When homeschooling fails, it's far more often due to issues with organization and discipline than it is to academics. ~Sheila Wray Gregoire
That one sentence is probably what prompted me, more than anything else to decide to limit my blogging activity. Since I quit blogging, this is only the second post that I've written. :-p Since then, I have unsubscribed from a handful of blogs and dozens of email newsletters. I was easily getting a hundred emails a day, most of them newsletters and updates. I felt like I needed to check email every 15 minutes, lest something actually go unread, or at least, undeleted.
I am unorgaized because I just don't do it. Let's just say that I am occupied otherwise. We have been doing school in the dining room because we can hardly get into the school room.
I started cleaning it last night. Really cleaning it. We need a better system for getting books and notebooks out and replacing them. I sat down and started making a list of what we needed to make the school room more efficient. In reality, new Rubbermaid bins and drawers are not going to help. Sure, they might look cool. And for one day, the room might appear more organized and be more efficient.
The truth is that organization and efficiency are by-products of the fruit of the Spirit, self- control.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
One of the biggest issues in the school room was loose paper. I had this stack on the table that I would sort and restack. Over and over. The definition of insanity, right? I also had several notebooks filled with things I printed off the internet over the last 8 years. I guess when I first got online, I thought the internet would shut down, or something, because I printed nearly everything I liked. Have I looked at any of it recently? No. Thus began the Great Paper Purge of 2009. I did come across a set of papers that I had printed out and even started. It was the Clean Heart, Clean Home Challenge.
See, the problem is a lack of self-control on my part, which the boys have perfected. All this mess is a heart issue. I would rather ignore needs to cater to temporary wants. The ramifications of my choices...let's just say they are far reaching and I end up yelling at people to clean up.
I am going to start the Clean Heaart, Clean Home Challenge again. I may or may not keep you updated. Ideally, I would have a set time for blogging and other internet usage, but I know myself well, and it may very well take the whole 52 weeks of the challenge to get it together.
Amy V's blog, for more great stuff to motivate you to become a better woman.
3 comments:
I don't know if you'll have time to read this, but thank you. This is something I need to keep an eye on, as well.
your messy schoolroom actually looks a little better than mine. we, too, have been homeschooling in the dining rm this entire schoolyear, and tho there are several factors involved, the disorganization & mess in the schoolroom is definitely at the top of the list. how sad is that?- to devote a section of my house to homeschooling and then not do any school there b/c (or partly b/c) it is too messy? and yeah, i can relate to everything you said about that whole issue.
hey, question for you-- i noticed that tog has all quiet on the western front listed as a high-school-level book. a history of us lists it as suitable for younger ages. did you or n read it when you did ww1? if so, was it a good/appropriate read for a 13-y/o? i have it on order from library but haven't gotten in it yet to look at it, and i'm trying to plan!
Ok, you know I love you and I understand why you are taking your blog break. Really, I do.
But I miss the Saturday Stream.
I like what you have to say and wanna read more and more and more from you.
love love ~kc
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