Stop cramming information into your kids and start truly educating them!
Schools, even homeschools, have the habit of cramming information into kids as if they are buckets to be filled. We dump facts and figures into their little heads until they are overflowing and often overwhelmed.
Another side effect of this unfortunate cramming is that it often squashes true learning. Any spark that may have come from educational instruction is snuffed out by everything that is piled on top of it. There’s no room for fires to burn bright because…
Buckets put out fires
As we go into a new school year, make a promise to yourself and to your children that you will not see them as buckets to be filled. Allow yourself room for sparks to be fanned into flames. Allow your children to be truly educated, rather than hosed down with facts and figures that will mean nothing to them next week.
Many years ago, I started the school year with these words:
This year I will encourage interests.
This year I will stretch minds.
This year I will engage hearts.
This year I will disciple.
This year I will point the direction.
This year I will lead the way.
This year I will look for mastery.
This year I will wait for understanding.
This year I will take longer.
This year I will listen more.
This year I will laugh.
This year I will light fires.
My oldest child was 13. Now that child is a man. He’s in his final year of college. He has a full time job in the field of his expertise. He has a love of learning. He’s not a bucket. He’s a fire!
How do you light educational fires?
1 – Read to your children and have plenty of books available!
Fore more ideas, see these posts:
2 – Make plenty of time for your children to pursue interests!
For more ideas, see these posts:
3 – Take things slow and steady and believe in your kids!
For more ideas, see these posts:
Keep fanning those flames, homeschool mama!
Rebecca says
So excellent!! We take the summer off of school, but about the beginning of August I start doing some prep for starting up again. Thanks for giving me some goals to work toward!!!
Amy says
Thank you so much for this! I’m a “make a list and check thing off” kind of person and and don’t want to be that way with school this year. I’m going to print this off and hang it somewhere where I will be reminded to not just fill my kids with information.
Amy says
I am a checklist kind of person too, but the will of God is not a checklist kind of thing…I need to remind myself of this often!
Tiana Krenz says
One of my favorite quotes. :)That’s a fantastic graphic! Where did you get it?
Amy says
flickr creative commons (if you click on it, you will see the website…great place to find graphics! Use the attribution only ones 🙂 )
Tiana Krenz says
Thanks!
Ryshel Durrance says
Thank you! This is so inspiring. It is our 2nd yr of homeschooling and I pray that fires would be lit!
Jen says
Thank-you! I just printed this to put in my planner, where I will see it every day! As I am expecting my 6th baby in 6 weeks, planning for school this year has become too much of just something I need to do. This simple list reminds me today to remember why I’m teaching my 5 children at home! Have a blessed day!
Jamie @ See Jamie blog says
Amen! I haven’t written it down this way, but I’ve been thinking along the same lines.
Sandi says
Love this. I am SO with your here. My middle guy has forced me to change pace and see learning through new lens. This year will be approached very different this year. I still have my excel spread sheet but it is simply to put my brain on paper so my heart can engage :o)
kelly @ In Everything says
I”m right there with you SAndi… I have a “plan” but it’s so my heart/mind can be focused!
Tara gunnels says
This lines up with all I have been saying this week. Homeschooling at my house is changing this year, and I am so excited. I will be copying this to hang on the fridge.
Dawn says
Lovely post! I also plan to add it to my planner for a continual reminder. You did an amazing job of articulating the heart of homeschooling!
Katy says
Lighting a fire! That’s what my husband and I hold as an educational goal for our children. If we can light a fire in them, start a desire for learning, there is no where they can’t go. They will learn without our presence, and THAT’S what our goal is. To have a lifetime of learning that isn’t dependent on a desk, pencil, and worksheet. To have them seek out new information and desire to learn about new topics or areas of interest.
I am going to print this out for our refrigerator. It’s a great reminder of our goal.
kate says
YES! me too 🙂
God bless!
kate
amanda says
Yes. Thank you. Just what I needed today.
Blair says
Oh yes Lord! Me too! Me too!
Karen says
I love this because I am so guilty of this. I am printing this out and putting it beside my computer. Thank you for this.
Suzanne says
LOVE THIS!! Thank you Amy! I’m a new homeschooling Mum and am reading through your Homeschooling family series. Thank you for your faithfulness to writing this down and passing it on – it is already helping me immensely! My little girls will love Mummy just chilling a bit and laughing lots 🙂
Rebecca says
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Laura says
YES!