An Advent Calendar Activity Lesson Plan

We have started our Advent calendar activities in our homeschool! I have searched the blogosphere and seen a few different ideas for calendar activities. This is an example of a lesson plan for one of my Advent calendar activities.

Supplies:

Lyrics to “O Christmas Tree” (We only sang the first verse.) Or try these two sets of translations of the lyrics
Green paper cut into a triangle
Scissors
Glue sticks & white glue
Paper circles
Tissue paper
Pictures of Christmas trees
Yarn
Index card
Bible

Objective:

~To understand that God is ever-present & everlasting.
~To understand that we use an evergreen as our Christmas tree because it reminds us that God is always with us and will always be with us.

I wrote the following information on half an index card and put it into the Advent calendar.

Bible Verse:

~”Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Psalm 41:13

Kids’ Activity:

~Sing “O Christmas Tree”. Discuss the meaning of the lyrics - the Christmas tree is always green and known as an evergreen. God is also ever-present. He will always be with us ans always love us. Use the following motions when you sing the song:

• Arms in a triangle over your head for “O Christmas Tree”.
• Stretch arms out for “How lovely are your branches.”
• Keep arms stretched and sway to the rhythm of the song for the rest of the lyrics.

~Make a Christmas tree. Look at pictures of Christmas trees and explain that the shape of the tree is a triangle. Use circles for the ornaments. Use yarn for the garland. Glue the Christmas tree onto another piece of paper: white for a snow scene, black for a night scene, or blue for a day time scene.

Family Activity:

~Choose a Christmas tree together.

A Few of My Favorite Christmas Titles

During Advent, my family reads lots of books about the true meaning of Christmas. I think that reading these books helps the kids internalize the”Good News”. Each book also acts as a springboard for discussions about Jesus and the story of His birth. Here are a few of my favorite titles that help establish the foundation of the true meaning of Christmas:

• God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren is one of my favorite books because it explains that Christmas is a gift from God. The book does not ignore the fact that many families keep Santa as part of their Christmas tradition, though. It stays true to the greatness of God and the miracle of Jesus.

• I love the simplicity and the authenticity of The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry. This book is bilingual, English and Spanish. It is easy enough for the youngest of readers to understand.
• The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry is another book that tells about Jesus’ birth in an easy to understand format. The story is accurate as well.
• Another favorite Christmas tale is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. I love how the Grinch learns that Christmas is not about the gifts. Instead, he finds that Christmas is about family and love.

Painting Jesus

Are you teaching your children the names of Jesus in your homeschool? This video is a great way to expand on that lesson. (HT: Rose)

This video is powerful! I think that many teens would like it and be touched. I know that I was!

Homeschool Mom: Persevering or Proving Herself

I just read a great article in “Christianity Today” about “dropping out” of homeschooling. It got me thinking that home education is a huge commitment and perfectionists like me might wrestle with the decision to continue homeschooling. As I was reading this article, I kept thinking that I often do not show myself any grace, and the mother in the article didn’t either. She talked about her struggle to let go of homeschooling. She wanted it to work even though nothing she was doing made things improve, and she clearly heard God telling her to send her children to public school. It can be difficult to distinguish between perseverance and the need to prove something to everyone else. Perseverance is good, but proving yourself to others is not.

My husband and I have decided this:

• We will think about and plan school one year at a time. It is impossible to think through all of the possibilities and determine what will be best for our children beyond that time frame.
• We will remember that each child is unique. Home education may be good for one child, but not good for another.
• We will work together as a team to educate our children. Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that we need each other. Hopefully that will help us make better decisions about our children’s education.
• We will pray about the direction of our home school. Right now we feel called to home educate our children next year full time, but God may have different plans after that. I want to follow His plan!

Show yourself some grace and pray. Homeschooling is hard work and rewarding. But if you find that home education is not working for your children, then investigate alternatives.

Responding to Concerns about Homeschooling

Recently I have been talking with other moms about our decision to homeschool full time next school year - both kids. This seems like a big step for us since we are supplementing Montessori school right now. I know that we can do it, though. For some reason I have found it incredibly difficult to face those other moms when I tell them that. I think people think that we are weird.

I have a friend who just started homeschooling this year because she and her husband feel called by God to do that. She told me that although she is confident in their decision to homeschool, but she also finds it difficult to talk to other people about this decision. She also feels like people will think that they are weird and doesn’t know what to tell people. After some discussion about the topic, we came up with a couple of things you can tell people about your decision to homeschool.

• Our homeschool meets my children’s learning needs better than any other educational setting right now. I have more flexiblitity to try different curricula and methods to reach my children.
• We want to provide a Christian education for our children, but we cannot afford private school.

The other concern that others have when I talk about home education is about socialization. I have to wonder why socialization is the big concern and not the quality of the education that my kids get, but this is what I say:

• By not paying for school, we will have funds available to put towards dance class, horseback riding lessons, swimming lessons, and the like. These are the situations where my children will be involved in group learning experiences away from Mommy.
• We are active in our church, so my children are forming friendships with these children. This way I know the families already when we either host a play date or play at a friend’s house.

Some people are concerned about me doing too much. They talk about me needing a support system and a break, which I agree with. This is my response:

• I will find a co-op or just a group of other homeschoolers to talk to about our school and our joys ans trials.
• I will also continue attending Mom-to-Mom and my church’s women’s Bible study. I will either have to work with the Children’s Ministry Director or find an alternative form of child care for the children in order for me to be part of those groups, but I know that attending these programs is essential for me.
• My dear husband will also take charge of some ongoing math and science projects to work on with the children when he is home (in the evening, on the weekends, or on vacation). He will also discuss the curriculum with me. We plan to be partners in this endeavor!

What has your response been to well-meaning people when they raise concerns about home education?

Encouraging Our Friends Considering Homeschooling

I have been talking with a good friend of mine about homeschooling. She and her husband both feel that God is calling them to home educate their children. He is completely on board with the idea. She is not so sure. She has been dabbling in it for the last few months and has had quite a bit of success. She has a couple of concerns about it, though. I wonder if you have had these same concerns at one time or another. Perhaps you can provide some encouragement.

“I don’t want the kids to be weird.” I think that many people feel that homeschooled children are a little different from children who are educated in private or public schools, and people do not view these differences very positively. Lots of people view homeschooled kids as lacking social skills. They think that these children dress out of the ordinary and are awkward. My take on this concern is that we as parents need to equip our children to live in this world, but to not be of this world (1 John 2:15-17) because we are strangers in a strange land. We need to give our children the tools to navigate our culture, but also instill in them our values. That may mean that in your family it is acceptable for your children to wear fashionable clothing that falls under certain parameters. It may mean that your children are allowed to watch particular popular television shows and read certain books that their friends read. However, that may also mean that your children miss out on events or other opportunities that their peers who attend public or private school are allowed to participate in. That could happen if your children were not homeschooled, though. Your rules may be different than other parents’ rules, but it may have nothing to do with where your children are educated. Honestly, I think home educated children have better social skills from the kinds of experiences they have in the world and by how they are coached by their parents since their parents spend that much more time with them.

“I don’t want to be judged by people who disagree with home education.” This is a difficult one, especially if you feel like you are being judged by other Christians. There are plenty of people who have misconceptions about why families choose to homeschool their children. No matter what you do, people will judge you, though. People have opinions, and they feel very strongly about those opinions. However, for most people, those opinions are based on very limited experiences. It is difficult to judge whether one family’s choice is better than another’s based on your own family’s needs. How could you do that? All children are unique and created by God to be that way. The fact is that we are all sinners, and many of us fall prey to the sin of judging others. If you have prayed about what God wants you to educate your children and you feel called to homeschooling them, then you need to be confident in that choice. All we can do is pray for those who are judging us. A sense of humor helps, too, along with a witty come back.

Are you considering home education? What are your concerns? What have people said to you about homeschooling?

Home Education and Blogging: A Match Made in Heaven

These days my God is teaching me that He will use my gifts in ways that I have never dreamed of. Isn’t it funny how our God does that? He has foiled my plans again and sent me off in another direction. I am doing my best to be obedient like Abraham. God and I are entering territory that I have not been in before. He has given me the tools to navigate the trip, though. I am excited and scared to see where He leads me!

First of all, I have to tell you that I am Anti-Technology Girl who fell in love with and married Techno Man. (He really is my very own superhero!) I have consistently resisted the computer and always need help with something on it. Even just a couple of months ago I avoided checking my e-mail. Many times I have ranted at my hubby for spending hours on the computer just surfing or updating his Facebook page. There was no way that I would be tempted by the evils of the internet. Oh no! It isn’t social enough for me anyway. Who wants to look at a computer screen for hours at a time?

Then Techno Man suggested that I, Anti-Technology Girl, start blogging. “Why would I blog?” I asked. He insisted that this would be a great way to promote my business and establish my expertise in my field. It would replace the old e-newsletter I used to send out faithfully. “O.k. I’ll try it.” He had no idea what he was about to start! Now I am now Super Blogger Girl, and I can’t get enough! I love blogging!

I have always wanted to be a writer. I used to write poetry and short stories as a kid. I never pursued it because it is so hard to break into the writing world. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make a living at it, at least not at first. I needed a dependable vocation and decided that teaching would be a better career for me.

However, writing has always been hanging on in the background for me. I was on committees involved in writing the school improvement plan or obtaining grants. I loved teaching writing in my classroom, too. I even had a job that involved writing curriculum. Yes, writing has never gone away, but it has always been on the fringe of what I do.

I went to school and got experience teaching. I know lots about the education world, and now I am even homeschooling my kids. Here comes the writing piece again. Now I blog about home education. This is a match made in heaven!

Thank you, God for sending me on this journey. I am excited to find out how I will get to Canaan! Help me to trust You to lead me.

I look forward to sending you all “postcards” along the way!

Now We’re Composting!

We have finally gotten organized enough to start our very first compost pile. Here is another great instructional video about how to get started on your own compost pile.

We got started by using some plastic chicken wire and fencing off a small area for our pile. (We have a dog, and she would certainly get into our pile if she had a chance!) We, even Dad was in on the conversation, discussed what a compost pile is for and what kinds of things we would put into it. The kiddos put some of our leaves into the fenced in area, too, to get us started. Then we watched this video on YouTube. We’ve decided that adding to the compost pile is now a job for the kids in our house!

Since our garden is growing so nicely even though I have a brown thumb, I hope that our new compost pile will also be a huge success. The kiddos are really excited about it. They are even talking about how we can reduce the amount of trash that we make every day by putting banana peels and apple cores into the compost pile. Perhaps we will have kids who are more “green” and want to do more to protect the environment! I also hope that our children learn a few lessons about how God is the expert recycler, too, since He created the whole decompostition process. I’ll keep you posted on our progress!

Thanks for the Reminder

One of my favorite blogs, Holy Experience, has an amazing re-post called How Would Jesus Teach? It is funny that I received this particular post in my feed today because it really hits home for me. I felt like I was at home when I read it because this is truly how I want to educate my children. My goal is to become more Christ-like, right? Why not teach the same way that Jesus did when He was here on earth?

I want to glorify my God every day. I also want what is best for my kids educationally and otherwise. The funny thing is that following Jesus’ example will actually do both things for me and my kids. I need to teach my children the way that Jesus taught His disciples and the people around Him, out in the world through service and with scripture. Thank you, Holy Experience, for the reminder!

I have been working towards this goal. I have thought through how to make it happen, but I can’t seem to make it all come together. I have been missing one key piece, though - prayer. I have to pray about it and commit to making it happen.

Lord, transform me. Give me the wisdom I need in order to guide my children on this journey called life. Help me teach my children more like Jesus has taught us. Amen.

“Lord God. Food. Amen”

“Lord God. Food. Amen.”

My two year old prayed for the first time last week, and volunteered to do it, no less. It was just so beautiful to hear. It was genuine, too.

Jesus tells us that we should come to him like little children (Matthew 18:3). Listening to my dear little one pray reminded me of that. I know that God honored that sweet, little prayer because the intent was heartfelt. It was innocent. It was for God. I want to come to God in that same way, but so often, especially when I pray in front of other people, I feel like my prayers are for the listeners. That is not God honoring. That is self honoring. I want to honor our awesome God instead. I want to come to God as innocently as my two year old does. Have you thought about your prayer life? Are you coming to God like a little child?

My kiddo innocently offered to pray over our meal and extended a hand out to Jesus. This is more than what some adults do, including me. I am challenged by my two year old’s act of faith to reflect on my own intentions this week.

“Lord God. Food. Amen.”