Over the last many weeks I've had more time to read things... more than just board books and read-alouds to the kids... grown-up books and articles!! It's helpful to sit in the car during 2 different road trips; it seems to be my best time to read stuff.
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode was a great read and I took a handful of good ideas from it. Mostly, I took away a better understanding about the need to set goals. In the past I could just set my mind on something and accomplish it in a reasonable amount of time. With 3 busy kids who are home 24/7, many things I'd like to do, whether for the sake of my family or just myself, get shoved out of the way of the more immediate and pressing events of the day (i.e. Hannah just painted the dining room table and her arms with ranch dressing). And more than just writing goals down, I need to systematically and intentionally meet them!
I just finished The Core, written by the founder of Classical Conversations. Not only does she make an excellent case for the return to classical education, but she also goes into detail of how to teach the "core" subjects of classical education at the elementary age. It is a must-read for any parent or teacher frustrated by ridiculous educational bureaucracy that has drastically affected teachers and students for the worse in American classrooms today. There IS a better way!! And frankly, the time honored method that has been successful for nearly 2,000 years seems just fine to me. I borrowed a copy from a friend, but I will be purchasing this one!
And along those same lines, I'm currently reading Classical Education Made Approachable also from Classical Conversations. It contains a lot of the same type of information we heard at practicum in June and seems to be a much more scaled down version of content in The Core. It is a great little book to share with friends interested in CC, which is why I wanted to nab it. It also contains some really helpful documents in the appendix, including Dorothy Sayers' essay called "The Lost Tools of Learning."
Since I've been on such the classical kick, How Homeschooling and Classical Christian Schooling Could Alter the Leadership of the Future highlights the great possibility that within a few generations we will see more and more homeschool/classical ed alumni in positions of leadership because of its focus on logic and rhetoric. When I was in Washington D.C. with Andrew and his students back in March, I was ASTOUNDED when I saw Thomas Jefferson's personal library on display at the Library of Congress. When I read the spines of the books on the shelves, the texts that molded his great mind, I saw that if modern students are going to be great leaders like Jefferson or any of his contemporaries (who were classically educated by the way), they need a far better education than what is common today. Go here to see a list of what was included in his library... it is simply humbling.
I also loved Letting Go of Who You Were when I read it this morning. In it the author talks about the hobbies she had to let go when raising kids became the more important priority. For me, I do wish I could keep up better with scrapbooking but it's not the passion that it once was for me. I really miss my flute. I miss playing in an ensemble a lot. I miss teaching private lessons a lot. I wish gigs came along more frequently. But "to everything there is a season" as wise King Solomon once said, so I look forward to the time when I can spend more time doing what I love. In the meantime, I thank God for maintaining my technique so that WHEN I play, good tone and musicianship haven't disappeared. Just don't ask me about how fast my fingers can work or how long I can go in between breaths though, mmkay??
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The author talks about "the theology of weakness" and how suffering equips us to minister to those around us. It deepens our relationship with the Lord. Even if you're not dealing with anxiety or depression in your life, go read the article because you will be encouraged no matter what you may be suffering through right now. And if you are in a mountaintop time in your life, you will learn how to encourage a friend going through a rough patch.
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