My eager students were delighted to finally begin the school year. They'd been asking for days!
Being new to the task of school teaching, I thought I'd share the details of how it goes for me. I believe parents always being a child's primary teacher is so very Biblical. But entering the realm of grammar, math & science can feel daunting.
Most of us aren't trained as teachers, many of us haven't dreamed of schooling our children around the kitchen table & few of us have a safe place to lay out our anxieties of taking the responsibility to not just teach content but the life lesson of loving to learn. And the discipline to stick to something that's not your natural talent. And the confidence to try new things, being measured, of course, not by our success but what we learned from the experience. All that while diligently following the lesson plans, science lessons & nature walk projects.
Whew.
I am thankful for my sisters who have both listened to my anxiety & shared what works for them & reminded me no teacher need apply for this post. Just get ready for the Spirit of God to prune more selfishness, impatience & worry from your life. Will this be a long lesson, commitment to homeschooling all our children? Or will this be a short lesson, one only given in Ghana? Only time will tell.
Here's what schooling my children looks like. Ideals aside for the moment. [But only for a moment. Any longer & I turn into another grumpy unfocused teacher & they my unruly, lazy pupils ;)]
Max has completed Kindergarten & 1st grade with My Father's World. http://www.mfwbooks.com/
The website describes it this way: "Combining the best of Charlotte Mason, classical education, and unit studieswith a Biblical worldview and international focus." Written by returned missionaries, it doesn't feel American culture-centric. They place God's Word in all the right places. A simplified Bible reader was Max's first book conquest! Of course, we spend ample time on grammar, math & science. History has been added this year. Max has been browsing the books & is twitching to learn American history. It seems especially fun now that we aren't in America. I think our travels have given him perspective on how America is just one place on the planet- but it surely is fun to learn about home. At the advice of my sister, who's been a wonderful teacher example to me, I substituted the grammar for another curriculum but all else follows their recommendations. I didn't need much convincing. I see her children enjoying school time & learning well.
On a very practical note, I enjoy the set up of a curriculum that helps us all [mostly me?;)] learn structure, but also gives flexibility for those of us with smaller children & the lack of a Walmart down the street. Seriously, on my street, I can buy yam, dried fish & AfricanCola. No last minute project supplies available here!
The shelves behind Max are the newest addition to the dining room. The books I need for this school year are many & I needed a shelf. They have since been painted & will soon be organized. Our frequent lack of electricity slowed down the process.
So far the most popular item of school is the pencil boxes. Large enough to fit things from glue to stickers to extra pencils [ How many times can a 7yo drop his pencil?!] to tiny gumball machine reward candy. Thanks to Grandma for those! It is really fun for Elle & Rory especially to have a box of items just for school time. New crayons & a sharp little scissors are the best. The other popluar time is recess! We walk down the street to the Bontrager's swingset & enjoy some sweaty play & bike riding together. I am thankful Audrey & I can do this. It helps keep us on task.
We have the opportunity to join a home school co-op in Accra that does field trips & activities like spelling bees. Our coworkers, the Bontragers, have 3 in school & have attended some of the activities & really enjoyed them. We'll see if that happens. For now we are focusing on getting in a routine & enjoying the quiet of Ghana time as we do that.
My second grader!
Let the fun begin with two pre-schoolers.
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