Drop what you’re doing, and learn! Take a day off! In a homeschool, we can actually spend ALL DAY studying American Government and Current Events.
Tuesday if the inauguration of President-Elect Obama, and there is a lot to learn. You can take the day off from most of your formal schooling. . It’s an historic day, whether you voted for him or not. Research Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy, so that you can evaluate the comparisons as the pundits talk. Listen to the crowd, and discuss the meanings of words they use to describe Obama. Listen to the history of the 20th Century as they discuss Civil Rights. Watch the proceedings – there have been very few Presidents in our history, so this is a very special event.
In the Seattle area, one local school district has required parental permission slips before they allow students to watch the inaugural day proceedings. Homeschools don’t have a bureaucracy. We can learn during life, without getting permission. It doesn’t take an act of congress to be flexible with our homeschool. We can soak it up, and strike while the iron is hot! Seize the day, and allow student to watch history being made. Help them understand what is happening, and explain the views of the commentators. You can explain the historic nature of the event while presenting your own viewpoint.
Flexiblitiy is the key to supporting children when they learn through life events. In September of 2001, we moved into our new house in Seattle. After painting the interior, we were finally ready to start homeschooling in our new home. On our first day of school, before the children woke up, we were hit by the terrorist attacks of 9-11. It was incredibly traumatic, but we were together as a family, experiencing and learning together at home. I dropped all plans of studying Africa in geography, and we started with Afghanistan and the Middle East first. We spend hours talking about what happened, and the comparisons to Pearl Harbor. Remember all those comparisons? It was a great opportunity for the boys to REALLY learn the impact of Pearl Harbor, by learning about 9-11 as it happened.
So seize the day, and soak all the learning up while you can! Regular days are for regular school, but special learning days like this only come around once in a while.
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J W says:
This is so funny – I’m reading this while waiting for my kids to get dressed so we can go watch the inaugural day events with my parents. Oh, and I remember the 9/11 attacks – we were at church when I learned about them, and that happened to be the first day of AWANA club for my oldest, and it was the very first time she learned and said the Pledge of Allegiance! My youngest was a toddler, and my oldest was in pre-K, so there wasn’t much I could share with them then about that event. Now that they’re older, though, they can appreciate more. Oh, and I must be doing something right – it’s a big deal to them that Obama has daughters a little younger than them, and my oldest is a bit concerned over the abortion issue, but they hardly notice the fact that he’s Black. I guess we need to bone up more on Civil Rights, but then again, maybe it’s a good thing my girls don’t make a huge deal over race.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Kendra says:
Hi Lee-
Thanks for your comment about teaching writing.
I am going to be spending the better part of my free time today searching through your site. I’ve a 10th grader and an 8th grader on the cusp of high school. Phew!
Blessings,
Kendra
January 20th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Lee says:
Thank you, Kendra!
I was looking at your website
http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/
and I was thinking about how your mission is to help parents with preschoolers, and mine is to help parents with high schoolers! Same vision, different age groups. Cool!
Blessings,
Lee
January 20th, 2009 at 11:35 am