The Semester Myth...
OK - Let's face it.
We plan, we dream, and we have it all worked out in our head; we even put
it from pen to paper, and on paper it is doable. Maybe not perfect but
achievable nonetheless. We start the school year and are convinced "we've got this." Congratulations!! You've just feed the monster - the monster of the
Semester Myth!!
We begin the year and
things are plugging right along and then it happens...LIFE. There is
always something that just comes up, something unexpected that catches you off
guard, and all of the things that you were thinking you had under control are
gone in a flash. You are no longer ahead of the game; you are now playing
catch up. The days of proactive are gone and you are in full reactive
mode.
Perhaps those things
(the unexpected and unplanned) last only a moment, others may seem to go on
forever, and many are far more than you could have ever imagined. You
might just be flooded with moments and/or circumstances beyond your wildest dreams - harder than you have ever known anything to be. But you can't stop -
right? You have a family of students that you are homeschooling.
You have things that must be done and timelines that must be adhered to.
Don't feed the myth
monster... You are part
of a homeschooling family and one of the most beautiful parts of this journey
is that you aren't just educating the academics you are experiencing life -
together. You know that things don't always go smoothly, that adjustments
have to be made, and that you are going to get caught off guard. This is
not the time to panic, to hide the hurt, or to give up. This is the time to
pull together. Make your adjustments, admit your obstacles, and continue
to experience the journey - honesty in the midst of situations brings strength
in the midst of adversity. You can do this - together.
The schedule or the
completion of your syllabus doesn't determine your success and the lack of it
will not deem you a failure. Very few schools, in any format
(homeschooling, public, private, magnet, etc.), complete a textbook or cover
every lesson. It isn't about quantity but about quality and what better
way to ensure the quality than to equip your students to handle the things that
creep up and creep in without letting them creep you out.
Let's get REALL with the semester myth!!!
Reflect - reflect on the things that you did
accomplish. Chances are that you will find more things than originally anticipated can be marked off the list. You'll most likely be
pleasantly surprised to add the items that didn't make the original "cut" but
were accomplished none the less.
Evaluate - evaluate the things that you learned,
not the things that went well but the things that you learned. Many of
life's lessons come through the situations that you didn't particularly enjoy
or wouldn't deem as best moments ever. Yet, those are the things
that you will carry with you as lessons learned.
Attack - attack the things that are stealing your
joy. Don't give them room to take root. Attack the things that you
feel simply must be done and areas where time is of the essence. Attack the doubt
that life loves to fling at you in all you do. Attack Satan's hold on you
and allow God to fight the battle.
Love - love the opportunity to share the time
with your family, love the fact that you were able to do it together, love the
blessings that have peppered whatever path that you have walked. You are
not expected (nor required) to love the things that crept in; but, love the
reality that they only have victory when you allow it.
Look Ahead - look ahead to the next semester.
There are more days and more lessons awaiting the next semester turn.
Have your experiences changed your academic needs? Your priorities?
Have they opened new avenues, revealed new plans? Change is not the
evil power - allowing it to paralyze or diminish your journey are its only
strongholds. There are so many more blessings to be bestowed. Embrace the
gifts that they are sure to bring - no matter how unexpected the journey may
seem.
We are going to stumble but we cannot quit; we
have been given the incredible opportunity to travel a path that not only takes
many forms; but also, forms many relationships. Though I may not have
begun my homeschool journey as one particularly fond of change or graceful
under the pressure of the unexpected, I do continue the journey thankful for
each blessing and realizing that without them I wouldn't be who I am or where I
am today. How wonderful it is to know that God isn't yet finished with me or my journey.
