#55 Curriculum Overload

One aspect of homeschooling that many seasoned mothers will caution you about is getting carried away in purchasing curriculum for your children. It's easy to overestimate the importance of the books themselves in your children's education and spend too much money and waste too much time and energy trying to find the perfect fit. The fact is that there won't be a perfect fit.

I thought this quote from Gretchen Rubin, writing in Real Simple magazine, made a useful distinction about how we choose things...

There are two types of decision makers. Satisficers... make a decision once their criteria are met. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see a bicycle of a backpack that meets their requirements, they can't make a decision until they've examined every option. Satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they're often anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

#53 Challenges of the Teacher

In education, the role of the teacher in guiding children and helping them draw out ideas and connect them with other ideas is generally more important than the materials used. A good teacher can help her students learn the truth even from a messy or problematic book. My mom once taught a CCD class in which she was "required" to teach with some problematic materials. Apparently it didn't phase her at all. She simply explained the materials in that book and followed it up with what the Church actually teaches.

Teaching is always going to require a certain amount of creativity and making distinctions on the fly. After all, even with the most ideal curricula, children will ask difficult and challenging questions. While this challenge may seem intimidating, humility and faithfulness will get you through. Work on learning how to learn and developing the Christian attitudes necessary for leading your children to the truth. With God's grace, these little things will go a long way.

Cultivation (#52)

There are certain aspects of education, like initiative, diligence, enthusiasm, humility, self-motivation and a love of learning, that need to be cultivated rather than taught. Keep in mind that cultivating often means simply preserving by not disrupting or losing patience with good things.

Here are some ways to be a good cultivator - to be used in the right season; and within reason, of course:

Foster initiative, even though it can be messy or disruptive.

Model good attitudes and virtues.

Allow small children to help you when they ask – even if they aren’t *very* helpful.

Provide children with opportunities for success - especially if they are struggling with something.

Beware of unreasonable expectations.

Avoid condescending materials and attitudes.

Remember that patience is a key virtue in this regard and, finally, don't forget to ask for God’s grace!