Education...Our Rhythm Of Life!

Sometimes I am asked why we homeschool?  That’s a loaded question…

At the beginning of our journey, my answer was quite academic.  Rebekah has dyslexia (which manifested quite severely when she was younger and she continues to struggle with various areas of this sequential memory disorder).  We were happy with her private school she’d attended from kindergarten to grade four.  Her school had become like family and was definitely a source of rich community in our lives.  However, the further along Rebekah’s educational path, it became more apparent that her learning style was like trying to “fit a square peg in a round hole.”  By the end of her fourth grade year, she resented schooling and I knew we couldn’t lose this child at such a young age…there had to be a different approach to education for our family.

Now when I am asked why we chose to homeschool, I have so much more to share.  As I reflect on the past year and a half, sometimes I feel like we’ve only just begun this journey.  Yet, we have embraced an educational philosophy and rhythm of life that so well suits us, traditional schooling seems a lifetime ago.

For us, the Self Design Learning approach has been life transforming. I have to be honest that I have had the more difficult learning curve as we embarked this journey.  I have been challenged to let go of many of my preconceived biases and prejudices concerning education and how to prepare for “life” as an adult.  I am a traditional learner and I’ve had to release Rebekah to a world of learning that is not traditional according to North American ideology.

Rebekah has completely embraced Self Design.  She directs the majority of her learning (yes, truth be told, I still influence some of the math and spelling curriculum—yet, I try to be much less rigid and be creative in the approach to these subjects, as well...such as our micro-finance unit).  She is a transformed kid—a happier student compared to a couple of years ago!

Her learning is experiential.  This is how she learns best!  And, I must admit—this is how I learn best!  I am learning right along side my (soon to be) 12-year-old daughter.  I have a renewed passion for learning and am truly inspired as I join Rebekah’s educational journey.

At first I felt the need to “defend” our choice in home schooling.  Now, I do not make any apologies or put up any defenses.  I realize education looks different for each of us.  I am grateful for the numerous teachers who so willingly give of themselves to educate this generation and the generations to come.  I am also grateful that we can choose the best path for Rebekah’s learning and I am more than willing to share our journey with those around us (the joys and the trials).  In addition, we are blessed to be surrounded with friends who embrace this educational approach.  They have added a rich component to our lives and are on this journey with us!

So that you may have a “sneak peak” into the eyes (perspective) of our home-schooler, I will share Rebekah’s 4-H speech with you (keep in mind that for her age level, she is limited to a 2-3 minute speech--there's  a lot to pack in a short amount of time).  May you be inspired to cease the never-ending learning opportunities around you!

The World Is My Classroom

What on earth do pajamas,

Zip-lines, and Calcutta, India

Have in common?

Living in an environment where

Imagination is encouraged

And creativity is constantly inspired…

Sounds wonderful to me! 

How about you?

Good afternoon chairperson,

Judges, family members, friends,

And fellow 4-H members.

I am home-schooled and

The way I’m taught is

The WORLD is my classroom!

 I’m going to share my 3 favorite

Areas of being home-schooled:

I can learn wherever and whenever

Spending time with my friends

And hands on projects and field trips.

 I have learned that every experience

Can be a learning experience.

Sometimes we are driving somewhere,

A question pops into my mind, I ask it, and we talk

About the topic and sometimes I have to do research

To answer my question.

I used to be uncomfortable with the computer

But since I started home schooling, I enjoy looking

Up random things (like 80s music videos, singing and dancing,

And even learning about the culture of that time).  I’ve noticed

That my typing is getting better because

of all of my fun research.

Another area in home schooling

which I love is spending time with my friends!

I often get to hang out with my friends.  I really enjoy

playing outside with them…we get creative!

We pretend we are pioneers,

Climb trees, cook together, and sew.

Sometimes we are really adventurous

(like riding the zip-line)!  I also get to be

with my other best friends—my animals!

I work with and ride my horse, play with

The cats, and our goats.

We keep each other company!

Because we have a more relaxed approach

To schooling (and yes, there are days I get to wear

my pajamas all day), mom encourages lots of

Hands on projects and field trips for my learning.

Some of my favorite projects have been:

Learning to weld with my dad, making a zip-line across

our front yard, making a HUGE play house out of

an old grain shed and making a gate for an obstacle

course for my horse trainer.

Field trips are so fun!  I’ve learned to kayak,

I’ve been to plays, a historical walk

In Winnipeg, and the orchestra.  But

The ULTIMATE field trip of all is what

We are now preparing for!

At the end of September, my family is

Going on a mission trip to Calcutta, India.

We will be serving at a non-profit tutoring

Center run by Tabitha’s Heart. 

  

We will stay in Calcutta for 5 weeks.  I can hardly wait

To meet everybody, go to the open market, wear their

Traditional clothes and work in the tutoring center.

My mom’s friend, Rachel, runs the center for

Street kids in Calcutta. She says I can help out

with the young kids (playing with them,

teaching English, and crafts).  I also get to help cook.

I want to make them a traditional north

American treat, applesauce! 

I can’t wait for this wonderful experience!  I am

So excited for this trip because I know I will

Be sharing God’s love and helping others!!!

  

I used to attend traditional school

And it was good but not the best way for

Me to learn…I would never have imagined back then

That I could learn in a way that the entire WORLD is

My classroom!!!

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

Out Of The Mouths of Babes--What Motivates Your Actions?

How often do you pause to think about what motivates your actions? 

Before our schedule got a bit busier with Christmas and family gatherings, Rebekah and I were chatting about a chapter in her devotional, The Walk the Walk Book—It’s a God Thing!  The focus of our discussion was about acts of service.  Rebekah has a beautiful heart to serve others.  Acts of service naturally flow out of this eleven-year-old girl.  However, I wanted to challenge her to search her heart as to what motivates her to seek out opportunities to help those around her and the community abroad.  Rebekah took my challenge seriously and didn’t give me a quick response to merely place a “check mark” by a proverbial to-do list (i.e. math—check, reading—check, chores—check, motivation to help others….hmmm???)

As a parent, it is my privilege and duty to raise my daughter and hopefully impart knowledge and wisdom to her.  Yet, God often chooses to use Rebekah as His vessel to impart His wisdom to me.

This morning Rebekah came to me (completely unsolicited) and shared her inspiration with me.  “Mom, do you remember when you asked me why I like to help others so much?”  “Yes,” I replied.  “I realize I like to help others because it gives me an opportunity to share God’s love, of course.  But even if I don’t have a chance to tell someone (directly) about God, when I help them I can offer them HOPE!” 

I am proud of Rebekah for taking the time to search her heart about her motivation to help others.  She certainly offers a lot of hope to those around her. 

May we be challenged (by this young girl) to take the necessary time to pause and think about what motivates us in life! 

To help those around you, offers HOPE!  I have nothing more to add to this beautiful wisdom—thank you, Rebekah.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. 
Proverbs 13:11-13

(This verse is special for Rebekah…she is an inspiration to offer HOPE, as well as the symbolism of the TREE of life…she loves trees!)

2013--Theme: INSPIRATION

Rebekah and I have decided to adopt a “theme word” for home-schooling this year: INSPIRATION:  “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative.”  We anticipate many conversations, writing and art projects embracing how we are inspired (by what and who), as well as how we may inspire others… 

I was reminded this evening of a powerful source of inspiration in my life when I was very young.  I have struggled throughout the years as I have been asked to share my past with friends, women’s groups, mentoring/coaching relationships because I want to acknowledge where I have come from (maintaining integrity and balance as I share the trials I’ve overcome and keeping in mind my perspective has matured over the years).  Sharing past wounds, in my opinion, should be an authentic experience…sometimes this may manifest in a very “raw” manner; however, being able to acknowledge those who may have negatively impacted some of those chapters in my life and still honor their positive qualities has been, in deed, a tender balance of sharing truth.

Some of you know parts of my life story; others may be shocked because the “secrets” were so well hidden.  Right now I want to focus on a very positive person in my younger years (who probably never knew how much she impacted my life).  My mom made choices in life that I would say had very negative effects upon our family.  Due to some of these choices and my very “harsh” reality growing up in our home, I grew to view my mom as a weak woman (again, please keep in mind that this perspective has evolved and matured over the years).  I didn’t consciously realize that I was looking for strong, women role models—but I was.

When I was quite young (preschool to early elementary age), we were fairly close to a family we knew at church.  I admired the family:  the mom and dad were married (not divorced); the two daughters seemed happy, loved, and well provided for.  The mom was a leader in the Sunday school program, which I attended for a few years and she was instrumental in organizing our school ski-program.  When I was in the third grade, I was “gifted” to participate in the ski program and years later found out it was this particular mom who reached out and organized this gift that I would never have been able to participate in if it hadn’t been for her.  I also came to realize that she was the person who made sure my family had Christmas care packages several years when I was quite young (we would have had so much less at Christmas had it not been for those care packages).

After my family moved to a neighboring town, we were not as “close” to this family.  Yet, a few years later, we were periodically “reunited” due to the oldest daughter attending my school and we were in the same grade.  By that time, the mom had been voted onto our local school board.  I was a far cry from being in the “popular” crowd throughout those years (grades 7-12) but I was a good student and was quite active in academic and civic-type clubs.  My world would intersect with this mom at board meetings when I would help with presentations or at various school functions.  I often felt “moved” when I was in her presence but I was much too young and, at that time in life, too wounded to be able to identify what was happening.  By the end of high school, I recognized this “movement” within my spirit as INSPIRATION!  I had grown up watching this mom and listening to her speak up for what she believed was right.  In my eyes, she was an extremely strong and courageous woman—a role model I so needed! 

I remember walking across the stage at high school graduation (way back in 1990) This mom reached out to shake my hand, give me the diploma, and then she hugged me while whispering in my ear, “I am so very proud of you, Debbie…I just know you will be a success in life!”  I cannot tell you how much her words resonated in my spirit and it was probably the first time I really felt believed in!!!  Her actions and words helped send me on a positive trajectory in life that I might not have been as apt to journey if it hadn’t been for her INSPIRATION and footprints upon my heart.

This mom I speak of died quite a few years ago.  I hadn’t seen her in years, but remember the grief I experienced when I’d heard of her death.  By that time in my life, I had made enough positive choices that I was well on my way to being a strong woman (at least in my opinion).  I remember reflecting upon what she had meant to me-- desiring to hold on to her INSPIRATION in my life. 

Today, I saw a post from her oldest daughter.  And again there was a flood of memories and emotions of the past and how her mom so powerfully impacted my life!  My friend’s post (regarding an old picture of a school board election sign with her mom’s name on it) stated, “It reminds me that you CAN change the system. But you have to step up and not be intimidated.”

I look around at my life and hope that Vivian would be proud!  I have learned to speak and act for truth (and not be intimidated).  I have learned to be confident and strong even though the odds of my youth were so heavily stacked against me!  Thank you, Vivian, for being such a positive and strong role model in my life-thank you for being such a powerful INSPIRATION!

My encouragement to you is never under estimate who may be watching you (up close or from a distance).  Your choices, actions, and words can be used as a vessel to help someone along life’s journey in a very positive direction.  You may never know, this side of eternity, the impact you’ve had on those around you.  As we begin this new year of 2013, I hope you are reminded of sources of inspiration in your life and are challenged to profoundly INSPIRE others!

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4