November 13, 2003
Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate!
Every now and then I come to a place of what can only be referred to as "floundering." I begin to question if what I'm doing with my children (in regard to home schooling) is the right thing. Am I doing this right? Does what I do every day matter at all? Am I blowing it with my children?
As a result of this floundering I become discouraged, unmotivated, and hyper-critical of myself. I begin to worry and fret.
Over the years as I've encountered this phenomena repeatedly I have discovered the best response to this floundering is to focus. Instead of feeding the list of questions that only fuel doubt, I focus instead on the questions that bring my mind and heart back to the foundational truths (for our family) that led us to home school in the first place:
Why do we home school?
What are the goals we're working toward?
Are we meeting those goals?
Where do we have gaps? And how do we begin to fill them in?
The difference between the first set of questions and the second is significant. The first set focuses on how I'm feeling based on an emotional reaction to the stresses of home schooling. The second set of questions puts aside the feelings, for the moment, and brings clarity to the facts.
The first set fuels my insecurities. It reverberates with all the doubts of my detractors, those well-meaning people who are convinced the only effective educational system is institutional schooling. It waters the seeds of dissatisfaction and despair that lurk like weeds among the golden harvest of my goals.
The second set of questions brings me back to the priorities. Like the magnifying glass through which the sun's brilliant rays penetrate to set ablaze the dried leaves of dailyness, drudgery, and discontent, these questions bring things back into perspective.
The first set of questions castigates. The second set of questions evaluates. Castigation only leads to feelings of failure, while evaluation puts things in perspective, motivating me to get back on track to meet the prescribed goals.
One is ineffectual, the other productive.
If you're like me and the daillyness of home schooling gets you down occasionally, take a step back and do a little evaluation. Then set your eyes on the goal and finish the race strong!
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." Romans 12:1 (NASB)
Posted by at November 13, 2003 09:18 AM
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