Apples of Gold Home School News

     What encourages you? I'm encouraged when I see my daughter learning something that isn't necessarily "school related" in the academic sense, but I know will help her develop character and life-skills.

     I mention this because, no matter how long we've homeschooled, or what our successes, the tendency is to focus on where we lack, or at least where we think we lack.

     I decided to write a book. A memoir, in essence, of where we've been and what we would or would not change if we could do it all again. But as I began delving into the topics I'd discuss, I started to wonder what I was doing wrong now, today. I only have one child left to graduate. I'm happy with the outcome achieved in homeschooling the previous four. Still...what could I be doing better, or differently? It's a good question to ask, yet one which can lead to sullen reflection. Why is it so hard to focus on the high points?

     In the process I pulled out a stack of books from the shelves; treasures I read long ago. Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto, Home School Burnout by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, How Children Learn by John Holt, Marva Collins' Way by Marva Collins and Civia Tamarkin, The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. These are classics!

     I say that with enthusiasm, because as I perused the pages, reviewing the notes I'd written in the margins, re-reading the sections I'd highlighted, I began to visually review where I'd wanted to go back then, and I began to clearly see where those desires had taken me. I was encouraged! My goals had not strayed. My course had remained. The things we are doing now may look different than the way we once did them, but the goal was the same and so was the outcome.

     What encourages you? For me, it was re-examining those old books and reviewing our path. I realized that we had achieved success and that we were continuing to achieve success. I hope you have a method to reflect like that.