We just got through with General Conference. It was wonderful---different somehow. The love and peace and joy literally streamed off the speakers' faces as they taught us how to attain that same peace. It was like they were trying to prepare us spiritually for what is coming. We went to the church for all 4 sessions instead of getting it on the internet. Then, of course, Jim went in for the Priesthood session on Saturday night.
I have been thinking of changing my way of being in homeschooling lately. I'm tossing Abeka. It isn't accomplishing what I want to accomplish. The kids need to learn to communicate better, both orally and in writing. So we are going to go back to reading the Book of Mormon, memorizing Bible verses, and learning Primary songs and then going into Math, History, Geography, and Science. I think we will start earlier with piano practicing too, and the kids are going to be more responsible for their own practicing with me listening from the kitchen as I prepare breakfast. Life and school have to become much more compatible than they have been lately. We have lost a lot of love and peace in trying to become more cookie cutterish. More than anything, I want my children to be confident in their abilities, and mostly know with an absolute surety that they are children of our Father in Heaven, beloved by Him. If they know that, math and writing, careers, and family become cake.
Yesterday during some of the apostles' talks, I became sure that is the way we need to go. They must have total, unconditional love in order for optimal learning to happen. That's hard when I'm so focused on tests, and teaching them to use an apostrophe to show possession instead of teaching them to write coherently to express their deepest convictions. (And sometimes passing fancies.) I know learning happens more smoothly and easily when we read the Book of Mormon.
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