I love getting into the brain of other people; or maybe it's more of a heart matter? I want to know what is going on behind the behavior or action; I pretty much want to know no matter if it's something I admire or despise. The past few months I have had a wave of inquisitive questions regarding schooling and our choice and our long term plan - kind of tiring to think we still have 13 more years of decisions; that is not even including college; so I'm just going to embrace and enjoy the process and try not to miss anything He has for us in it! Thankful our steps are ordered by the Lord! So here is a rambling for those interested in our process of deciding on schooling for our kids!
We pray - I know shocker :-) Our rhythm is that beginning in December we just start asking God to show us any reason for continuing the same option, other options or anything we have maybe not even thought of in past seasons (kind of a lets get everything on the table). Mid January we take a few days to fast and pray to make sure we are steadfast on our decisions. Jake and I do this independently as well as have our kids join us on the three day fast in January (they fast sweets, all media, and anything else the Lord speaks to them- we are discipling them, not spoon feeding them the rest of their lives, so it is important to us for our kids to hear from God too). Besides the waters will get choppy on days no matter what you decide and we all need a stake in the ground; the voice of God behind us saying, 'This is the way walk in it' Is. 30. We have a time with each of our kids independently the end of January and have to this point had unanimous decisions as to what God is saying about the next year! We do this in January because re-enrollment is early February for our school.
We have chosen Classical Christian University/blended model schooling for our kids the past 4 years (they go to school 2 days a week and homeschool the other 3)! Jake and I are both public school kids; and honestly have no bad or scarring experiences from it; so I will dispel the lie that we don't like public school or judge you for choosing it! Be secure in God's call for your family!
Our oldest started school when we were in Waco, TX at a Christian 5 day / non-Classical school. Loved it; he thrived there and we had a great experience. We were only there the first semester because we were in Waco for a short season in church planting school and moved back to Norman on a team to plant a church here! I had a dream one night and basically God asked me to homeschool the next semester = so kind of Him to not ask for a long commitment because I was totally insecure in my ability - I did not have a teaching degree, but was certain God had asked me and know obedience is key to serving God; I stepped into my first semester as teacher/mommy! God was kind and gave me an easy student; despite his teacher's huge learning curve. I had no idea how to pace myself = we finished his kindergarten curriculum Valentines Day (oops!) and with input from others we just had fun getting ready for 1st grade and one of the most refreshing and life giving seasons home everyday with my 4 littles and God did deep things in all of our hearts!
During this time I knew I loved teaching my kids - more seeing hands on what they were learning; digging deeper into God's truths whether we were doing Bible or Science or History = He is over all things and I knew that in the early years this was something I was not willing to forfeit because of my own insecurities or inconvenience = yes sometimes it's inconvenient to have 5 little people (we adopted #5 this past spring) with me when they could be at school - just being real folks!
God brought to mind that Spring a school called Veritas {Latin for Truth} that I had heard of years back; I knew it had started in Norman about the time Kooper (our oldest was born). I did my research and found out it had actually relocated to S. OKC to be more centralized for families coming from all over the Metro area and it was no longer a small school but actually went Pre-K thru 12 now. Jake and I prayed and went to an information meeting and felt the peace of God to apply for Kooper's 1st grade year at Veritas Classical Academy.
We understood the blended model - they go to school 2x's/week, stay home 3x's a week. New concepts are taught at school and tested at school and homedays are for review and homework. Seemed simple enough but there was a concept we didn't fully get - even from the required reading we did - the classical. It was a totally new concept and way of learning than I had experienced and it made sense but I had no idea how much sense it made until we were in the middle of it! My short summary of Classical education is: it accesses and teaches kids where they are developmentally - songs/jingles (for grammar school) can you think of how many silly ones you can still remember from childhood; that you would love to forget but just can't get them out of your mind?!
Wow! We never dreamt something like this could have existed; it just seemed to fit our family. A partnership in education that was unbelievably life giving. My kids time was not being wasted when they were away from me, they have learned if you work hard and complete your task you get time to create and play. It provides opportunity for getting into their world and hearts. When you are with your kids this much you never have to guess what is going on in their hearts; you may not always like what you are seeing but you always are in the know! We can address issues as they arise and deal with the root of them. It allows time for the extracurricular. We have a life rhythm established now and it changes a bit every season but one thing we will always value is time as a family. No matter if I homeschool exclusively and am with the kids every day; Jake works and we value time as a family - so we try to make early afternoons most of our individual activities times; gymnastics, speed and agility class, art, tennis lessons and soccer clinic are things we currently do sometime between 1:30 and 3:30 on homeschool days when they would otherwise be at school and they do not fight for competition for time with daddy. It keeps us on track and focused because if you have not finished or sometimes for my 4th grader gotten to his goal for that time - you don't participate but complete your work while the others do, or if it is an activity for only you; then you explain to your coach why you will not be there today. We have actually not had this happen this year.
It's not really about the wasted time (but I do love spending extra time with my kids and no more things will compete for that as they get older), but I love watching them learn to learn. I think they have learned to learn in ways Jake and I learned in college or maybe post college he would say. A love for learning; a love for God and His Word, an overarching Christian world view I am so thankful Veritas has fostered and nurtured along with our home.
{This post was written in January and I guess I never pushed publish; Here is an update of what God has spoken for our family for this next season - a change indeed}
While we were fasting and praying this year God spoke some new things - gave me a chance to mourn - literally I cried many times - and respond!
My twins are finishing first grade and have a unique and amazing situation. They have 2 boy cousins the same age that are our neighbors and also another best buddy Nate that are all in the same class in our public neighborhood school. We have always prayed for our kids to have marvelous comrades and God has been so so faithful. The boys have some super great buddies at school the problem is they live about 30-40 miles from us - not just your homeschool day unplanned playdate. So needless to say this year holds something different for us. Kooper will be at Veritas in 5th grade, Preslee and Harper will be in 1st and K at Veritas and the Brax and Sutton will be at our neighborhood school in 2nd grade. Thankful God has awesome plans for each of them and we don't have to have it all figured out; but He is faithful and His word does not return void but accomplishes everything He sends it forth to do!
