Quote from Forum Archives on August 11, 2001, 10:20 am

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

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THE HOPE CHEST: Ideas and Inspiration for Home Education
Issue #43 part 1 / August 11, 2001
Character Counts!
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WELCOME TO THE HOPE CHEST!

The Hope Chest Home School News is a free bi-monthly e-mail
newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The
editor is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, and mother of eight, ages
baby to teen. Virginia is also author of The Real Life Home
School Mom, The Best of the Hope Chest Volumes 1, 2 and 3,
and the designer of the Learner’s Journal. (Ordering information
is at the end of the newsletter for these resources and several by
Cindy Rushton.)

If you like this newsletter, please forward it to your friends!
THANKS!!

Hope Chest contact information:
Web page: www.hopechest.homestead.com/welcome.html
Resource orders: www.hopechest.homestead.com/resourceorders.html

Personal e-mail: [email protected]
Subscription address: [email protected]
Unsubscription address:
[email protected]
To change address, unsubscribe from your old address and
subscribe from your new address.

This newsletter is currently sent out in a few parts per issue. This
is part 1 of 5.

I think this is the longest Hope Chest newsletter ever! I
recommend printing this one out and curling up in a comfy arm
chair with a tall glass of lemonade!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1
FROM MY HEART TO YOURS:
Ten Years and Counting by Virginia Knowles
THE POET’S PEN: The Teacher -- and -- Two Prayers
QUOTABLE QUOTES

Part 2
THE ALPHA-VIRTUES SONG

Part 3
THE GOAL OF OUR INSTRUCTION
Homeschooling that Aims for the Heart.
By Bonnie Schooler
THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE HEART
by Lisa Easterling
CHARACTER BUILDING by Wanda Carlton
CHARACTER CASE STUDIES
by Tonya Travelstead

Part 4
HOMEMADE GEOGRAPHY GAME
by Angie Payne
CHARACTER BUILDING THROUGH HOUSE CLEANING
by Dana Estes
HOUSE CLEANING TO PREVENT ASTHMA by Dona W
THE HOME HAVEN:
Go for the Grime! by Virginia Knowles
HOME HEALTH: Heatstroke? by Virginia Knowles

Part 5
WHAT’S UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE?
ON OUR HOMEFRONT: What’s New at the Knowles House?
by Virginia Knowles
RESOURCE ORDERING INFORMATION
REPRINT PERMISSION

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FROM MY HEART TO YOURS:
TEN YEARS AND COUNTING
by Virginia Knowles
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Ten years ago, our family embarked on the grand adventure of
home schooling. Our oldest daughter was four, with two little
sisters close behind. I decided to do a “practice year” to prepare
for kindergarten. During the next several months, I researched
home school options, joined a support group, and learned to keep
rudimentary records, which I still have tucked away in a file
cabinet for posterity. My daughter taught herself to read, with
minimal formal coaching from me. The next fall, when the yellow
school bus rolled around the corner, we merrily waved at it from
the bay window of our little townhouse. We were officially home
schoolers.

Here we are a decade later. We live in a bigger house -- which is
good since our family size has doubled to 10! With children
ranging from 6 months to 14 years old, our educational tools run
the gamut from Tinker Toys to textbooks. Sometimes I have to
mentally jump from phonics to algebra -- and back again -- in the
blink of an eye.

I hear young moms say, “I can’t home school! I’m not organized
or patient like you are!” Neither was I! I’m still not even close to
being “there” yet (my family would quickly verify that fact) but
through the process of home schooling my children, I’ve learned
more than I could have ever dreamed. You grow into it as you go.

I’ve learned that home school is not particularly easy. Each year
brings new challenges to stretch me. There is always something
that changes -- the needs or interests of the children, my energy
level, our finances, a hot new curriciculum, or a fresh insight into
the learning process which needs to be woven into our days. This
week, that oldest daughter started her high school years. There’s
a whole slew of new details to occupy our feeble minds -- high
school credits, electives, group class options and so on. She is
already eagerly scouting out college opportunities. Eek! Where
did the time go? Turn back the clock! The question now is how I
will manage to oversee the studies of five school age children,
nurture my three younger ones, keep the house (reasonably)
clean, and still try to have a smile on my face when my husband
comes home from a long day at the office? This year, more than
ever, I sense that this is going to be more than a “full plate” for
me, leaving time for little else. I know there are some big
adjustments we need to make, and I’m not quite sure what they
are yet. I feel like I’m about to be pruned back more and more
(see John 15). This leaves me leaning hard on God’s grace to
strengthen me for doing good and his mercy to forgive me for
when I mess up, which is often.

I’ve learned that you can’t effectively home school out of mere
reaction to negatives you might perceive in public schools. To
stay motivated you must focus on the good things you want to
accomplish rather than the bad things you only THINK you can
totally avoid, but which might crop up anyway, no matter where
your children are educated. I may not be quite the mother and
teacher that I WANT to be, but I think I have worthy goals for the
education and training of my children. If I have to concentrate so
intently on aiming them toward this ultimate target of maturity, it
sure doesn’t leave much time for shooting darts of criticism at
what other folks are doing.

I’ve learned that character really is just about everything. Yes, we
must teach our children academic skills, but it won’t be any good if
we turn out educated fools. If your children are still young and it
doesn’t seem like that big a deal, let me issue a strong word of
exhortation. If you concentrate on character first, you do yourself
a favor. Life will be sweeter. Teaching will be easier. Your child
won’t end up with as many hard habits to break later. Character
counts -- dearly.

I’ve learned that I must keep my vision on the good things that
can happen if we persevere. I may not see instant results, but I
want to able to stay in it for the long haul. Why do I keep doing it,
when life can be such a zoo, and I’m not getting any younger? I
do it because I feel a divine call that I wouldn’t dream of missing!
I do it as an investment in my children, and an investment in ME.
We all learn together. Ten years... I’m counting the costs. And
I’m counting my blessings.

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THE POET’S PEN
The Teacher -- and -- Two Prayers
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I found these two gems in a vintage volume of Christ and the Fine
Arts by Cynthia Pearl Maus (copyright 1938 and 1959). It is a
lovely “Anthology of Pictures, Poetry, Music and Stories Centering
on the Life of Christ.”

These poems are so touching because they acknowledge that we
who teach are ever in need of being taught, of growing in our own
character as we try to shape the lives of those in our care.

THE TEACHER
by Leslie Pinckney Hill

Lord, who am I to teach the way
To little children day by day,
So prone myself to go astray?

I teach them knowledge, but I know
How faint the flicker and how low
The candles of my knowledge glow.

I teach them power to will and do,
But only now to learn anew
My own great weakness through and through.

Lord, if their guide I still must be,
Oh, let the little children see
The teacher leaning hard on thee.

TWO PRAYERS
by Andrew Gillies

Last night my little boy confessed to me
Some childish wrong;
And kneeling at my knee,
He prayed with tears, --
“Dear God, make me a man
Like Daddy -- wise and strong;
I know you can.”

Then, while he slept
I knelt beside his bed,
Confessed my sins,
And prayed with low-bowed head.
“O God, make me a child
Like my child here --
Pure, guileless,
Trusting Thee with faith sincere.”

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QUOTABLE QUOTES
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Virtue is always modest, and modesty is itself a virtue. He who is
discovered by his real excellence, and not by his egotistical
advertisements of his own perfections, is a man worth knowing.
~~ C. H. Spurgeon

We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see
things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long
winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but
others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days
till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always
to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
Don't let anyone steal your dreams! ~~ Woodrow Wilson

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through
experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened,
vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. ~~ Helen
Keller

Waiting until everything is perfect before making a move is like
waiting to start a trip until all the traffic lights are green. ~~ Karin
Ireland