Can you guess what this is a picture of? Here's a hint: it has to do with Biology and household objects. This diagram of a cell was an assignment for an online Biology class. After listening to presentations and reading about all the parts of a cell and their functions, my daughter (16 yrs) was asked to make some kind of a representation of each of the parts of the cell and label them, then email a picture of her project to the teacher. As she scurried around the house looking for just the right object to represent lysosomes, my other children became curious of her plight and joined in to help. Inevitably, by getting involved the others learned a bit about cells also. This is one of the beauties of educating at home. Generally, the younger children look up to the older children, and naturally want to be involved in everything the older ones are doing. And older children usually enjoy sharing what they know with younger children. In our home, I have seen the wonder of children teaching children, by word and by deed. It is a beautiful phenomenon that I enjoy witnessing each time it happens. Not just because a child is learning, but because of the relationships being formed. More important than the academics, there are connections being forged here at home that will last forever.
I love the fact that there are so many choices in education right now. We have tried many methods of schooling and have found success in every one. We currently have one full time at our public middle school, one full time at our public elementary school, one enrolled in an online charter school at home, one enrolled at an accredited online charter high school who also takes two classes each day at the local public high school, and one enrolled in a part time kindergarten at our public elementary school. Obviously, we believe in individualized education. Each child is different and has their unique set of strengths and challenges. As parents, we can better help them achieve their goals by having more options, looking at those options, and matching them with the needs of each child, while keeping the needs of the entire family in mind. Certainly this is not an easy task and requires extensive thought and prayer. However, the rewards of endeavoring to take a "road less traveled," if it is right, can be great.Currently, I work part time in a public school. I have the opportunity to see first hand what is being taught and how effectively students learn. It has been a learning experience for me. First of all, I am very impressed with the teachers and administrators. They seem to truly care about the students and want them to succeed. Often, though, they are limited in their capacity to reach out to students due to state-dictated curriculum, testing, interruptions, or oversized classes. These are eighth and ninth graders we are serving. They are 13 to 15 years old. That is a difficult age for anyone. Each is attempting to find their identity in a sea of unsure students. Watching these kids each day makes me wonder, are we treating them as individuals? Or are we treating them as a collective group who need to jump through a set of government-selected hoops, regardless of their interests or needs? One day I had a conversation with a very good teacher who holds Spanish as well as English classes. She mentioned that she wished her English students enjoyed class as much as her Spanish students enjoyed class. I wonder if that may be due to the fact that Spanish is an "elective class" while English is "required." There may be a message there. Would education be more effective if the student (and their parents) had more options and more choice in their own education? Have we laid out so many requirements that our students dread learning?
It is interesting to hear students' comments in the halls. Aside from the profanity, they say things to each other such as, "I hate school," or "History is boring," or "I can't wait until school's out." If you or I were surrounded by that kind of negativity each day, it would become extremely difficult to feel good about attending classes or doing assignments. Unfortunately, that has become the climate at these schools. The culture of "it's not cool to like school" has become the norm among our students. Many are feeling forced to learn things they are not interested in or are not ready to learn yet, and that creates a dismal environment--not conducive to learning. And when those who are not ready to learn yet are put in classes with those of the same age who are, the result is usually a trend toward the negative end of the spectrum. Is this what we want for our future leaders? Will they be prepared for what lies ahead? Are we surprised when, upon graduating from high school, many of our students claim, "I don't know what I want to do with my life."??? There is a message here. When we take choices away from people and tell them what to do and when to think, they become more dependent on us.
Every person comes to this earth with a unique mission to fulfill. It is our responsibility to find our purpose or mission and then gain the education we need to fulfill it. It is time to teach our children to find their personal mission, and to chart their own course to fulfilling that mission. Families are so important in this quest. Our home has become a laboratory for seeking truth. We learn from our mistakes. We help and encourage each other as we seek that which inspires and edifies. We hope that the activities we choose and the lessons we learn will prepare us for whatever is to come. We trust in God and know that through Jesus Christ, we can return to live with Him. We know that through the power of the Holy Ghost, we may know the truth of all things. May God bless our journey. And yours.
