I took this out of an article by Barb Shelton;
What unique "thing" did God breathe into your child that He wants to bring to life, perhaps unearth from beneath that pile of curriculum, and develop for His purpose – part of His reason for creating them and placing him on earth!? God has "works that He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." What are those unique "works" He prepared for your child? For you? As you begin to understand this more fully – and walk in it yourself as you enter a deeper relationship with God – you will begin seeing everything differently! And it will naturally overflow to your children! New delights in all of you will begin to blossom! New purpose! New interests! Let God take you by the hand and open a whole new world to you and your family. But you have to begin with letting go of the "old."
I believe I have a God given duty to instruct my children, to guide them in the right way. To "see" the gifts within them and help to bring them to fruition. In many ways the life of an unschooling mum is so much harder than the traditional school at home approach. The school at home mums have curriculum, teachers within the book pages! They have a scope and sequence, a schedule a design for 12 years of education. The unschooling mum only has herself...or does she? most importantly, as a Christian, she has GOD. The Bible says that "if we acknowledge him in all our ways, he will direct our path"
I have been home schooling for 11 years. Many times I have wondered casually down a path of unschooling but have alwasy ran back out in fear! I couldn't trust myself to lead my children into what could possibly be failure. It was far safer to stick to the workbooks, curriculums, schedules.
Quite honestly, I am not ready to give up my curriculum helps..........not yet! and I don't know that I have to. I have been looking on the internet, trying to find a term that suits me because I don't think I am 100% an unschooler! Unschoolers don't like any curriculum at all but right now I do! so where do I fit in? I am sitting completely in the middle! Is there a term for someone like that?" confused", maybe!
I know that I want less formality, less structure. I know that I want more spontanaity, more fun. So on my little journey I will continue.................Seeking, learning, discovering, experiencing..................
What unique "thing" did God breathe into your child that He wants to bring to life, perhaps unearth from beneath that pile of curriculum, and develop for His purpose – part of His reason for creating them and placing him on earth!? God has "works that He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." What are those unique "works" He prepared for your child? For you? As you begin to understand this more fully – and walk in it yourself as you enter a deeper relationship with God – you will begin seeing everything differently! And it will naturally overflow to your children! New delights in all of you will begin to blossom! New purpose! New interests! Let God take you by the hand and open a whole new world to you and your family. But you have to begin with letting go of the "old."
I believe I have a God given duty to instruct my children, to guide them in the right way. To "see" the gifts within them and help to bring them to fruition. In many ways the life of an unschooling mum is so much harder than the traditional school at home approach. The school at home mums have curriculum, teachers within the book pages! They have a scope and sequence, a schedule a design for 12 years of education. The unschooling mum only has herself...or does she? most importantly, as a Christian, she has GOD. The Bible says that "if we acknowledge him in all our ways, he will direct our path"
I have been home schooling for 11 years. Many times I have wondered casually down a path of unschooling but have alwasy ran back out in fear! I couldn't trust myself to lead my children into what could possibly be failure. It was far safer to stick to the workbooks, curriculums, schedules.
Quite honestly, I am not ready to give up my curriculum helps..........not yet! and I don't know that I have to. I have been looking on the internet, trying to find a term that suits me because I don't think I am 100% an unschooler! Unschoolers don't like any curriculum at all but right now I do! so where do I fit in? I am sitting completely in the middle! Is there a term for someone like that?" confused", maybe!
I know that I want less formality, less structure. I know that I want more spontanaity, more fun. So on my little journey I will continue.................Seeking, learning, discovering, experiencing..................
June 21, 2009 at 1:41 AM
Y'know what helps me? To take off the labels when I'm reading things. Too many times I've written something off because I didn't like the label of 'classical' or 'workbook' or 'relaxed' or 'unschooling'. I had a lot of reconceived notions about these things, usually brought about by looking at others and their interpretation of them.
But as I have removed the labels and researched for myself with an attitude of taking the meat and spitting out the bones *and* putting it all before the Lord, asking Him to lead me, then I've been able to find a balance for our family.
And the only problem in all that is that I can't actually find a label for myself lol. Oh dear, what a quandary - not!
However, I am so happy right now that someone else seems to understand what i've been trying to say for years - unschoolers are NOT lazy, in fact, quite the opposite!
Gee, you're exciting to be around lol. :)