What Do You Believe?

by Becky Wyand

1. What do I believe?

Consider Isaiah 45:18 “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.”

Continue to evaluate what you really believe.  Look at what your children see as important to you.  Look at your response to situations.

As you choose curriculum, set up your schedule, decide on trips and projects and select from an array of possible teaching methods, consider: What do I really believe?

2. Reminders as we face a new year and new opportunity

a.       I understand that each child that God has given me is unique.  Some of that uniqueness will be gratifying, some of it will be irritating.

b.      I am learning my part in the teacher/student relationship.  I want God to work in my child, therefore I will continue to instruct when my child’s behavior indicates a need.

c.       I will set aside time for quiet.  During that time I will continuously ask God to polish me so that my child can see HIS reflection in me.

d.      My schedule will also include 1-2 hours flat on back time each afternoon.  During this time I will sleep, pray again, read or meditate.

e.       I will promise to give God all of my failures and frustrations, fully aware that He knows exactly what to do with them.

3. Failure

Day by day I am becoming more convinced that God allows failure for greatness to be achieved.  Please be careful about making everything easy, comfortable and effortless.  Of course, we want our children to achieve, but we also want them to understand how much work goes into earning a pair of shoes or a good lunch.

We, also, want them to understand consequences for the choices they make.  Therefore we will want to allow the growth that comes from failure.

4. Methods of teaching

A variety of methods can be used with the same materials.  Suppose you have purchased materials for one child but feel you can’t use them for another child because he learns differently.  I am suggesting that maybe you can use the same materials but change your methods.

Examples of how to use the same text in a variety of ways:

a.       Simply use the book as a read-aloud.  Practice any skills that you would for any other read-aloud as:

•      Vocabulary
•      Retelling
•      Q & A research
•      Writing and spelling

b.      Read the text together or silently and choose a skill to practice with each chapter.  Skills as:

• Summarizing
• Outlining
• Sequencing

c.       Read the book together and make a time line of important facts.  Also make 3x5 fact cards for quick, portable review.

d.      Mom or tutor read the book and tell or lecture the information.  Student may:

• Make a picture file with captions
• Write a sentence of main idea
• Write a paragraph of review

e.       Student may read, silently, the text.  After which she could:

Make 1 or 2 questions from each section

• Choose an event or person to look for more information
• Answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
• Outline the chapter
• Teach the information to siblings

5. Preparing parent and child for the new school year

a.       Set the stage for personal spiritual refreshment.  Discuss with delight what God is doing in your life.

b.      Discuss the schedule with all involved.  Avoid continuous battle for TV time, playing with friends, etc. by having everyone know the schedule.  Use the schedule to discuss God’s gift of time to your children.  Help them see that all minutes belong to God as He gave them to us for Him to get some great honor and accomplishment.

c.       Be prepared to take leadership in the training of each child.  Consider differing temperaments, gifts, ages, etc.  Recognize the foolish heart and have a deliberate strategy for dealing with it.

6. Reading

Remember to go through your personal library and find the life-changing books.  Make an effort to re-read these books during read-aloud.  Encourage older children to make journal entries about these great books.

7. Spelling

I want to remind you that most elementary grade children will profit from a phonics review in spelling.  Fifth and sixth grades could explain what is happening as the vowels change sounds, making a catalog of each vowel.  They could also explain spelling rules and variations.

8. Discipline

Reminder!  Reminder!  Reminder!

Our goal is not to have peace for the moment, although peace is nice.

Our goal is not to avoid embarrassment at church, although it is nice not to be embarrassed.

Our goal is to show our children the ideal and to make them thirsty for that.  Therefore you will hear me take every discipline problem back to the same solution --- You and your child getting to know the true God better and better.

During workshops and through these tips we will continue to explore ways to make the child thirsty AND what to do if he isn’t.

Hope to see you at workshops!