers. The teacher congratulated him for doing such good work.
As the school year passed, the little boy became a very good student; he learned to listen, obey instructions and get the right answers on tests. His parents were very proud of him, and his teacher was impressed with his excellent progress.
When the next school year arrived, the boy had done so well in his classes that he was enrolled in an accelerated program. During the first week of class, the teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy, still in love with art, enthusiastically picked up his crayons and waited for instructions.
After several minutes the teacher noticed that the little boy wasn't drawing. "Why haven't you started?" she asked. "Don't you like to draw?"
"I love to draw," responded the little boy, "but I was waiting for you to tell us what the assignment is."
"Just draw whatever you want," the teacher smiled and left thet little boy to his creativity.
The little boy sat for a long time, watching the minutes tick off the clock and wondering what he should draw. Nothing came to mind.
Finally, in a burst of creative inspiration, he picked up his crayons and began to draw:
A green stem, with two leaves, and four identical pink petals."
The story is indicative of an entire generation of American education, which has been called "the cloning of the American mind." Fortunately, the tragedy is not complete because many parents across the nation are reaffirming their role in educating their children."
"A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver Van DeMiller
Before someone asks, this is about education in general....public, private & homeschool...in all these arenas "the cloning" might be happening. It's our job, as parents, to ensure it's not happening in the arena we have our children being educated.
Celeste <3
We Will Never Be the Same Again!
I wanted to put together a blog that just focused on our Thomas Jefferson Education family. There seems to be so many questions on the subject and I thought something like this, would be an easy way to follow what we are doing and to begin to understand the process.
We have only been doing TJEd in our home for about 5 months but so far, we're really enjoying it. I can already see Hannah and Gabe progressing in a wonderful way. It's amazing to me that such a simple, basic, learning style can create such amazing leadership skills.
When I began reading the TJEd books, I felt an instant connection with them. It was as if someone had read my mind concerning many of my views on life and then decided to use them to create a learning style. As I read, I kept finding myself thinking..."FINALLY!! Someone sees things the way I see them! Someone understands the way I understand! Someone is validating my point of view and not only that, but it claiming it to be a better way!!"
I am overwhelmed with gratitude to my Father in Heaven for bringing A Thomas Jefferson Education into my home. We will never be the same again!
We have only been doing TJEd in our home for about 5 months but so far, we're really enjoying it. I can already see Hannah and Gabe progressing in a wonderful way. It's amazing to me that such a simple, basic, learning style can create such amazing leadership skills.
When I began reading the TJEd books, I felt an instant connection with them. It was as if someone had read my mind concerning many of my views on life and then decided to use them to create a learning style. As I read, I kept finding myself thinking..."FINALLY!! Someone sees things the way I see them! Someone understands the way I understand! Someone is validating my point of view and not only that, but it claiming it to be a better way!!"
I am overwhelmed with gratitude to my Father in Heaven for bringing A Thomas Jefferson Education into my home. We will never be the same again!
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