Teacher Mamas

Did you know that YOU, Mama, are your child's first and BEST teacher? 
Whether you work a full time job or stay at home full time, you are a teacher. 

We as women are often victims of comparison. Although, once we grasp that reality, it is our choice to discard the lies that have lead to that kind of thinking, or to allow them to keep suppressing us in our roles as mothers and wives.

God has given YOU the exact characteristics, strengths, and passions that you need to be the the mom that YOUR children need you to be. Whether you are artist mom, science mom, bookworm mom, homesteader mom, or all those things wrapped into one, you were designed specifically to mother the children that He has given to you.

You don't have to TRY to be enough; you ARE enough. The key is surrendering to Him daily, allowing Him to channel your passions in the ways that are most beneficial to your family, not you as an individual mind you, but you in the context of your family.

Though worldly thought tends to draw moms to perceive a mental divide between what is optimal for the individual female and what's optimal for her family, a Godly vision does not. If what you're doing is not in their best interest, then truly, it's not in yours.

For some that may seem constraining, but to me it brings meaning and beautiful simplicity to life.

Applying it and trusting Him for the results is what makes all the difference.

The Bigger Picture

We've done some Spanish today, completed chores, practiced piano, had a good Bible study lesson, and picnicked in the front yard. I learned a good lesson from that one; feed the chickens FIRST. 

Parenting is full of good lessons too, huh? If we don't keep a proper perspective, though, we can easily lose sight of this.

Have you ever perceived the bigger picture, that when you're teaching your little tyrant... (oops, I mean child) something, that you as a parent have something to learn as well.

If we look to God, He can take those broken pieces of a lost temper, misspoken word, selfishness, pride, etc. and transform it into opportunities through which we may grow in character and glorify Him in the process.

Keep learning, keep growing. Read His Word and pray, every day. If you don't have time for that, then you don't have time for anything. We were made to live lives glorifying to Him. Apart from Him, it's not possible.

The best part is that no tragedy, trial, or trouble is EVER wasted if you will submit your life, your days, minutes, and seconds to His authority.

Now we're gonna go paint some pumpkins. Have a great afternoon. : )

Non-Messy Alternative

We're likely to use the phrase "terrible twos" when we're viewing things from a defensive adult perspective. Our higher calling as parents requires that we as adults empathize with our children; that's how they will eventually (best case scenario) learn empathy.

The girls were just washing dishes and Camden climbed up on the stool ready to "help." Well, you can imagine how that would have gone. Anyway the girls naturally didn't like the disturbance so I offered him an alternative.

It's not that he wanted to make a mess; he just wanted to play with water. He's fascinated by it. I took out a little art tray with different compartments, put a little bit of water in the middle, and gave him a medicine cup, syringe, and a straw, and now he's having a terrific time and learning in the process. Even the girls finished what they were doing and joined in.

I'm thankful for non-messy alternatives. Family learning is fun. : )

We Need to Pay Attention...

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr

I guess if you perceive me as an outlier, you're probably right. I don't believe in conformity, not when it goes against my faith and value system anyway. Sometimes I wonder how many people read my stuff and consider me a troublemaker, though that's a funny thought actually. All the way through school, I was one of the kids with good grades who rarely talked. I remember being in elementary school and being 99% confident that I knew the right answer and not raising my hand because of that other 1%.

I look back and realize how sad that was.

I'm not looking for trouble with your child's curriculum. My life was simpler before I stared concerning myself with CC. Believe me, my job is full time and more, and I am not looking for another one. I'm not looking for trouble but it seems to have found me.

I truly would love to find evidence that it is the best thing going and that its creators have only the best intentions of your children at heart. But I'm not seeing it, or anything close to it.

I've prayed to God that if it is His will for me to leave it alone that He will take away my concerns; then I could just pour all of my passion into my own children and home with a thankful heart that we're not having to deal with it personally.

Then I wake up the next morning thinking about it again, feeling concerned for your children and what they're going to be dealing with on a given day.

I just pray that you are paying attention, parents, and that if you see that something is wrong you will express your concerns. Your children deserve your very best advocacy in this area. Don't be lazy, distracted, or too busy to do the right thing.

Don't count the cost of standing up for what's right; the cost to your child, educationally and personally, will be far greater if you ignore the problems.

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted."

Why I'm Against Common Core: Part 1

-Common Core has not been field tested, and it is now the curriculum being used in most of our states. Nor is it modeled after one of the numerous countries (at least 16) that is ahead of us educationally.

-This was not written by educators. It was spearheaded and financed by Bill and Melinda Gates.

I heard a testimony this morning from a lady who used to write the state curriculums and set teacher licensing requirements in Minnesota. She explained the part that she had in its implementation in her state. It went as follows...

Sandra Stotsley, whose position is equitable to that one of the big dogs at the NC Dept. of Public Instruction, was chosen to be on a validation committee for CC along with about 26 others. She was one of only two content experts or professionals in the field of education chosen for this committee. The other 24 were people who worked for testing companies. Everyone except this woman and another experienced teacher gave the common core their seal of approval. Note...Testing companies are all for this. Pearson, especially is getting big bucks through its implementation.

-If you thought testing was a problem with No Child Left Behind, you will see that Common Core blows that completely out of the water. In many states, Kindergartners are being tested. They are being required to fill in bubbles while many of them don't even know how to hold a pencil yet. This is ethically, morally, and developmentally wrong.

-Here in Person County, a select group of teachers met last year to create lesson plans for the classrooms in the county. Teachers are expected to follow these lesson plans. This curriculum is taking away their freedom to create lessons that they feel will best suit their students.

If you've never worked in a classroom, you may not be able to begin to conceive the problems that come along with this. It can best be summed up in my opinion by the following quote...

"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."

Common Core takes away teachers' ability to do that.

-I've seen math problems as they are taught in CC. Though throughout school, I was always in the top math classes (I really don't know how that happened), I couldn't make heads or tails of it. The following  well represents the change in the math curriculum.

"The classic method of, for example, adding two-digit numbers is to add the digits in the “ones” column, carry the remainder to the “tens” column, and then add the “tens” digits. This “standard algorithm” works first time, every time. 

But instead of teaching this method, which enables students to solve problems quickly and routinely, Common Core creates a two-step process. 

The first is to let students choose from several alternative algorithms (number lines, estimating, etc.) for doing one-digit additions, subtractions, and multiplications. 

The second is probably to extend these student constructions to more complex calculations. (We say “probably” because the standards are not at all clear on this point.) 

There is no point where the student-constructed algorithms are explicitly replaced by the very efficient standard methods for doing one-digit operations.

Why does Common Core adopt this convoluted method of teaching math? The stated reason is that learning the standard algorithm doesn’t give students a “deeper conceptual understanding” of what they’re doing. But the use of student-constructed algorithms is at odds with the practices of high-achieving countries and is not supported by research. Common Core is using our children for a huge and risky experiment."

Answered Prayers

"And Jesus said, to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." (Mark 9:23)

I've had two prayers answered with "yes" this morning. While many would call them coincidences or good luck, I won't; I don't believe in those things. I believe in God; I prayed two things very specifically and He made them happen.

I wrote in my NB recently about this verse...

"In the past, I've questioned this Scripture (above) and some like it because I've experienced times of having faith in a healing that did not come. Yet what I'm seeing here is that faith can bring things into the realm of possibility; that doesn't necessarily mean that things are going to play out the way we want them to."

"Yet, faith is extremely important. What an amazing thought that ANYTHING in the heart of a true follower of Christ can come into the realm of possibility through faith."

Prayer is an expression of faith. If you're speaking it to God, then it may happen. When you pray for a good outcome, even in situations that appear hopeless, He can produce a positive result.

Here's the rub. When things don't turn out the way you think they should, you're supposed to keep on trusting Him anyway. Just as we expect our children to trust in our love and our good judgment for their lives, we are to trust in our Heavenly Father for those same things for our own.

With all of the trouble in the world and in our small town, I guess it is hard to fathom that a loving God will work sometimes in the little things (though our relationship with Him is truly no little thing) and then allow tragic things to happen. We all have to work through this issues in the midst of our faith walk.

Where I am now in that understanding is this. God has an individual plan for each of our lives. The most important thing is that we live surrendered to the plans and paths for our lives through which He may be most glorified.

We focus on the temporal but He sees the eternal. Our lifetimes here are like a grain of sand on the beach when compared to eternity.

Keep your focus on Him in the midst of trouble. He is bigger than any of it. Even better, get involved. Live your life according to His promises and BE a part of His great plan by pouring the blessings of your life into the lives of others.

All my love! Happy Sunday! : )

Common Core Curriculum

Until fairly recently, I had never feared the federal takeover of anything. Even now, if a plan created by the federal government for the people, if by all appearances was in the best interest of the American people, I would support it.

Yet my experience is becoming so that I believe more all the time that those instances are few and far between, if not non-existent.

A lot of people are "up in arms" about healthcare, and their concerns are reasonable. I have concerns of my own about it.

Yet, I perceive that the greater threat to our nation and its people is being ignored by most. In actuality, it has gone too far to be perceived as a threat; it has become a reality. I am referring to the Common Core Curriculum.

Teachers don't like it and many even despise it, though they are afraid that if they say so they're going to lose their jobs. They have lost control over their classrooms. Lesson plans for the year have been distributed and they are expected to follow them. Regardless of individual needs and the makeup of their classes, they are expected to adhere to those lesson plans. They are no longer allowed to think. They are expected to act as trained, mechanical devices with no intellect of their own. 

Teachers, you did NOT go to school for this. 

As for students, they are on the receiving end. They are required, even from Kindergarten, to master material for which they have been given no concrete framework of understanding. The knowledge being imparted is not knowledge at all. Lesson plans being implemented seem to complicate the learning process rather than simplifying it. As teachers are being required to teach their lessons exactly as they are written, students are having to endure a one size fits all approach to learning. This "my way or the highway" mentality has never brought about anything good and it never will.

Why do I care? I homeschool so why on earth is this bothering me so much? It would be much easier if it didn't. 

My best answer is that I am a natural born educator. I love children and want what's best for them.

Aside from this, the success of our nation depends on the education of our children. Ultimately we will all be affected by these changes. 

My plea to you parents and teachers is to stand up for what is right. It is too easy in this era of big government to believe that what you do doesn't matter. That is a lie. Every good change that has ever come about started with an individual. Stop talking quietly to those who have no influence and start speaking up to those who do. Write letters to the president, governor, and our representatives in Congress. Write letters to our Board of Education members or go and talk to them personally. Express your concerns to your principal. 

For the sake of your children, share their experiences and yours. Make your voices heard. Stand up for your children. If you don't, who will?

 Apparently, I will but we can get a lot more done together than apart. Let's do this.

I was looking through an American Girl magazine this morning that came in the mail yesterday. As my daughter was pointing out the things she liked, I looked at some of the prices and thought I might choke on my toast.

How could I buy a $36 dress for a doll when I know that I could buy two chickens for a hungry family with less than that? Who are we and who have we become? I can understand why so many people in the world hold us in such contempt. 

I am not the best giver, but I am learning. I'm praying that God will show me avenues through which what we give as a family will be of the greatest benefit. I'm thankful for His conviction and that He is faithful to answer our prayers.

May we now and on into the Christmas season live out the truth that it really is more blessed to give than to receive.

Maybe we should make lists of things that we can do for others rather than lists for ourselves.

Our children deserve better. Their little souls deserve better. Where we put our money matters, temporally and eternally. I pray the Lord will grant us generous spirits and surrendered hearts and minds to this end.

This is Why We Do It

Homeschooling is 100 percent the best choice for my family. I love teaching. I taught K and Pre-K before I had my first child, and then went back to work. I was miserable. I'm thankful for that. I came home and opened a home daycare so I could be with my son all day, every day.

Teaching is a part of me, a part of everything I do. As a result of that and the fact that kids are naturally inquisitive, they have been learning in a very natural, realistic way since birth. This makes learning fun and enables me to be less encumbered by the academic stress that limits so many.

Homeschooling has made our family closer. Everything is connected in a very natural way. My husband is able to call twice a day and find out what we're all doing. We all eat dinner together, and breakfast and lunch. My kids are best friends, so much closer than they would be if they were in public school. I read God's Word with them almost every day.

There's simply no end to the benefits of doing this. Maybe it's because teaching is my thing, but I have absolutely nothing negative to say. I love what I do. I love my family. I love that they are my focus and that everything I do is for them and to the end of glorifying God.

It's such a blessing to see His master plans unfold in our homes and hearts daily. He is so good and so faithful.

Many moms lose their passion because they're not looking to the Lord to sustain them. I've learned that giving Him just a little bit of time in the morning makes all the difference in my attitude and in our day. Do your part, and He will do so much more.

I saw a job title of a lady on FB that was something along the lines of "CEO of (family's last name)." I really liked that a lot. Mothering is an extremely important job, and making a house a home and loving your husband in the midst of it just adds to that complexity. There's nothing boring about it. It stimulates me. It drives me. It is my God given passion.

There's always something to be learned, always something that you can do better, and all the more if you don't have to work a job that sucks the lifeblood out of you.

I would prefer this role over that of a queen in a palace. That's the truth.

Common Core

Currently our school system is in the process of a massive overhaul. This year, North Carolina and many other states are implementing the Common Core Curriculum. North Carolina bought (or to state more accurately, was bought) into these national standards for education. 

Little as parents are aware of the extent to which this will alter the educational experiences of their children, you might construe that it was carried out undercover, and intentionally that way. Deep pocketed proponents have been so efficient in this process that perception even among the most educated is that it is a done deal, and that there is no turning back.

However, although many seem to have forgotten, ours is a democratic government. If we don't agree with something, and especially something as personal as how our children are being educated, we do have the right to speak out. I'm writing this to encourage you to do just that.

May we as a people not be lulled into complacency when it comes to things that really matter. May we not allow busyness to distract us from keeping the main thing the main thing. I encourage you parents, as you and your children experience the fall-out of these drastic changes, to not keep quiet. Speak to or write letters to the members of our Board of Education, write letters to our Senators and representatives, research and share information on social networks, and advocate for your children through every other avenue that you can find.

Most of all, when your children, even your Kindergarten children, bring home papers that even you can't decipher, do not blame them. Do not push them to try harder when you know they are already doing their best. Encourage them. Take stock of their strengths and build upon those areas. Let them know that you love them unconditionally, and that a test cannot BEGIN to define them or their value in any way, shape, or form.

Ask yourself whether or not what is being taught is worth knowing. The true goal of education is not to achieve a desired letter grade or numerical score. A time will come when all of that will be unconsequential. If all that is gained is a long list of competencies that look good in a database but are in no way applicable to the real life aspirations of our children, then sadly we will look back and see that it was all just a big waste of time.