As I prepared the boys' annual review yesterday, it occurred to me (not for the first time) that I could have done a better job. My plans and schedules tend to fall by the wayside as life takes over. Before I know it, it is summer . . . and we never did those other chemistry experiments, took the spelling tests I had planned, or had a Roman Feast day.
Then again . . . on the way to church this morning, John Robert read to me from his latest WWII fact book. When the boys got home from church, they settled into the living room to watch a WWII documentary. If I had "made" them do those things for history class, I would have counted it as a "lesson," and they probably wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much.
John Robert is going to a Shakespeare based play this afternoon with his buddy, Quinn. That isn't part of drama or history. It's just for fun.
So are we relaxed homeschoolers or just lazy? Am I doing my best as a teacher? I have concluded that the boys are far too curious and intelligent to be lazy. They may be uninterested in a subject, but that's not quite the same as being lazy (though they may look the same!). I don't believe in tests or grades. I believe in watching and listening carefully to the boys in order to determine what they know and what they need. I believe in allowing the boys to determine what they learn and how they learn it-- as much as I can stand it. Sometimes it must look like I'm being lazy. However, often times I realize when I leave them alone that is when they learn the most!
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| The Boys in the Tropical Rainforest section of the Atlanta Botanical Garden |
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| Spencer wading in the fountain at the Botanical Garden |
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| My Three Sons |
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| Denver flying the Queen Air with Daddy |
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