Making memories…
20 years of Home Schooling
advice to “Captive Families”!
This is the last year of home schooling their four children by Tim and Joyce Trost, rural Cannon Falls. They are in their last year of home schooling their four children. They range from: Emi 24, running professionally, graduated from UMD in Sports and Exercise Science and English and will soon be pursuing more schooling for Nutrition and Dietetics. Karl, 22 will be graduating this fall from University of WI Stout in Engineering Technology and will be pursuing work as a Mechanical Engineer. Dan, 20 is a junior at University of Northwestern studying Engineering, Bible and Math and Aaron, 18 is a senior this year and will be attending University of Northwestern pursing Communications-Radio broadcasting and Music.
Today’s “forced” home schooling is different.
The Trost’s explain: “Most of the families that are having to teach their kids at home now did not choose to do so, and are having to do it without planning, education in how to do it, having to follow the curriculum of the schools and during a time of significant other stresses.
“Our hope for families having to do it now is that they would embrace these next few months, ride the wave of being home together, and make memories for a life time!
Key point…
Kids will learn the best during this time if you make it fun, take breaks and do things that are not typical for classroom learning, and do things that are memorable.
How it’s different today…
“Online learning is different than home education in that the schedule and curriculum is set with live lectures, group meetings and work packets. But as much as possible, work to find a rhythm that works for your family.
“This is a change for the kids and and parents both so talk as a family about what works best. Sometimes our teaching took place early in the morning or later in the evening to flex around our work demands, and sometimes work was interrupted and needed to wait. Parents many want to engage an older sibling to help the younger ones.
What was an important skill for you?
“Take time to teach your children things that you as parents always wanted them to learn or experience. Things like having them be responsible for making dinner once a week (no sports means more time for learning to help the family), doing a house cleaning chore every day (now would be a great time for them to learn to do the laundry, clean the bathroom and do dishes!), and learning to change the oil or do car repairs. All great life skills for after high school too!
Fun challenges!
“Set up daily/weekly challenges. Give them a box of junk or a pile of wood and have a competition to make a contraption, an instrument, or a wagon, or something else... give them a food and have them come up with a recipe to use the food in....or give them some sports equipment and have the kids create an obstacle course for you as parents or each other to do...or have them build a Lego or blocks creation and then either tell you the story around their creation or write about it. Take a walk in the woods for a scavenger hunt and have them wirte about what they saw.
Family bonds…
“These are great times to solidify family bonds. Great time to have kids learn that their siblings are cool and fun to be with. Time to snuggle on the couch and read, read, read, and time to learn grace for each other and your differences.
“Most of all, don't fret over the small stuff and enjoy the memories that this challenge is allowing you to make.
Note from their youngest son, Aaron…
The importance of flexibility in learning styles… “for example one year we fixed up an old John Deere snowmobile and for that we got a shop/small engine credit.
“The main issue was being sure to get all of our scheduled classes (math, science, history, etc.) completed. When we were younger, mom and dad created a checklist, with a schedule of when we needed to start and finish each class.
“This allowed us to check off what classes and lessons we had completed for the day. Everything was laid out with a start and end time. This allowed us to stay on schedule and keep that accountability of having a test, or homework, due on a certain day.”
The Trost’s concluded with this point from Chuck Swindol:
"We are convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it!"
