Sound Doctrine

It might be time to repot the pineapple plant. I think it was two years ago that we followed the instructions to lop of the top of a pineapple and stick it in dirt. We would soon have our very own pineapple tree, the start of our do-it-yourself jungle. I faithfully watered the pineapple plant, along with my other plants, about every other week, more often if the leaves started to droop. It is a testimony to the hardiness of the plant that it has survived in my home of benign neglect for so long. But yesterday as I was watering it, I realized it is about 2 feet tall. It is time to give it more palatial digs. My little pineapple is growing up before my eyes. When did that happen?

I have been assigned the job of "New Member Buddy" in our homeschool group. I was given 4 names of new homeschoolers who have requested a veteran homeschooler to guide them and encourage them through the difficult first year. I began my conversation with them saying, "I am your new member buddy. I understand that this is your first year of homeschooling. I have homeschooled almost longer than you have been alive. I am here to answer your questions, if I can...if I can remember what it was like to have tiny pineapples ready to soak up the educational waters of a new homeschool."
or something like that....

But I might not be the best person for the job. Honestly, I don't remember much of what it was like to have all those little ones milling about, eager for hugs, fieldtrips to firehouses and petting zoos, playdates at the playground. It seems like that was someone else who did all that with her kids. And even the highschool years with my boys were  8 years ago now. I don't remember how I managed to navigate SATs, AP classes, Driver's Ed, college selections, transcript writing, Dual enrollment, assigning credits.... I must have done all that, because both boys made it into good colleges and graduated commendably. But how I did it has vanished from my memory as completely as my well defined chin. How will I be able to steer these bright eyed young newbies through the treacherous waters of successful homeschooling?

Fortunately, they had few questions. The questions they had, I was able to handle.
What art curriculum for a 6 year old?
Hand him a crayon, paints, and paintbrush, and go read a book in a distant corner.

I wonder if they will end up requesting a new different buddy. However, one made me feel really good.
"Oh hooray," she said, answering the phone, "I had heard the new members could have a buddy, and when no one called, I thought I was out of luck."
"Well this is your lucky day! I am your new buddy! I am here to answer whatever you need to know. I probably won't remember or even have ever known the answer , but if you keep your questions simple, we should get along just fine. Do you have any questions? It would be best if we keep them centered around topics like dog training or we could even branch off into cross country skiing."
"Well, I did have some questions but they are about the best math curriculum for my 12 year old."
"Ah, you probably should have checked off the box that requested a new member buddy with useful knowledge."
"Is it too late?"
"I think all the good buddies might be assigned. That's why you got me. Suck it up, buckeroo. Beggars can't be choosy. Do you have any other questions- maybe something having to do with the best places to snowboard within a 3 hour radius of Charlotte?"
"Can you help me with a good language arts program?"
"You are in luck! I actually can help you there. I used one called Easy Grammar...but I think it is out of print now."
"Oh, how old is that one?"
"Mmmm, about thirty years old, but you know, nouns haven't evolved much in that time. As far as I know verbs still denote action."
"Are you familiar with any language arts programs I can still purchase...you know, maybe written this century?"
"No, but I am sure someone is. Let me get back to you on that. Any other questions?"
"Well, as you have so much experience, can you guide me in testing?"
"Oh, I never tested."
"How did you know if your kids were learning?"
"Hope and prayer."
"But, how did you evaluate progress?"
"Look, perhaps we need to discuss some more basic tenets of homeschooling.  First of all, a very wise mentor long ago told me I needed to develop and explicitly state my philosophy of education. I needed to first know why I was homeschooling, and then I could deal with the how."
"That makes sense. So what is your philosophy of education?"
"That my children would grow up loving God, and would write home once every two weeks. You see, to love God, you have to learn and know all about His world, because the proof of His presence is in every miracle of design- from the irreducible components of the seeing mammalian eye to the repeated patterns of the swirl in a sea shell.The history of mankind is the history of God's redemptive work and revelation, and to know history is to know how desperately we need God. To write home, you must know how to read, write, and spell, as well as construct a sentence. And to do so every two weeks, you must know math. My philosophy incorporates every aspect of education."
There was a long silence, and at first, I thought my new buddy had hung up on me. Finally she spoke.
"Can I ask one more question?"
"Well, you may have maxed out my full extent of advice and knowledge, but you can give it a shot."
"My little boy wants to grow a pineapple. He claims you just start with nothing but the top of a pineapple, stick it in dirt, and water it, and it will grow into a tree. Is that really true?"
I glanced at the photos of my own young men, photos that i have littered across my home. Some are in soccer uniforms, with gap toothed smiles, some are in cap and gown, shaking hands with  distinguished looking scholars, some are in tuxedos with a gorgeous bride at his side....
"Yes, I said. It's true. Plant it, water it, love it, and before you know it, it bears fruit!"

Titus 2: 1-4,  11-15

 ¹ You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. ² Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.  ³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, ¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
 ¹⁵ These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Crown of Beauty

A second book club called and asked if I would come speak to their group. My book was on their reading list! With one book club gig now under my belt, I am as close as I will likely ever be to a celebrity. I readily accepted the second invitation. These little sparks of encouragement on my path to becoming a successful author are like sunflowers on the edge of the tumbledown empty lot I pass on my bicycle. Unexpected , breath catching bursts of beauty, of hope, of life.

A cousin wrote and told me her daughter was having trouble with a teacher. The teacher didn't believe in letting strong students read above their grade level. She felt the content of such books would be too mature, incomprehensible to a 5th grader. It didn't matter to her that the child might be capable of advanced reading and thus bored of the typical 5th grade book. To further turn the screws on this torture to a gifted young mind, the teacher required that the students read a half hour every day outside school time, but they were not allowed above the prescribed reading level.
"I'm sending her to school with your book," said my cousin,"And she will see if the teacher will let her read it." (Stories like this are one of the reasons I homeschool. I understand most teachers are not like this, but oh my! How stories like this hurt my heart!)
Later, my cousin reported back.
"The teacher looked at your book and couldn't find its level in the scholastic system. She said it appeared to be a book for adults, however. Then she looked at my child and told her she seemed to be reading at an advanced level...so yes, she could read your book."
We will conquer the world, one 5th grader at a time.

I sat at the computer, reading the many notes from relatives who grew up watching "School house rock." They sent links to songs which would teach Asherel the Preamble of the Constitution, as well as most educational requirements through graduate school. I didn't grow up with School House Rock. I was a little too old when it came around. However, I was feeling a little down about how unenthusiastic and busy our homeschool seems to be this year. It feels overwhelming right now. Too much to do, too little time, and too little joy. Could School House Rock infuse delight over 9th grade writing assignments, too? I started our school day with a communal prayer with Asherel, who looked at me quizzically. We both start our day with Bible reading, but separately. We usually don't start with prayer together.
"Why?" she asked.
Oh, I thought, I have not been steering this ship properly.

So while musing about all I had been doing poorly, I got a little chat message on the side of my computer screen. It was from my daughter in the next room. I don't know what we did before computers when family members had to actually move from room to room to talk to each other.

I had modified the writing/history assignment that day. My assignment was sparked by a new passion of Asherel. She has a new computer game she loves called Minecraft. She tells me that it is critical she play this game for normal social development since everyone her age plays it. In this game, she builds a city out of lego like pieces, and she has to plan and wisely apportion her "wealth" to build the city with all the essentials it needs to thrive and grow. The city has enemies, like wolves that can attack, but apparently can be tamed and become useful. I am sure this description is somewhat inaccurate, but you get the idea. Anyway, my assignment was to rewrite the Preamble and the first 5 amendments of the constitution as though it were written for the Minecraft community. She had to keep the same concepts and meaning, but use terms the Minecraftians would understand.

So, the little chat window from Asherel on the edge of my computer screen said:
"I am working on the Minecraft Constitution. Can I send you the Preamble so you can be sure I am on the right track? This is FUN!"

Fun? Out of the midst of my funk over how hard our school days had become, learning the Constitution was being described as fun.

That night as I settled down to draw my iPod picture, which I draw each day, sunflowers popped out of my hand and onto the screen. I looked at the  happy faces of the sunny flowers and wondered what had sparked sunflowers from the creative swamp.

Isaiah 61:2-4

² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.

Drawing What I See

I have been assigned the job of teaching how to build a helicopter that will fly for 8 minutes using a rubberband motor I found out at our first Science Olympiad meeting. It's easy, I have been told, just break it down into steps. My first step is to resurrect the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci, who first designed a helicopter way back in the Renaissance in his breaks from being the greatest artist in the world. Piece of cake! Just be Leonardo Da Vinci II.

Coming from my Destination Imagination background where parents and coaches are not allowed to do a thing, not the idea, not the research, not the building..... I knew this would be a piece of cake.  Step Number 2, I would just pass the assignment on to Asherel.

However, the manager of SO tells me this will not fly ( a little helicopter humor to keep the mobs returning to this site.) She says while she certainly expects the kids to build the devices, the teachers are expected to teach. They are expected to do the research, break it down, and actually know more than the children in their care.

I have managed to go 25 years through three homeschooled kids, and have almost never had to teach something, so I am a little worried. Well, lest you think me derelict in my duties as the educator, I did teach all of them how to use a library card. What more do you need? Yes, computers, but they taught me how to use those.

But no, while kindly said, the SO manager made it clear that I would be imparting knowledge, which implies that first I must become knowledgeable myself.  I sat in the gazebo at the park where Asherel was learning how to play ultimate frisbee and chatted with some other moms. Part of me seemed totally on board with all this, but most of me was wondering if I had enough brain cells left to find out how to make a helicopter fly. And frankly, part of me was rebelling. Asherel is much smarter than me. All my kids are. Most of the world is if we want to be totally honest. So I am plotting how I can appear to be teaching, but really just doing what I have always believed is the true goal of educators- guiding the kids to learn how to figure it out on their own. What are they gonna do? Fire me? I'm a volunteer.

One of the moms noticed that my iPod picture looked surprisingly like the view out the gazebo where we sat.'"Oh, you are just drawing what you see right now!?" she exclaimed.
That is it. I try to draw what I see. And I spend a lot of time looking. It works for finding God's messages in every blade of grass, and I am pretty sure it works for children with feeble guides trying to build helicopters powered only by rubberbands and prayer.

Isaiah 66:2
 ² Has not my hand made all these things,
       and so they came into being?"
       declares the LORD.
       "This is the one I esteem:
       he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
       and trembles at my word.

Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."