Over the years I have come to the realization that January and February are major "burn out" months for the kids and myself in our homeschooling. We absolutely love celebrating the Advent and Christmas seasons and in doing so they provide a nice break from the regular academic routines begun in early Fall. This can also be the time of year when I realize that I have set our academic year with too many expectations, too many obligations outside the family, too many subjects to cover. Unfortunately my well deserved month off in the summer, intended to re-energize me, came back to bite me. Recognizing these short comings can make getting back into a routine rather difficult for both teacher and students, hence leading to that inevitable burn-out. This year there is an added twist as I am having to work hard to overcome my first trimester blues. I just don't bounce back as quickly as I use too.
With these past experiences and knowledge, about three years ago, I started a habit of purposely revisiting an old friend, reaffirming my purpose, educational ideas and philosophies for homeschooling, before starting our academic year. For the past two years, every January I have revisited Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by E. Foss.
Oh boy, how I needed this boost this year! Elizabeth Foss's book is exactly what the doctor ordered!! Revisiting Charlotte Mason's methods and philosophies have not only re-motivated me, but made me realize just how far off track I had steered this year in our homeschooling. At the beginning of the year I needed the help of *some* curriculum for certain academics but being an overachiever I went way overboard and fell into the false security trap. I allowed curriculum to take over the majority of our academics and that is when harmony went out and chaos came in the door.
One of my favorite mottoes by Charlotte Mason is "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life". While revisiting the meaning behind this motto I have come to realize just how compromised I had allowed our home and schooling to become.
Our atmosphere was not one of living ideas but had become a daily drudgery of dead boring digested facts. I had not properly provided an environment that allowed the children to exercise "masterly inactivity", that is to continue learning even when I was not able to actively teach. Their fires were not being ignited but instead they had become buckets to fill. It has been refreshing to re-think about our atmosphere and how I might better it for the children's sake.
Our discipline had become crowded with many bad habits. Elizabeth Foss's book allowed me to recognize that many of the problems that have creeped into our daily lives really stemmed from my lack of self-discipline. Another favorite motto by Charlotte Mason is "I am, I can, I ought, I will", the core to training and forming a child's will. Like our atmosphere it has been refreshing to revisit the meaning behind this motto and think of how I might re-instill good habits.
In getting back on track with our home atmosphere and discipline I look forward to recreating a lifestyle of learning in our home that is more harmonious and reignites the children's passion for learning. I am so grateful for homeschooling and having the flexibility to keep what is working and change what is not working. We never stop learning whether that is about ourselves or this big world we live in. I am so grateful that God allowed Charlotte Mason to cross my path and used Elizabeth Foss to gently show me what His will is for Adamson Academy, so that we may start the New Year out on the right track!!
