Setting and Re-setting Expectations

    As I mentioned in earlier posts, I am a more laid back person, and rather flexible-- often more flexible than I should be. I pray the Good Lord will continue to guide me on that journey as I tackle the other challenges of family life and homeschooling as well. 

    One challenge I have met is my expectations of each child. Our state allows us to either declare grade levels or "ungraded" in our forms each year. Each year I have listed the equivalent grade level. However, I have found that my laid back personality combined with the natural tendency towards laziness and self satisfaction of children, that we are more often than not behind in books with grade level.

    Granted, we took a long vacation-- which was also a "Unit Study", if you will. There is no better way to study the culture, geography, religious views, history and artwork of another country than to spend some serious time in it. I think the children learned more in one month there than and entire year of school. It is also something they will retain much better than any amount of seatwork over the years.

    Which brings me to my current challenge of setting and re-setting my expectations. I am frantically trying to get the children finished in their books from last year so we can start in the next level this fall. I am also trying to get together a new baby layette set and replenish my diaper stash for the upcoming little one. There are also three older ones who have grown out of most of their clothing. With little money in the bank, I need to make do with what we have. I have a great stash of fabric on hand, and wonderful basic patterns. I just need to make the time to make them! Okay, enough of that, I don't want to turn this into a cloth-diapering, home-sewing blog (yet).

  

    Suffice it to say that there is a lot on our plates, and we have summer! I don't want to lose summer. Here in the upper midwest, summer is short, and winters long. I want the kids to enjoy summer and the warmth and sunshine, not feel like their slaving away day in and out with dreaded school.

    I don't want the kids to dread school. I don't want to rush through books just so I can say they are in "x" grade level. I don't want to dread school. I don't want to burn out. And I don't want them to rush through learning, and miss mastery because they "have to" start in their next level of books by August!

    This all leads to a lot of stress, and stress leads to unhappiness.

    So, I guess I am re-setting my expectations. 

    The children will be "ungraded" in this year's submission to the DPI. I will space out their lessons to allow for lighter schedules that encourage mastery. There will be more subject-appropriate games and activities for multi-sensory learning. We will do more nature exploration and gardening as we learn about the world God created around us. 

    I will find a simpler way to organize the school room so what is needed is accessible and labeled.

    I will find peace. We will all find it.